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Five Ways to Have a Stress-Free Workday Morning

The following post is from Prerna of The Mom Writes: Five Ways to Have a Stress-Free Workday Morning

With the end of our daughter’s summer holidays and the start of our new home business, our morning routines needed to change to make it easy and stress-free for all of us, especially the workday morning.

Having a home business means that while you don’t have to technically leave for work, you still have to start your mornings on the right foot so that you get work done while taking care of the home as well.

It means managing your time and priorities in such a manner that you don’t end up feeling burned out in the evening or overwhelmed in the morning.

Ask me how I know that!

While I’ve written earlier about how I work to make my mornings both productive and positive, that was before we had a full-fledged business running out of home. With an increased workload, we had to put a few systems in place to ensure that our mornings started smoothly, leading to happier, more organized, and stress-free days for all of us.

1. Write Your Work Schedule the Night Before

Spend ten minutes or so after dinner jotting down things that need to be done at work the next day. I don’t pay attention to priority when writing these things down. Once the list is ready, I quickly put stars (yes, stars!) next to the items that must be done.

That is it. My mind is clearer, and I have a good idea of what to do first thing when I open the laptop.

2. Use Your Calendar

Your calendar, whether it is on your laptop, phone, or office desk, is your life-saver. Use it to jot down meeting times, deadlines, and appointments. Glance at it the night before and check it always before scheduling anything work or home-related.

3. Lay Out Your Clothes the Night Before

This may sound silly to some but for me, waking up and jumping into the shower is essential to starting my day on the right foot. Since I do that, it helps if I have my clothes all laid out the night before. Also, it helps to get our daughter ready easily and quickly if we do the same for her. Try it for a week, and I am sure you’ll find that it helps!

4. Plan Your Breakfast and School Lunches

If you’ve only been planning dinners, try expanding the exercise to include breakfast and school lunches as well. You’ll find it SO much easier to have a healthy breakfast, send kids off with a wholesome packed lunch, and be less frazzled in the morning.

I spend some time on a Sunday evening putting together our family menu plan for the week, including breakfast, lunches, dinners, and snacks as well.

5. Say “No” to Late Nights

You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to go past bedtime, not because you’re out for a late-night dinner but because you end up playing with your toddler for too long or you’re up reading late into the night.

But a late night can wreak havoc on your morning routine. You wake up late, rush through getting dressed, miss your breakfast, get your kids all stressed out as you rush them through their morning routines, and basically feel totally worn out even before the day has started.

So, make it a point to have a winding down routine for your evenings and stick to your bedtime, especially during the work week.

How do you make sure you have a productive, stress-free workday morning?

Prerna Malik is a mom, a wife, a writer and a woman who believes in being positively productive, parenting with love, and creating a home that invites you to put your feet up and relax. Find her sharing her journey and experiences with productivity and parenting at The Mom Writes.