back-to-school: morning routine

With school-aged children in the family, the morning routine can make or break your day. Having a morning routine can help prepare both your children and yourself for a positive and productive day. Below are some of my tips to having a glorious morning.

TIP #1: Start The Night Before

As you are winding down for bed, prep anything you can for the following morning. Prepping the night before will save you a lot of headaches in the morning. If time doesn't allow for you to prep it at night, jot down in your journal or planner what you need to do tomorrow morning. Writing it down allows your brain to get it out of your mind so you can relax and rest.

TIP #2: Wake Up Earlier

I'm a morning person, so waking up early comes naturally. But, I can really tell the difference when I wake up at my ideal time or even 15 minutes later. Giving yourself an extra 15 minutes to a half an hour in the morning can save your entire day.

TIP #3: Write it Down

If you're a parent who works inside or outside of the home, there is a lot to keep track of and accomplish in a day. Spending time in the morning or the night before writing down your to-do list can focus your mind to your most productive day. Personally, I keep a bullet journal and it helps me stay focused and aware of what's most important.

TIP #4: Express Gratitude

There is something powerful about spending time focusing on the things you are grateful for in the morning to set the day off right. It's easy to get caught up in what is going wrong, but a gratitude practice can really smooth out some of those rough edges. For me, I keep my gratitude list right alongside my to do list.

TIP #5: Do The Worst First

Once you've completed your morning routine of getting ready and getting the family out the door, it's wonderful if you can work on the item on your list that is the most difficult and requires your most attention. Doing this in the morning when you are fresh allows you to accomplish big things quickly before other unexpected distractions can overtake your day.

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