step one: the morning routine

This is one of the things I already kind of do naturally so I’m giving myself a little confidence boost right out of the gate. But in case you’re not a routine person, here’s your chance to start.

I think there is something extremely cathartic about routine. It is so so good for me and my high anxiety life. And at the very least, when the day goes off the rails as it always inevitably does, at least I know I’ve gotten some things done.

My routine isn’t so regimented that I always do things in this exact order and at these exact times but it’s more of a list of small things that I do before almost everything else. It helps me set the tone for the day.

The non-negotiables:

Make the bed. My mother raised me this way (because her mother raised her that way) and Admiral McRaven popularized it. But I’m a huge believer in making the bed should be one of the very first things you do upon waking up. Don’t let your day get started before you do it.
Let the light in. Open all of the curtains or blinds. Let the house wake up with the sun too. Natural light is one of the best things about homey and cozy feelings for me and I need it every day. If the curtains are closed, the house is tired, which means I am tired.
Have coffee or tea. Not a morning person? That is okay. Do it anyway. Taking just a few quiet minutes to mediate, pray, just do nothing but sip coffee – whatever your vibe is, do that thing. Set the tone for your day peacefully, not chaotic. Yes, I have to schedule in my peace. But hey, I’ll still count it in the win column.
Empty dishwasher. Starting the day off with an empty dishwasher means there is a place for the dirty dishes to go throughout the day. Which means they’re less likely to pile up in the sink or on the counter or anywhere else. I find the lack of dirty dishes laying around to be one of the happiest sights. (Probably because I LOATHE doing dishes).
Plant care. Don’t have a plant? Get one. Even just a very cheap little guy. I’m a big believer in growing things being good for the soul and taking care of my plants every morning is another soothing thing that starts the day off right. I use the PlantIn app so it takes all of the guesswork out of it – it tells me exactly which plant needs care, what it needs, and how much. So all I do is run down that list every morning and boom! Done!

The maybe negotiables:

Exercise. I’m a work-out-first-thing-in-the-morning person. You might not be and that’s okay. At least try to put « getting your body moving » (even just a 10 min walk after supper!) somewhere in your day.
Start a load of laundry. I do one load every day so getting it started first thing keeps me on track for getting it finished before bed.
Feed pets. Kind of a given if you have one but make it part of the routine, not an afterthought.

My weekday routine (usually in this order):

0415: Wake up & Make bed
0420: Brush teeth/put in contacts/get dressed
0430: Cup of coffee
0445: Work out
0545: Shower (and more coffee!)
0610: Start laundry
0615: Wake up the boys
0620: Open blinds, water plants, and check diffusers (I just go room by room and do it all)
(0625: Wake up my youngest son again)
0630: Make breakfasts and lunches
(0635: Make sure my youngest is actually brushing his teeth)
(0700: My oldest son feeds the dogs)
0700: Empty dishwasher and do breakfast dishes
(0705: Try not to miss the school bus)
0715: Have a cup of tea and handle personal mail (digital and physical)
0745: Finish getting ready for work & wipe down bathroom surfaces

Smarter, not harder (smart home integration)

I’ll talk more about my new love for smart home things in its own section but here’s how I integrate it into our mornings:

I made an Alexa routine to wake me up at 0415 with a good morning message, turning on the lights in my bedroom, starting the coffee, and soothing acoustic music in my room and the kitchen. (And in the winter it starts the heater in the gym because I HATE being cold).

Another routine tells the boys it’s time to get up at 615, turns on their lights, and switches the music to classical piano in the whole house. We listen to this for the whole rest of our morning routine and it’s so peaceful!

Once the morning is done and I’m off to work, a third routine makes sure all the lights are off and the thermostat is set for the day.

It is a requirement to have a smart home to do the things in your morning? Absolutely not. And maybe it’s not for you. But I’ve found it really really works for our family to keep us on schedule and the peaceful background music sets the tone for the day. And the automatic lights on/off is a huge win for me not constantly walking through the house flipping light switches.

Your turn:

What are your non-negotiables in the morning?

Are you willing to get up 10 minutes earlier for that little bit of peace and routine?

If you could add one little thing just for you in the morning, what would it be?

Try a few routines on for size and see what feels like the best combination of your natural instincts and also doing enough that you start the day already feeling settled and accomplished.

DESIDERATA