The one habit that has helped me master my mornings

Somewhat

Modern life is chaotic at the best of times.

Mornings — especially the frigid, dark ones we are experiencing in the colder parts of the northern hemisphere at this time of year, even more so.

Mornings are essentially a block of two hours of time for most of us — two hours of pure, unadulterated madness.

Looking closely, it is perhaps the only block that packs in the most number of activities.

Mornings can be intense — exercise, meditation, personal hygiene, picking your outfit, creating a to-do list, packing your work bag (or sorting your workspace if working from home), breakfast, demanding kids, demanding spouse, school.. in no particular order, but the list goes on.

Oh, and the most important thing.. The real fight to get out of bed — after all who doesn’t enjoy another 5-minute warm snooze in these conditions?

The one thing I have consciously worked on and has worked wonders in maintaining my sanity amidst the morning chaos is my new habit.

I call it ‘My Pre-bedtime Ritual.’

I look at the list of things to do in the morning and try and complete as many of those before I retire for the night.

After all, no one I know cares if I have shaved at night or in the morning. The same goes for some of the other activities.

As an aspiring minimalist, which in itself is a challenge with a young family, I try and make it a point to hit the ‘reset’ button every night before bed. This includes the kitchen, living room, and bathroom as a minimum.

Besides, I also plan the next day, including outfits, things to do, breakfast, bags etc.

Not only has it helped my mornings, but I have seen over the past few months that I am less likely to forget the usual ‘last-minute-things’ because these aren’t last-minute anymore.

The biggest plus — I get the luxury of a five-minute snooze (although I might get criticised for that!)

Click for more: Vivian Robert, Ph.D.