We move slowly when we’re half asleep, but these simple tips for how to save time in the morning will help you get out the door and ready to take on the day.
I consider myself a morning person. That said, I don’t pop out of bed all chipper and roaring to take on the day. I still dread my alarm going off, and I still have to convince my brain to switch out of sleep-logic mode and into new-day mode. Over the past few years, I’ve developed a pretty solid morning routine to help me get up and at ‘em and out the door in less than 20 minutes. Yep – 20 minutes from alarm beep to out-the-door. Here’s how I do it.
1. Don’t snooze – I’ve never been a snoozer. To me, snoozing is a total waste of time. Why set your alarm just to turn it off knowing it’s going to go off again in 10 minutes. To prevent the dreaded snooze, try putting your phone across the room. That way, you have to get up and out of bed to turn it off. At that point, you’re already up. Might as well stay that way. If all else fails, try writing yourself a threatening motivational message.
2. Turn the light on – It’s especially hard to get up when it’s dark in the morning. The simple solution: turn on the light. It might shock your body (and your eyes) for a second, but it will help let your brain know it’s go-time. If all else fails, turn the light on and splash water on your face. Double whammy.
3. Have your clothes packed and ready to go – If you workout in the morning, have your gym clothes out and ready to put on (or even sleep in them!). Have your office/rest-of-the-day clothes packed up in your gym bag or simply laid out if you workout at home. If you go the office/work/run errands first, just do the opposite: have your office/daily clothes out and ready to put on and your post-work gym clothes packed up and ready for your afternoon sweat sesh. Moms: lay out your kids’ clothes, too, to help them get ready faster.
4. Make grab-and-go meals – The night before (or during your weekly food prep), make all your snacks/meals for the day. Divide them into daily baggies or Tupperware, so in the morning, you can just grab your food for the day and head out. If you eat breakfast before leaving the house, try pre-making things like overnight oats or banana bread. If you’re a smoothie lover, layer all your smoothie ingredients in a jar the night before so you can just dump them in the blender, blend it up, and go! I make sure my pre-workout and aminos are out, and I have post-workout and afternoon snacks ready to snag and bring to work.
5. Know where your keys are – Is there anything more annoying when you’re half awake than not being able to find your keys? Have a little table or a hook near your door to house your keys. Whenever you are home, that is where your keys should live. That way, when you head out, they’re right there ready to come with you.
6. Make it a routine – And repeat! Do the same thing every morning. The more you do it, the easier it will be and the faster you’ll be able to get out the door.
I think I hear your alarm going off. Time to get to it! ;-P
Do you move slowly in the AM? Check out these tips for how to save time in the morning! #lifehack
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