Streamline Your Morning Routine

The month after returning back to work was tough. I went from being home with Levi to suddenly trying to get myself and my four month old ready for the day, fed, and out the door in time for work. Let’s be honest, I was rarely on time. For several weeks, I didn’t make it to work until nearly 10:30 AM, #reallife. I quickly realized that I needed to find some sort of routine in order to make mornings less of a shit show. If I’m a mess in the morning, I feel like I spend the rest of the day trying to catch up. And I hated feeling like that. 

 

Okay, routine. I think there are probably infinite resources out there for routines that you can find, but the key is tailoring it to your life. Someone else’s routine may not fit your routine. That sounds great, but where do you start? 

 

I started with identifying what is keeping me from getting out the door earlier. Are those things anything that I could do the night before in order to save time in the mornings? Do I need to get up earlier? Do I need to rework my morning time to get ready? Is there anything I can do on the weekends to help during the week?

 

I literally went through every step figuring out how to cut time that I spent doing things in the mornings. And I am happy to report that for at least two months now, Levi and I are out the door by 8 AM! My morning routine still isn’t exactly where I want it to be, but it is a work in progress and something I am continuing to evaluate as Levi grows and his schedule changes. 

 

I went on my Instagram account and asked others to share their best tips for streamlining morning routines and I compiled all the amazing suggestions! Many of them are ones that I also implement in order to get ready and get out the door with less stress and on time! Here’s a spoiler – most of it happens at night. Before I go to bed for the night, my pump back is re-packed and by the door, Levi’s lunch and bottles are packed in the fridge, his snacks are already in his daycare bag by the door, and his and my clothes are picked out for the next day. This is what works for us, however, depending on your situation you may want to implement some of these other suggestions too! 

 

Wash bottles, pump parts, etc. and pack up

Repack any bags (pump bag, school bag, diaper bag)

Pack any lunches, snacks, milk, etc. so it is ready to grab and go

Pack for after school activities too

Set any packed bags by the door, ready to go

Pick out clothes (yours and kids) the night before

Pack up the car

Write down three things you want to get done in the morning. (Think easy, attainable goals that don’t take much time but also help contribute to feeling productive)

 

If needed, make list of things to remember by the door

Get up before kids to get ready

Multitask while eating (either yourself or your kids – many will do their makeup while kids are eating or do kid’s hair while they are eating – I typically eat my breakfast while Levi eats his) 

Load everyone into the car first THEN make one final check or do 2 minute tidy so you are not coming home to a disaster (loved this one!)