Time Management: Improve Your Morning Routine

Does it ever feel like there just isn’t enough time in the day?  If it does, you’re not the only one to feel this way.  With busy schedules, it can be difficult to handle all of the household chores.

Let’s take a look at your morning routine to see if there’s any room for improvement.

First, jot down the things you do in the morning.  You can use our morning schedule below, which charts time out in 15 minute increments.

Schedule – Morning 15 Minute Increments

Next, assess your routine.  Do you feel good about the use of this time?  Is there anything you can add to make your morning routine more productive?  Would it help to eliminate any items to make your life less stressful during this time?

Let’s take a look at a few sample routines:

7:00 – 7:30  Shower

7:30 – 8:00  Make and Eat breakfast

8:00 – 8:30  Make lunches

8:30 – 8:45  Brush teeth, dry hair, put on coat/shoes

8:45             Leave for work /school

Now, let’s add the dishwasher chores into the mix:

7:00 – 7:30  Shower

7:30 – 8:00  Make breakfast

                     Empty dishwasher     

8:00 – 8:30  Load Dishwasher

                     Make lunches

8:30 – 8:45  Brush teeth, dry hair, put on coat/shoes

8:45             Leave for work /school

Sometimes, it’s helpful to run a load of laundry in the morning.  If you don’t have time to fold your clean load, pick something that won’t wrinkle too easily, like towels.

6:45 – 7:00  Run Washing Machine

7:00 – 7:30  Shower / Get dressed

7:30 – 7:45  Run Dryer

                     Empty dishwasher

                     Load Dishwasher

7:45 – 8:15  Make and eat breakfast

8:15 – 8:30  Make lunches

8:30 – 8:45  Brush teeth, dry hair, put on coat/shoes

8:45              Leave for work /school

If this is too much to handle in the morning, consider making lunches the night before.  Another alternative is to wait until dinner time to empty the clean dishes from the dishwasher, and load the dirty dishes.

Running a household requires some time.  Sometimes it’s helpful to squeeze in a few chores when you can, so that everything gets done. Need more ideas?  Click to read our article on Time Management Schedules.