Did you know that a productive start to your day actually starts the night before?
When we take some time to prepare for the next day the night before makes a big difference. I know I’m much more relaxed in the mornings when I take the time in the evening to straighten up the house and do a couple things to make the next morning easier, like program the coffee maker and pick out the next day’s outfit.
Here are a few keys to making the most of your evening for a better morning.
Start Early
Make sure you start your bedtime routine BEFORE it’s actually time for bed. I’ve been guilty of this so many times… by the time I’m done getting ready for bed, it’s later than I’d like it to be and I don’t get as much sleep as I planned.
Prepare
What can you do the night before to make your mornings easier? Some ideas might be to pick out your clothes for the day, make the coffee and set the timer, or straighten up the house.
Simple little things can make a big difference in the mornings to create a cleaner, more welcoming atmosphere in your home to wake up to.
Rest
I think it’s important to give yourself some time to wind down. I like to do this by reading a book for a few minutes before I go to sleep. And not on my Kindle or smartphone.. a “real,” paper-pages, book.
Taking just 20 – 30 minutes out of your evening is well worth it to ensure a brighter, less stressful morning for you and your family.
Just to recap, here are some action steps to take to put this into practice:
- Identify tasks that will make your mornings easier
- Schedule time and make a plan to do them before bed
- Put your plan into action!
If you’re ready to really transform your evenings, I wholeheartedly recommend Makeover Your Evenings!
This 14-day course walks us step-by-step through small changes for better evenings. For each day there is both a lesson and a video, which only takes about 15 minutes altogether.
Learn more about Makeover Your Evenings here.
*This post contains affiliate links. For more info, read my disclosure policy.
My evening routine goes as follows. No blog work after 6:30. Computer work for the household (bill paying, online orders and such) from 6:30 to 7:30 and if there is none I might play a board game with the kids, or read a book or tidy up the house if it is bad. Then from 7:30 to 8:30 I watch TV. At 8:30 I crawl into bed and write in my gratitude journal, read my devotions and read a magazine to about 9 or 9:30 then lights out. When I stick to this I generally sleep well and can get up early the next day to get a jump start on things before the kids are up.
The most difficult thing for me in keeping in step with a routine is to start earlier. I want to wait till it’s actually time to be in bed to start preparing for bed. That usually makes for some late nights. This is a great list! I’m going to have my older daughters read it as well.
I am on the same page, getting up early is hard for me. I am trying to get into bed by 10:00 pm tonight, and then unwind with a few minutes of reading before my bed hits the pillow (not later than 10:30 PM I’m hoping). I hope this helps me get up by 5:00 AM, and if it works, I’m hoping to make it a new routine. We shall see. Usually I go to bed around 11:30 PM -12:00 AM and I’m hoping to break that cycle. Good luck Cheryl/
My biggest problem is I don’t go to sleep at the same time every night. I need to be more consistent with that because I am fairly certain it would help make mornings run more smoothly.
Man I could always use more ways to have a more productive morning. Between me and the dog I’m always rushing around doing stuff!
In order to help me prepare I get my wardrobe ready for the entire week on Sunday night. I work full time out of the house so this helps a lot, I also try my hardest to have my lunch (and hopefully my husbands too) ready the night before. Both of these are the best things I can do to prepare the night before. One other thing that is new, I also try and take my shower after my girls are in bed. It makes it so my shower is more relaxing, and gives me extra time for important tasks in the morning. I no longer feel as rushed, even if I get up later than expected.
Start early…I need to tape signs all over my house to remind me of this!! I am terrible at it. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
These are all good tips. I sure notice when I am not going to bed at my regular time and having a sort of break between “day” and “night” really works wonders for me.
I do have to get better at preparing things ahead, I admit.
Stopping by from Frugal Friday, Have a nice Sunday!
I love these practical yet very helpful points and tips! Getting rest is so so important – and I have to get my sleep!
Sometimes I can feel burdened by planning, but I do plan for my day using many of these same tips and am always so glad that I do. Not planning proves to be the greatest burden! Thanks for sharing your tips!
I have to make it more of a priority to stick to an evening routine. Sometimes after my 4 little kids go to bed I am too anxious to put my feet up for the night. I should really start preparing for the morning the night before. Thanks for these simple ideas to get me motivated!