#179. How I Make My Morning Rush Bearable |9 Tips|- Dr Christiana Stephen50 Amazing Moms With Dr. Christiana Stephen

Hello Moms,

I have been thinking about this topic because it took me a while to figure out how to deal with morning rush with a full time job. Children never understand urgency. They do not even understand why we do the shouting and screaming in the morning. Why we feel like the world is crashing in on us in the mornings, it’s something they can’t fathom. No! they can’t. Especially kids as young as mine. For a while now, I have been trying different things to make my mornings a bit lighter, so I can be productive at work as well. Here are some of my tried tips that I find super effective.

Do not try to be perfect: a number of times, I have said this to moms. Do not try to be perfect and try to be a superhero. That can be very exhaustive. I take the day as it comes. Do not be too hard on yourself
Prioritize Sleep: You’ve probably heard this one before, but the reality is despite knowing the benefits of sleep, most of us don’t get enough of it. While one individual’s sleep requirements may differ from another’s, aiming for eight hours of quality sleep should be a good place to start. By getting 8 to 9 hours of shuteye, you’re ensuring that your body spends enough time in the deep, restorative stages of your sleep, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed. Even waking up incredibly early will feel more bearable and you’ll be able to power through your morning routine easily. How do you possible sleep when your kids aren’t in bed?
Set a sleep routine for your kids: routine is very useful in anything and also when raising kids. You need to create a sleep routine for your child. They need sleep as much as you do. If your child is still up at 12 am, it is possible you may also be up watching over them. Especially if you have kids as young as mine to monitor. Do not compromise sleep time. It is for everyone’s benefit.
Determine What’s Sucking Your Mornings: For most people, it’s checking the phone first thing in the morning. Before you know it, you’ve already spent 15 to 20 precious minutes scrolling through your social media, putting yourself at risk of running late on your schedule. One easy trick that can prevent you from looking at your phone as soon as you wake up is, placing your phone on charge on your dresser – instead of your nightstand next to you. When your alarm rings in the morning, you will have to get out of bed to stop it. As soon as you’re outside the comfort of your bed, going through your phone may not be as appealing.
Prepare the night before: I find this very useful, preparing lunches and clothing the night before is essential to making the morning that bit easier. Having fully packed lunch boxes, and clean uniforms ready to go can really take the edge off the before school scramble. Preparations regarding food in general ideally will extend to a weekly plan. This way your major grocery shops can match your plans rather than you trying to rustle something up last minute with the groceries you have. The whole last minute thing is nothing to be ashamed of, (we’ve all been there) however, even when you plan ahead, unexpected issues will come up last minute and being prepared will make dealing with these situations less stressful.
Wake up about 30 Minutes earlier: I wake up 2 hrs earlier than everyone else. I work full time and it takes me about an hour to prepare myself plus I have 4 little ones, so I always have enough time on my hands to deal with their morning excesses. i find that shouting does me more harm, so I’ll get up, get myself prepared, get the food ready before waking anyone else. Sometimes, while setting the breakfast, the start getting out of bed by themselves which makes the whole job easier. Once I’m done dressing up, while setting the breakfast, I just start singing or playing our family favorite song and you find them getting out of bed and coming to ask if they can help me. Getting up half an hour or so before the kids is a fantastic way to sneak in some quiet time and get a head start on the day. Whether you decide to prepare breakfast, organize your calendar, meditate or check your emails, this half an hour to yourself will make the morning rush significantly more bearable.
Set Alarms 15 mins earlier than usual or sleep with your blinds halfway: I use alarms. I set 6 types of alarms in the morning.

Alarm 1- 15 mins before my usual waking time
Alarm 2- My wake up time
Alarm 3- My mediation time
Alarm 4- End of Dress up and me time
Alarm 5- Breakfast preparation time
Alarm 6- Kids wake up time
Alarm 7- Kids ready time, which includes dressing up and eating
Alarm 8- Leaving home time. These alarms keep me on track

8. Incorporate something positive into your routine: Mornings don’t have to be all doom and gloom; if you can find something to look forward to, it makes getting up and out of the house much more bearable. I stretch, mediate, play songs. Keep every one including the moody ones happy with my noise. Find something that makes it fun for you and do it. Make your day count.

9. Ask for Help: If you need extra support, don’t feel shy to seek for help if it is overwhelming for you. I ask for help a lot when I know I cannot achieve anything. You are not alone in this life. Reach out to other moms, be part of community that can support you.

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