How you can save 30 minutes time in your mornings

Getting up early enough and avoiding the snooze button at all costs is the key to an stressfree morning.

Here’s the problem with cutting time too short, or worse hitting the snooze button a few times.

It gets you behind from the very start.

You have to rush to make it out the door in time and any little problem or speed bump along the way turns into a huge problem.

Not being able to find the car keys is suddenly a major crisis because it could cause you to be late for work and the kids to be tardy at school.

Remember, your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day.

If you start it chasing down time and things, that’s likely how you’ll spend the rest of your time.

Getting up early enough on the other hand puts you ahead of the game.

You’re in control.

You can take care of everything that needs doing in a calm manner and still have time for the important things you want to work on.

In short, getting up early enough sets you up for an amazing, productive day.

So let’s spend a little time thinking about your current morning routine and where you’re spending time.

Look for things you can change and tweak to find more time for the things you really want to do.

I always search for a solution in 3 different categories, namely Support, Actions and Skills.

This way I know I’ve found the easiest solution that’s possible at this time.

I mean, why set the breakfast table the night before (Action) when I can teach the kids to set the table and make their own breakfast (Support)?

Exactly!

Ask yourself is there anybody who can help me with my stumbling blocks in the morning?

If your family’s breakfast routine is the most stressful time of day for you, ask yourself who can help you? What’s going on and who’s the linchpin in all this?

In my house breakfast is horrible. I’m a true evening person and sitting at breakfast with three very awake and bouncy kids is horror to me.

Luckily my husband gets calmer and calmer whenever the kids’ storm rises. It’s like he can batten down the hatches while I’m just cowering in the rain or something.

Anyway, I get out of bed first, unload the dishwasher and start my smoothie while he gets the kids out of bed and helps our youngest with his diaper (almost dry at night, our last nappy is in sight!). Then when the mob hits the kitchen and starts setting the table, I flee to the bathroom to shower and get dressed in blessed tranquility. Then when the kids need to brush their teeth I’m finished and head back to the kitchen to clean up after them. In complete silence, of course!

Now I’m not saying this is the perfect morning routine, but it is what works for my family because we’ve thought about a routine that plays to both our strengths!

What are your family members strengths and how can you use them to smooth out your mornings?

Now we all try our best but sometimes we have to accept that we ourselves are the weakest link.

My kids like to dance while grabbing the milk when they’re setting the breakfast table and all I want to do is scream “Quiet!” at them. Not the best way to channel their energy, I can assure you…

So when I realized that my yelling at breakfast was more due to my inability to cope with high energy in the mornings in stead of the kids’ ability to sit still and be quiet, I changed my behavior. I flee the kitchen while the kids have their breakfast.

And now I get to enjoy a leisurely shower in the mornings in stead of trying to find more ways to get my kids to shut up and be still.

Are there any parts in your behavior that you could change to not feel so stressed out anymore?

Now fleeing the scene of the stress aka changing my actions isn’t always an option.

So I also think about which skills I can work on that when improved will make this situation much easier.

For me that’s dealing with loud and bouncy small people standing next to me. I found that when I use a mindfulness trick like body scanning I’m much more capable to stay tuned in to myself and not get so riled up by their high energy.

I’ve got a Pinterest board to help you with skills for dealing with stressful situations, you could check it out sometimes.

If so, find a quiet spot and some pen and paper and look for ways in which you can get some support, change your actions or increase your skills.

Everybody deserves to leave the house in the morning feeling relaxed and on top of things.

Go get it, Girl!

If you would like to dig deeper into this grabbing life by the horns thing and turning it around to suit your needs,

I would love for you to try out my Personal Solution Plan (or PSP for shorts).

It will take you through all the steps you need for you to figure out what’re really the problems here and what’s the simplest and most easiest thing for you to do to FIX THIS once and for all!

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