Are your mornings a mess? Create a morning routine.

Starting your morning

The way our morning goes can determine a lot about the rest of our day. If you wake up late and struggle to get the kids out the door, there is a pretty good chance that you are going to spend the rest of the day feeling stressed.

When we wake up, our bodies already are producing extra Cortisol (the stress hormone) because it helps kick our bodies into gear. So, adding extra stress to our morning is never a good thing. Taking time to ease into the day, and do things to make yourself in a good mood is crucial.

A good morning routine is important both for us as moms, and for our kids too!

Wake up with a smile on your face.

Wake Up Earlier

I'm not a morning person, so this is a habit I have had to learn in my 30's. I used to sleep in until the last possible moment, then roll out of bed and get out the door in about 30 minutes. Not any more.

The main reason that I started getting up earlier is so that I can have time to get organized, and have time for my mental and physical wellness first thing. I like having more time to get ready in the morning so that I don't have to feel like I am in a hurry. Taking time to slow down really sets a more positive tone for my day than when I tried to race against the clock.

These days, since I work from home, I get up at 6am to start work at 8am. When I had to commute, I used to get up even earlier.

By alleviating the need to be in a hurry, we can get our minds and bodies set for a productive and pleasant day. Setting yourself up for success helps me to relax and be less stressed throughout the day, instead of feeling like I am constantly running late and playing catch-up.

As I get older, having my day get off to a good start has become more important than that extra hour of sleep!

Morning yoga helps get your mind and body ready for the day.

Take Time for Yourself

I start the morning with half an hour of yoga, followed by coffee and a shower.

As a busy mom, having that quiet time in the morning really helps me to be mentally relaxed, revitalized, and prepared for the rest of the day. Yoga has helped me to feel more chill, than my usually-anxious self. That calm helps me to do better when I dive into the rest of my day.

There may be other things you want to incorporate here, such as journaling, a gratitude practice, or saying affirmations.

Practicing self-care is important for our mental health and overall well-being, and by putting your self-care routine first thing in the morning, it isn't something that gets overlooked when you are busy later in the day.

As a toddler mom, having a shower alone also feels like a self-indulgent luxury, and lets me have time for my skincare routine without worrying about my daughter slathering expensive face cream all over her body!

My partner has a different morning routine, and while I am doing yoga and journaling, he has time to himself too. He watches the news, checks email, has coffee on the patio, and calls his mom overseas.

The time you take for yourself can look different for everyone, it is just important that you start the day with something that you enjoy, without constantly having to rush.

Getting the kids ready.

After I am ready, then I get my toddler up. I also dedicate an hour in my schedule to getting her ready, even though with my partner and I working together, it doesn't really take that long. Having that hour means she has time to eat seconds on her breakfast, watch cartoons, and go through three different outfits to find the right one.

We let her start the day slowly too. That makes her less stressed too, and lets her have time to be ready for the day. Letting her have that extra time helps her listen better too when it is time to get out the door.

Our toddler used to rush out the door and have breakfast at daycare, but they started to have breakfast earlier, so we let her have breakfast at home now. Usually she has some fruit, and cereal or pancakes. When she eats at home, we know she is eating something healthy. We also don't have to hurry her out the door at a certain time, and can be more flexible with our schedule.

Once she eats breakfast, we get her dressed, and put her hair into a ponytail, so that it isn't getting a mess during the day. We even have time for her to take a bath or shower if she wants one that day.

After she gets ready, her dad takes her to daycare and I start work.

Find What Works.

You can structure your morning routine any way that works for you, and it may take some trial and error to figure out what is the best way to do things. Also, since kids are unpredictable and ever changing, be prepared to keep tweaking things as you go along.

We were struggling with getting our 4 year old to get ready in the morning, because she refused to get her clothes on. So, one day, I decided to brush her hair before she got dressed. Then, when I was done, I told her that she needed to put her shirt on before I put her hair in a ponytail. It worked like a charm!

I also decided to move her vitamins to the bedtime routine when she started taking melatonin for her sleep, so that I wasn't having to remember to do it twice a day.

Sometimes, she will tell me that she wants to do yoga with me in the morning, so I get her up an hour earlier with me. It takes away my quiet time, but seeing how cute she is doing the poses more than makes up for that! Plus, it is helping her develop a healthy habit that could last a lifetime, and I don't want to take that away.

Slow Down.

It can be hard to focus on the bigger picture sometimes when you have kids, because it seems like there is always something crazy happening. It is important to at least have in the back of your mind what kind of habits you want your kids to develop. Having a peaceful morning definitely helps, and that is something I want my kids to internalize.

In this busy world, it seems like we are always rushing around, and that contributes to our stress in a big way! Getting up a little earlier so that we don't have to be in a hurry is something that has made a huge impact in my life, and I hope it will for you too!

Here is a video going into my morning routine in more detail.

Let me know in the comments about your own morning routine, and any tips you have for the other moms out there!

You can check out these other related blog posts too:

Yoga for Physical & Mental Wellness (millenialmom.net)

Re-Thinking Selfcare (millenialmom.net)

6 Steps to Making a Family Schedule