Have you ever woke up late, had to skip breakfast because you had no time to cook, could not find your keys, and had to look through a stack or three of things for your overdue library book–or all of the above?! Mornings like that are stressful and can cause us to be irritable and irritated all day long. Mornings set the tone for our day. Having a stressful morning is, well, stressful!
Here are five ways I have de-stressed my mornings. (Hint: Most of them begin in the evening.)
1. For stress-free mornings, breakfast should be healthy and easy.
Leftovers can be a quick breakfast! Yes, we can have both healthy and easy breakfasts. Cook your meal the night or afternoon before so that all you need to do is heat it up in the morning. If you are having something like an omelet, chop your vegetables in advance and have all the other ingredients easily accessible.
2. Mornings should be slow to be stress-free.
Yes, mornings are outstanding for productivity. However, it does not mean that we should try to do 50% of our day’s work in the first hour of the day! Morning should start slowly by drinking some water with electrolytes and reading the Bible (food for the soul), praying, and eating an unhurried breakfast. It is worth it to put on a sweater or jacket and read the Bible outside on a porch or deck for fresh air and Vitamin D. The fresh air will help you to wake up.
3. For a stress-free morning, prepare the night before.
Here is what I prepare–ideally:
- Morning vitamins
- My entire outfit
- Shoes/boots cleaned and ready to go
- Lunch ready to put into a lunch box
- Water bottle (preferably reusable) ready to go
- Errand bag ready with library books to return and anything else I am taking to someone that day
Also, I know that in American culture, it’s the norm to take morning showers. By taking a shower in the evening, you will sleep better and free up that much time in the morning.
4. For stress-free mornings, set the table for breakfast in the evening.
Salt, pepper, honey, silverware, plates, glasses/cups, napkins, and any non-perishable foods should all be set on the table after dinner and before bedtime. In old books, as much as possible was prepared for breakfast the previous evening. See this post as an example. If you are having pancakes or waffles, ideally, they should be made ahead of time. If not, at least mix the dry ingredients together.
5. For stress-free mornings, go to bed early!
By going to bed early, you can wake up early and not need to rush. Rushing is stressful. Yes, I speak from experience.
By doing even one or two of these suggestions, you can save yourself five to fifteen minutes in the morning. Remember that every tasks takes much longer in the morning than it does in the evening.
Having an orderly and intentional morning can make us be more pleasant, less stressed, and be able to enjoy life more. Even if mornings are not your favorite part of the day, they don’t need to be stressful. It simply takes some planning ahead to make mornings more pleasant.
Which of these do you already do for less stress each morning? Which ones would you like to implement? Please share in the comments below!
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