Since changing job location a few months ago (which made my daily commute a tad longer), I have been a firm fan of a tight morning schedule. I used to always need about an hour and a half to get ready in the morning. But when that suddenly meant getting up at 5.30 am, I realised drastic changes needed to be made. Because there was no way José that I would be giving up on a good hours' sleep in the morning, right? So, if you feel like snoozing that little extra with me, read on!
1. Prepare your breakfast in the evening.
In my personal experience a good morning routine comes with a good preparation the night before. I'm quite a difficult eater in the morning, so I used waste a lot of time deciding if my stomach felt like yoghurt that morning or like toast with chocolate spread. Now I simply skip that part by deciding what I'm gonna eat in advance, and already setting the table accordingly, rinsing some fruit, making sandwiches, etc. And weirdly enough, once I've set my mind to it, I have less difficulty eating it in the morning!Since I've got the habit of taking my lunch with me to work, I also make sure that that's ready and waiting in the fridge.
2. Have your tea or coffee to go.
My best purchase of the year must be this small thermo mug, that fits just perfectly in the cup compartiment of my car. You, see I REALLY need my cup of Earl Grey with a dash of milk to be able to face the day, but I also burn my tongue really easily, and I'm quite a slow drinker. So instead of having to lose time while my tea is cooling down to a temperature that fits my needs, I now simply take it along with me, as a small comforter during the regular morning traffic jams.3. Shower before you go to bed.
Another activity I moved from morning to night is showering. And I have to admit, I actually like it a lot better this way! There's just something about sliding between the sheets all fresh and rosy. Plus, in the evening you've got more time to make a sort of spa-experience of it: taking a bath instead of a shower, squeezing in the occasional face mask, scrub or body lotion application, or giving some extra attetion to your eyebrows or fingernails.4. Decide what clothes you'll be wearing in advance.
Laying out your clothes to night before is such a timesaver! And this is coming from a person who used to spend her mornings searching for clean socks and ironing her blouse, so, I should know.5. Make it a routine.
Doing things on autopilot is simply quicker than having to think through every action (especially when your brain is still waking up). So, to avoid frantically running up and down stairs 3 times because you'd forgotten your socks the first time, your watch the second time and your deodorant the third, make sure you've got a fixed order in which you do all these things, that way you're less likely to forget one. Oh, and make sure to always keep your phone, keys and wallet in the same spot, if you want to avoid hysteric search actions in the morning that is.What are you ways to save time in the morning? Or do you prefer taking your time for an extensive morning routine over an extra hour of sleep?
