Mornings can be chaotic and challenging, especially for busy moms. But building a morning routine can keep you organized and focused and help you sneak in a little self care. Don’t miss the 5 things I learned by making over my mornings and ideas and tips to help you create a morning routine.
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5 Things I Learned by Making Over My Mornings
I’ve been working on positively changing things up at home. I started with my mornings. But even with all of the work I was putting in, I wasn’t where I wanted to be.
Thank goodness I found Make Over Your Mornings from Crystal Paine of Money Saving Mom!
I had some major breakthroughs while taking this fun, supportive class.
And today I’m sharing them with you, in hopes that you’ll be inspired to take action and make over over your mornings, too!
I could share more than 5 Things I Learned by Making Over My Mornings, but I don’t want to ruin the fun for you! 🙂
These are my TOP five.
#1 It’s Not Just About Getting Up Early
Most mornings, my husband and I are up at 5:00, so that we can get ready for the day and enjoy a cup of coffee together before our lovely (but loud) teenagers get up. I had the getting up early thing down.
What really made a difference for me was being intentional about my early mornings instead of just reacting to what was right in front of me.
I’m intentional about not checking my phone or getting on the computer until after my husband and I have coffee and we have breakfast as a family. Staying off my phone and my computer have made my mornings much less stressful, and I’m better able to focus on my family before we all head off for the day!
#2 Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize
I thought I was good at prioritizing….
As soon as I hit the office in the mornings, I look at my to-do list and decide what needs to be done first and what can slide to another day.
But I was missing the point of prioritizing!
It’s not just about to-do’s.
It’s about the important people and things in our lives!
I was prioritizing to-do’s, but I wasn’t doing a good job of prioritizing myself and my family.
This relates to the item above. By not getting sucked into my electronics, emails, and texts, I was able to prioritize my family. Plus, those emails and texts could wait a couple of hours until I was ready to start my work day!
#3 Rewards are a Good Thing
When I get up on time and do a stellar job of prioritizing, I have time for myself (one of the aforementioned important things).
I have time for yoga, reading, and journaling. And that makes me happy, which makes my family happy (and relieved).
I’m no fun when I’m cranky and unhappy.
And nothing is more motivating than having a little “me” time!
#4 An Evening Routine is a Must!
I figured this out on my own, but the actual implementation tripped me up.
By working through Make Over Your Mornings I discovered what was triggering much of our morning stress and chaos, and we were able to eliminate it.
Making lunches, locating shoes and backpacks, and deciding what to wear were huge stressors in the morning. By completing these tasks the evenings before, our mornings go much more smoothly!
I’d even go so far as to say that an evening routine is MORE important than a morning routine, because it truly sets the tone for the next day!
Don’t believe me? Try it! I dare you! 😉
#5 Little Tweaks Can Make a HUGE Difference
This one I stumbled onto by accident.
I was working through Make Over Your Mornings and adding a few nurturing activities to my routine, one of which was yoga. I love a good stretch and deep breathing session!
As soon as Hubs left for work, I grabbed my mat, queued up a yoga video, and stretched and breathed.
But then my daughter came downstairs to get breakfast before heading to work….
The moment was blown.
I couldn’t focus.
I couldn’t breathe.
Or relax.
So, I decided to move my morning yoga practice upstairs to my bedroom. I’d still be done in time to say goodbye to my daughter before she headed to work, but I could also enjoy my morning yoga practice.
This alone was HUGE!
But there was more.
Doing yoga upstairs meant that I went straight from yoga to getting ready for the day AND making my bed.
Doesn’t seem like much, I know.
But making my bed is so important. It’s one task that gives my morning a good start. Plus, our room is clean more often than not, so it’s refreshing to go in there throughout the day.
When I moved my yoga upstairs, it was easy to transition to the next necessary morning task.
AND I was getting dressed and ready for the day (rather than staying in my yoga clothes all day…one downfall of working at home). By getting dressed and ready for the day, I was more productive which fed right into prioritizing and rewards!
Awesome results from just moving my yoga practice upstairs, don’t you think?!
5 Things I Learned by Making Over My Mornings
So, those are the top 5 thing I learned by making over my mornings! For me, it was all about prioritizing my VIPs, establishing an evening routine, rewarding myself, and making small tweaks (which make a HUGE difference).
Take the chaos and challenge out of morning by creating and following a morning routine. It will help you prioritize your most important relationships and things, and you’ll be able to sneak in some self care. And you don’t have to get up earlier!
Follow the tips in today’s post, take the Make Over Your Mornings class, and add a morning routine to your day!
More About Make Over Your Mornings
I dared you to try the Make Over Your Mornings class, and it’s so easy to do!
You can try out Day 1 for FREE just by clicking here (scroll all the way to the bottom of the page).
And if you love Day 1 (which I know you will), you can purchase the full Make Over Your Mornings class for only $17!
I’ve paid much more for classes from which I’ve gotten far less.
Sign up to receive Day 1 for FREE here!
You can learn more about the Make Over Your Mornings class HERE.
And come back to this post and share what you learn from the class. If you’ve all ready taken the class, let me know what you learned by commenting below!
Related Posts You Might Enjoy
If you enjoyed today’s posts, you might also find these related posts helpful!
- 5 Essential Morning Routine Elements
- How to Build Strong and Lasting Business Routines
- How to Write a Better To-Do List and Actually Get Your To-Do’s DONE
- 3 Essential Routines for Home Office Organization
Good luck with tweaking your routines and setting yourself up for success!
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Debbie says
August 21, 2015 at 3:45 amI assume that I didn’t finish it.
The timing was bad and I had imposed more commitments on myself I could handle.
