Does anyone else feel like they have a thousand things to do in a day just so everything doesn’t blow up in your face? The simple things are often the ones that can make you feel behind if you don’t get ahead of it! I like to think that I am an organized person. But I know that with a husband and kids in the mix, organization is essential for efficiency and a smoother day in our house! I’ve put in a lot of extra effort lately to make sure that I am establishing habits to stay organized, productive and simply start my day better.

Don’t hit snooze. Yes, I know that 5-10 more minutes of sleep is something we all wish we had. But in reality, do you actually go back to sleep or get good rest in that 10 minute window? Megan Glosson with Thrive Global, discovered that, “studies show that hitting the snooze button actually increases sleep inertia — which causes us to feel groggy, fatigued, stressed, and unable to focus.What’s more, hitting the snooze button actually disrupts REM sleep. Once a stage of sleep is interrupted, your body must start the entire process over. “ Crazy right? I started this practice over quarantine and I completely agree with it. I find myself much more ready to start my day if I get up as soon as that alarm goes off! 

Make the bed. I know this sounds silly. How can that make a difference? I have a thousand things to do when I wake up to get out of the door on time..why would I add that to my list? Trust me. Making your bed makes less than 1 minute in the morning (give or take, depending on how many decorative pillows you have). That one minute a day will instantly make coming home and getting ready for bed a more relaxing process. Your room will instantly feel tidy and you will start and finish your day off right!

Get Dressed. Hear me out. I know this sounds like a given. When we were all locked up in our houses for months, we got spoiled with wearing our pajamas all day (or throwing on a nice shirt with pajama pants on to look zoom acceptable). But for everyone that has continued working from home, this is a game changer. Waking up, getting dressed, sticking to a routine will really make you feel like you can conquer the day with confidence. 

Organize all areas. And stay organized. Easier said than done, I know. During the beginning of the shut down, I took time to completely clean out everything in our house. Every room. Every Cabinet. And my car! But in addition to my home, I organized my work email inbox. Now that I have taken the time to get everything under control, maintaining it is much easier. Once everything has a place, that makes sense, it makes a quick cleanup…that much quicker! (better than shoving everything in the closet and losing an item for weeks). 

Prepare for the next day. Has anyone else had one of those mornings where you feel like you have forgotten everything and your whole day starts off on the wrong foot because you can’t get it all together on time? Just me? No way. I’ve had way too many mornings like this in my lifetime so I decided it was time to do something about it. Every day, at the end of the day, I take the time to do whatever I can to make my morning go as smoothly as possible. Prepare bottles for the baby, pick out everyone’s clothes, pack lunches, put work bags by the door, pack the car, and anything else I can think of that can be done ahead of time. I’ve noticed, for me,  having everything ready for the next day makes my morning stress free, and efficient. 

Wind down. Does everyone do this? I’m I the only one that had to make a special effort? When I first became a mom, I had no idea what I was doing… shocker. But once I had two little ones, something had to give with the bedtime routine. So we tried a few different things, and finally something clicked. We had our usual dinner, bath-time, bed routine. But what really worked for my daughter was giving her 30-45 to lay down in bed with me and watch a little tv or read a book, we would set a timer for her bedtime, turn it off and take her to bed. I later realized that I too needed this. I needed a chance to sit, relax, not think about anything that would get my mind racing again, but give myself a chance to unwind. Once I started giving myself this time, turning my phone on “do not disturb” and going to sleep… I started falling asleep faster and easier. This has given me a better night’s rest and helped me wake up easier. 

These practices have helped me, BIG TIME. It could be my OCD, the many hats I am trying to wear, or a number of things that have motivated me to change my ways. Regardless of what it was, I’m glad I have established a few new habits to help the day to day run smoother and work better for my family! I hope some of these work for you!