Boss Lady

10 strategies for a great morning routine

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Are you searching for your keys in the morning because you forgot where you put them?  Do you easily get overwhelmed or feel mentally fuzzy?  Have you shown up at work dressed casually forgetting you had an important meeting? Let’s clear some clutter and get organized with a morning routine.

Routines build good habits, increase our efficiency by getting more done in less time and can reduce clutter by easing your mind and reducing your stress.   They help us focus to get the important things done. You save time if you do things regularly instead of letting everything pile up.

Here’s a fun statistic. Today you.gov found that most of us take less than half an hour to get ready in the morning, 38% of women and 21% of men spend longer than 30 minutes getting ready in the mornings  – that amounts to 7.6 days spent preening each year. The 4% of women and 1% of men who take longer than one hour getting ready spend more than 15 days a year in preparing to leave the house.And if you can’t find things, you are spending even more time to get out of the house in the morning.

How about you? How much time do you take to do your morning beauty routine?  Could you establish some other routines if you need to take that much time to look your best?If you haven’t had routines, now is a great time to start. If you have kids, even better because you can model good behavior for them.Here are some suggestions to start your day the right way.

1. Set an intention

Before I have hopped out of bed, I set my intention for the day. I visualize what a great day I am going to have.I notice a difference on days when I don’t set an intention as the day doesn’t seem to go as smoothly.

2. Time your showers

I can get lost in the shower because I will daydream.  Time it so you don’t slow down your day before it has even started. I also like to do double duty and practice my breathing exercises while I am in the shower.

3. Eat a good breakfast

Many people skip and that can cause lots of bad habits like eating too much at lunch or snacking ontoo much junk food.  You can do some food prep at night if you feel rushed in the morning. Taking the time to plan your breakfast will help you make healthier choices.

4. Strategise your cosmetics

I suggest having a daily make up routine and consider simplifying your routine if you are someone who takes over an hour to get ready. Maybe it does take you that long, or maybe you can’t find your make up in to get started. I have all my day make up in a small cosmetic bag that I use and can easily throw in my purse to take with me.

5. Strategise your hair

If you are really busy, consider a hairstyle that takes less time to maintain. If you have to spend an hour on your hair in the morning and you are always late, this might be worth it. And it is always fun to change your look!

6. Focus

I find five minutes to do some deep breathing, a quick meditation or simply sit quietly. If I have to lock the bathroom, I do.  Taking just a few moments to be mindful can also clear our mental clutter to start our day focused.

7. Be prepared

Double-check the weather!  You don’t want to leave the house without an umbrella if there is a forecast for rain or be without a coat if there will be a twenty degree drop in temperature.

8. Ignore emails

Do NOT check emails when you first wake up in the morning. Many people have their smart phones or tablets on their nightstand. If you are checking email in bed you most likely can’t do anything and will repeat work when you get to the office.  You willend up reading twice because you may have to find more information, check your calendar or consult something before you can respond.

9. Prep meals

If you have time, do some dinner prep now because it will save you time and after a long day might be worth it.

10. Drop Zone

Finally, have an area of items that house whatever you need to get out the door quickly: keys, make up, purse, wallet, etc. Make sure you contain all the items because if you don’t, it will usually morph into clutter.

Take actions for a morning routine:

  • Establish a morning routine including: visualizing your day, checking the weather, eating a good breakfast and avoid checking emails;
  • Make sure you get some YOU time. With our busy lives it is important to disconnect and take time for ourselves and do something that relaxes us, is fun or brings us joy. Even five minutes in the morning can make a difference.
  • Have an area where you keep everything you need to quickly get out the door.

About Julie Coraccio

Julie Coraccio considers herself a Chief Possibility Officer and often asks, “What else is possible?”An award-wining professional organizer, certified life coach and author, Julie is passionate about getting people organized, supporting them in clearing clutter in all areas of their life and becoming more mindful and aware in both home and work. She hosts the popular podcast Clearing the Clutter Inside & Out. Based in Raleigh, NC, she works with people around the globe. She is happily married to Tony and is at the beck and call of their two rescued black cats, Joey and Antonio. http://reawakenyourbrilliance.com https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/clearing-clutter-inside-out/id914959979 https://twitter.com/ReawakeBrillian

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