The alarm jars you awake. It’s not a peaceful alarm, it’s the submarine ping from “The Hunt for Red October” (if you are anything like me, Sean Connery’s voice will read you the rest of this article).
You rub your eyes, stretch as much as possible (so you don’t wake the kid that crawled into your bed at midnight…), and you step out of bed onto the warm floor. Who are we kidding?! The floor is freezing, you just stepped on the kid’s Lego, and you did your best to hold in several wordy-dirds. Good Morning!!
“I’m not an early bird or a night owl. I’m some form of permanently exhausted pigeon” (unknown).
If this quote doesn’t speak to you, a) I am envious, and b) this article on the ultimate morning routine for working moms is clearly not for you. If the quote does resonate, then keep reading for realistic tips to build the ultimate morning routine…
The ultimate morning routine starts the night before…
This article is about the ultimate morning routine for working moms, but to be honest with you, the ultimate morning routine starts the night before. Before we move on, I would like to share a few evening routine tips with you.
Evening Routine Tips:
- Lay out the kid’s clothing (BONUS: lay out your clothing too!)
- Prep breakfast and lunch (apple slices in baggies, sandwiches made, bowls w/spoons set out, etc)
- Get everyone to bed on time (including yourself)
- Create an age-appropriate checklist for the kiddos to prepare for nighttime (brush your teeth, put up toys, put pj’s on, bath time, etc)
- If you use Amazon Alexa, program her to let the kiddos know when it’s time to start their evening routines (she can even read off their checklists!)
Now that we have covered a few basics of the evening routine, on to the morning routine.
The Ultimate morning routine for working moms…
- Wake up earlier. I know you have heard it time and time again, but it works. I am not saying that you have to wake up at 4 am, but I am saying that an extra sixty minutes in the morning could help you crush your day.
- Drink water. According to Business Insider, drinking water in the morning helps you a) rehydrate, b) increases alertness, c) fuels your brain, d) fights sickness, and my personal favorite, e) jump-starts your metabolism.
- Exercise. There are fifty plus reasons this benefits your health, and I am not about to cover them. The fact is, we all want to take care of our bodies, and we all have the best of intentions to. However, reality sets in, and we have no time to ourselves (repeat – NO TIME TO OURSELVES). Take twenty of your sixty minutes each morning, and move your body. Do not believe the hype that it has to be thirty minutes or more – just MOVE!! Yoga. Jumping Jacks. Sit-ups. Push-ups. Jump Rope. All of these can be done in your living room.
- Pause. You read it correctly, PAUSE. Pray, journal, write your gratitudes, enjoy a cup of coffee – just BE. You carry your family’s world on your shoulders. Take ten minutes each morning to appreciate yourself.
Stephanie Arnett 