I have read many articles about setting up a morning routine that kick starts your day in a way that boosts your mood, sets your focus and helps you stay on track. I believe it’s true, the way you start your day absolutely impacts how you will move through the rest of your day.
If you start your day by scrolling Facebook, that may bring up things that make you sad, frustrated or concerned especially in these days of COVID updates, mask debates, political debates, school debates and more. If you start the day by watching the news, the same thing may happen as well.
If you start your day by checking your phone notifications and emails, you might just feel overwhelmed and not even know where to start with all the to do’s on your list now.
So, starting the day in a way that brings joy and peace to your mind is absolutely one of the best things you can do for yourself. We all know that when you fill your own cup, you can be ready to pour into others. As children of God, we are here to serve others with our unique gifts and talents. If we begin our days with frustration and overwhelm, we will not be at our best to serve with a heart of joy and gratitude.
But I’m going to propose something here, your evening routine is just as important and can set you up for success for the morning!
I used to start the day with my people waking up asking for this shirt or that pair of pants or feeling frustrated because I didn’t get that uniform out of their sports bag/backpack to be ready for their activity that day. So laundry was a point of frustration for me almost every morning in some way.
Another point of frustration was finding a coffee cup or glass still sitting on the coffee table or a bowl that someone used for a snack in a bedroom. I’d run the dishwasher at random times during the day and then whenever I had time, I’d unload it and start loading again. I wasn’t in a rhythm and found myself pulling something dirty out of the dishwasher and washing by hand because I needed it in the middle of the day.
Well, it occurred to me, my evening routine needed to include some things so that my mornings were off to a good start. So now, as I tell the kids goodnight and set up their diffusers, I scan their rooms for dirty dishes and laundry. I throw any laundry in my room down the shoot too. Once I get downstairs, I scan the living room and office for any dishes and I load the dishwasher and hit start before I go to bed!
I also start a load of laundry every night. I know some of you are going to think I’m out of my mind but I put all the clothes (unless it’s just a crazy big amount) into one load, add my Thieves Laundry Soap, white vinegar for the fabric softener and run that sucker. I usually have time to switch it to the dryer before I head upstairs.
And before you ask, yes I put it all together – jeans, under armour, shirts, leos, sports uniforms, whatever is in the laundry goes in together. Now, some things I may not put in the dryer but I’ve never had any issues with throwing it all together in the washer.
So in the morning, I get up to my alarm on my phone which is downstairs (so I have to get up and get moving to turn it off), drink my Ninja juice, take my thyroid medicine, let the dog out and feed him, unload the dishwasher, fold the laundry out of the dryer and voila – I know the dishes that I need are clean and if anyone asks me for a particular piece of clothing, they know its in the laundry basket about to go upstairs.
There are a few other things that go into my routines in the evening and morning but I find these 2 things have made a huge difference in my levels of peace and joy in the household!
What about you? Do you have a routine that helps you stay on track?
Welcome to the Secret Sauce Blog where I help modern moms simplify life with tools that make life easier. We have a lot of responsibilities and it can get overwhelming. Keeping the family healthy, organized, actually eat together and tread lightly in the process takes some serious #momskills!
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