3 Night Routine Habits for a Better Morning
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Whether you’re a busy tycoon flying solo, or a parent with six children, you probably experience the frenzy of a morning rush. Hearing your alarm blaring is displeasing as it is. If you’re spilling coffee grounds on the kitchen floor, digging through the clean clothes in the dryer, and trying to find your iPad through sleepy eyes, you’re already having a rough day.
I’ve shared in this common, unpleasant experience and I’m here for you! As an organizer and productivity coach, I encourage people to prepare for their day the night before. There are several ways you can do this, but this article focuses on three common things you can set and forget until the morning.
A. Run the dishwasher every night.
B. Wash a load of laundry every day.
C. Set up your morning coffee before bed.
Let’s talk about running the dishwasher.
It’s really helpful to have enough forks for everyone to eat their waffles in the morning. You’re running late and have to deal with that one family member who’s always “hangry.” You open the drawer and there’s only two forks so you pull gross ones out of the dishwasher as you roll your eyes AND hear all about it from Mr. or Miss Hangry. If dishes are clean and dry in the morning, you can keep up the fast pace and get on with your day. Bonus points if you run the dishwasher immediately after dinner with enough time to put dishes away before bed. That’s the dream if you love simple things like me.
You may think, “Lady, I don’t have a dishwasher!”
Cool, I didn’t have one for several years either. I did, however, invest in these sweet drying towels to get dishes washed, dried, and put away at the end of every meal. I sort of miss that routine sometimes because it was a faster process than loading/unloading a full load of dishes.
Now for laundry... The bane of my existence (next to dusting, UGH.)
I teach clients the concept of “going small.” I don’t know which business guru originally came up with that idea, but I find it really effective in eliminating feelings of overwhelm. I recommend doing small loads of laundry every day if you can.
Similar to the dishes, doing small batches of laundry every day cuts down on the time to complete a load and guarantees you won’t run out of underwear in the morning when you’re trying to get out the door. Again, so simple, yet so many people run out of underwear. That’s never cute.
My preferred laundry system is to assign each person in the house a day of the week. How you launder certain items is easier when the loads are smaller. Plus, you’re not running all over the house going from room to room putting away multiple people’s clothes. As kids get older, this is a great way to involve them in doing their own laundry too. Your son knows his laundry day is Thursday, and there’s no reason he can’t take over when he’s old enough.
I don’t sort clothes by color (except for pure whites). I will, however, occasionally sort by texture and run each load in cold water. I know... that’s such an unpopular opinion, but I’ve done it for years with no problem. Don’t take my word for it. The most important point here is to go small and complete one, full load of laundry every day. If it’s just you, try to complete a load of laundry from start to finish at least twice a week. How you do it is entirely up to you.
Sidenote - when trying to get your kids to do their own laundry, the less complicated and time-consuming, the better.
Lastly, and most importantly to many, is setting up your morning coffee.
However you take your coffee, just make it easy to grab and go in the morning. Set out your favorite mug or thermos and make sure your creamer is easy to grab. I even put cinnamon or sugar in my mug at night. All you need to do is press a button, grab, pour, and go. Bonus points if you have an auto-drip machine on a timer to brew early in the morning. Is there really anything better than the smell of freshly brewed coffee to gently wake you up? Maybe the smell of bacon... but that’s a weekend bonus in our house.
Setting up your coffee isn’t exactly necessary, but it’s a pleasant way to start your morning. It shows your future self some love when you’re tired. You can also do this with tea! My husband taught me you should always have water in the teakettle on a stove to prevent a fire hazard. Just fill the kettle and set out your favorite flavor of tea. Slice your lemon to chill in the fridge and spoon sugar into that mug. When the sun rises get your water boiling and go. Again, it’s such a delightful treat in the morning when you’re sleepy to cut down on all the little steps.
What are three habits you would add to your night routine for an easier morning? I’d love to know! Comment below to share your favorites.