I should pick it up again eventually.
I’ll be sharing about it so that more people can join it (and hopefully use your affiliate).
Success!
Tiffany at The House Down the Lane says
August 21, 2015 at 10:24 amDebbie ~ That happens to me a lot! It’s so easy to just keep saying “yes,” and then before I know it, I’m way over-committed! I encourage you to give this class another try. I’ve had such fun and some success by working through the lessons. I’m even going back through it again! Thank you for sharing! Have an amazing day!
Kirsten - Sweet Tea & Saving Grace says
August 21, 2015 at 6:35 amI just signed up! I get up at 4:45am everyday, too, and leave the house by 6:15. Back home 12 hours later to try to cram everything into my evenings that needs to get done. It sucks – hopefully this will help it suck less. 🙂
Tiffany at The House Down the Lane says
August 21, 2015 at 10:26 amHey, Kirsten ~ Awesome! I hope that it helps your schedule become a little less sucky {is that word?}! :0) And maybe you’ll even find one or two things you can let go of so you have a little more time for you?! Thanks so much for stopping by and for signing up for the class!
April R - Uncookie Cutter says
August 21, 2015 at 8:15 amThese are some great tips. I probably need to take that class! I just had to move everything up 15 minutes because we’ve been in school three days and everything is already rushed. I hate leaving the kids at school after everything is been a disaster in the morning :(. Thanks for sharing this Tiffany!
Tiffany at The House Down the Lane says
August 21, 2015 at 10:29 amHey, April ~ Thanks! Getting back to school schedule is tough! We’re knee-deep in that right now, too. And it’s like pulling teeth to get the kids moving in the mornings! I hate having rushed and crazy mornings, too. I feel bad and the kids feel bad…yuck! One thing I love about this class besides all of the great information included, is how affordable it is! Definitely let me know if you decide to give it a try. I’d love to hear about your experiences! Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon says
August 21, 2015 at 9:52 amThese are all great tips, Tiffany! I’m trying to make my days more focused because I feel like I work all day but get nothing done. I just bounce from one project to the next! Yoga has been on my to-do list forever. I’m hoping when the kids are back in school and I have a set block to work that I’ll accomplish more. Thanks for the inspiration!
Tiffany at The House Down the Lane says
August 21, 2015 at 10:32 amThanks, Sharon! I feel the same way! Have you ever tried a “Tah-Done” list? At night I make a list of all of the things I did get done. It helps me to realize that I did accomplish a few things, even if I barely put a dent in my hulking to-do list! My kids started school last week, and that’s helping a ton, too. Although, I miss having them around during the day! Good luck with the schedule! It’s a constant juggling act! And thanks for stopping by!
Emily, Our house now a home says
August 21, 2015 at 1:03 pmI like these tips a lot. I am realizing that the lazy mornings of summer will be over soon. When my little ones are in school I enjoy getting up before them and having some time to myself before the chaos of kids, lunches, breakfast and school runs happen. If I choose to sleep in I always regret not having that time for myself. I also like your idea of a evening routine. That is something I have not put into motion yet.
Tiffany at The House Down the Lane says
August 21, 2015 at 1:55 pmHi, Emily ~ Thank you! I’m glad you like them! I’ve all ready hit the chaos of school mornings. And I all ready miss the quiet mornings of summer! :0) I have teenagers, and they love to sleep {except for my son…he’s an early riser}. It’s the same in our house, too. If my husband and I get up early and get a jump on things, our mornings go much more smoothly. But if we sleep in, it’s a different story! I’m still tweaking my evening routine, but all ready it’s helping to pack backpacks, make lunches, and sign papers the evening before. HUGE difference! Good luck with easing out of your summer morning routine. :0)
Melinda says
August 22, 2015 at 10:17 amI’m glad you ‘re getting stress relief! Since I no longer have kids at home, I don’t usually have stressful mornings, except when the grand baby is here. I need to figure out routines for those days!
Tiffany at The House Down the Lane says
August 25, 2015 at 3:57 pmHi, Melinda ~ Mornings have gotten so much less stressful around here! We’re enjoying them now! Awesome! Awww, how fun to have the grand baby hang out with you! Routines are great for those days where other things or adorable babies demand your time! :0) Thanks for stopping by!
Ruthie says
August 22, 2015 at 11:33 pmThese are great ideas of starting your day off right! Unfortunately, I am not an early morning person but I do enjoy my mornings in bed with my daughter. We snuggle and watch one show and then start our day!
Tiffany at The House Down the Lane says
August 25, 2015 at 3:59 pmHi, Ruthie ~ You and your daughter have such a sweet morning tradition! What a great way to start your day!! My favorite part of the mornings are coffee with my husband and breakfast with my kiddos! Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your morning snuggles!
Creatively Homespun says
August 23, 2015 at 5:52 pmThis is a great post!!! I’m am NOT a morning person.. but i’m working on it! I find I get a million more things done when my kiddos aren’t up yet. 😉 Thanks for sharing at the Home Decor, Craft and DIY FB Group!!
Tiffany at The House Down the Lane says
August 25, 2015 at 4:02 pmHi, Danielle ~ Thank you so much! I go through phases of being a morning person and definitely NOT! :0) I also get a ton of things done in the mornings. They’re definitely my power productivity time. Thanks for stopping by today! Have an awesome week!
Mary says
October 20, 2015 at 10:34 amNow that my kids are older and in high school, any sort of routine has somehow left. They do their thing in the am to get out the door and then I am left with a racing mind of all the stuff that should be and want to be done. I can see the benefit of getting bak into a routine. It would provide direction for me. I think think planning it out the night before would work best. Now you have me thinking…