9 time-saving tips to combat a busy morning routine
Mornings can be a bit of a task even at the best of times, but if you’re prone to dashing out of the door with a crumpet still in hand, you might need to re-think how you approach the all-important start to your day.
And for parents especially, wiping the sleep from your eyes and making sure everything’s in order for the school run can turn mornings into a real ordeal. Luckily, we’ve got a few handy hints in store to make sure those busy mornings are as hassle-free as possible. Looking to take the stress out of things? Read on for more…
1. Make breakfast the night before
You probably don’t realise how much time making breakfast for yourself and everyone else takes up. When you’ve got a laundry list of other things to take care of, making the family’s food will really eat into the time you can spend on other things. You can save a ton of time and effort by preparing breakfast for the next day by doing it the night before.
Overnight oats are an easy way to make a nutritious breakfast, and take out the time needed to heat up regular oats in the morning. All you need to do is throw the desired ingredients in a bowl in the evening, leave them in the fridge and they’re good to go in the morning!
Alternatively, you could cook up a batch of healthy muffins on Sunday so everyone can grab one to have on the go!
2. Go for quick breakfasts
If you’re short on time or didn’t manage to prepare breakfast the night before, then go for options you can make quickly in the morning. Our Blend Active range comes in handy here, helping you create delicious smoothies and juices for the whole family in a matter of minutes. Throw in your favourite fruit and some milk, and you’ll have something healthy and nutritious in no time at all, so you can focus on everything else you have to do in the morning.
3. Set your coffee maker on a timer
For many, the morning just isn’t complete without a piping hot cup of coffee. To cut down on the time you’d usually spend, set your coffee maker for 10 minutes before you normally wake up if your coffee maker has a timer. Every little helps when time is of the essence in the morning, and who can say no to waking up to a cup of your favourite joe?
Alternatively, why not go for the iced coffee option instead? Fill up a French press with tap water and coffee before storing it in the fridge overnight. Plunge in the morning, add some ice and you’ll have delicious ice coffee that’ll put some pep in your step when you wake up.
4. Pack their bags the night before
Frantically rushing around the house trying to gather the kids’ stuff for school has put paid to many a straightforward morning. Doing this in advance ensures they won’t forget books, classroom essentials, and their PE kit; how many times have you been caught short by not being able to find clean gym socks? Make things easier for yourself and get tomorrow’s school stuff ready today.
5. Layout your outfit in advance
Get every part of your outfit – including underwear – prepared the night before. This’ll save you so much time picking (and re-picking if you’re fussy) what to wear to work. We’re sure there’s been plenty of times where you’ve not been able to decide on your office attire, which eats into the minutes of the morning like nothing else. Save yourself the hassle of having to decide, by getting the next day’s wardrobe sorted in the evening instead.
6. Set up a bathroom schedule
Sharing a single bathroom with the rest of your family can cause chaos when everyone’s rushing around. Everyone wants to use it first, or someone always spends too long in the shower, leaving everyone frazzled before the day’s even begun.
It might be a good idea to set up a bathroom schedule if so. It can be as formal or informal as you like, but keeping things simple by organising who goes in first, second and so on according to when people have to be at work and school should be your go-to.
7. Take the distractions out of breakfast
When you and your family sit down to eat, let them know they’re in a distraction-free zone where there’s to be no phone-checking, listening to the radio or watching the TV. It might sound over the top, but all three of these things can cause us to lose track of the time. By forbidding these distractions, everyone is free to simply enjoy and savour their breakfast.
8. Ignore your phone until you're ready
Following on from the above, checking your phone and getting lost in a load of emails, texts and Facebook posts can become a bad habit. Before we know it, we’ve wasted 10 minutes looking at our Twitter feeds and we’re still in our pyjamas. Unless you’re expecting something important, leave the phone checking until everyone’s ready, fed and you’re out of the door.
9. Create individual morning stations
A great way to get them used to packing their own bags is by creating individual stations of pigeonholes to keep their schoolwork neat and organised. Invest in a bookshelf or some wall storage so they have a simple, straightforward way of organising their things. It might take them a while to get used to having to do things themselves, but once they’re in the habit of organising things themselves, it’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about in the mornings.
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