I am NOT a morning person, and if you’re like me, you’ll need these tips on 10 things to get done at night to make mornings easier.
I used to be a huge night owl. Not that I’m a partier or enjoyed clubbing when I was younger. I just seemed to get a second wind in the evening and be wide awake.
Part of being an adult is working a job and that usually means setting an alarm clock. I’ve had jobs begin at all kinds of hours. 7am and earlier, especially back in my twenties when I worked various jobs in the horse industry.
When my alarm goes off, I am not wide awake. I am groggy. I lie in bed wishing I could stay there longer.
One of the joys of owning a dog means taking it out for a walk first thing so it can take care of potty. As much as I’d rather lie in bed, I have responsibilities: animals and a job.
I’m definitely not with it in the morning. Scatter brained. Can’t get my act together. Rushing around at the last minute looking for stuff.
I’ve even walked out to my car a few times with my slippers on! No morning coordination here!
I’ve had to come up with things to do at night to make my mornings easier. Not that I’m any less rushed in the morning. I just have less things to think about doing first thing in the morning.
The things on my list don’t need to be done in a rush minutes before getting into bed. They can be done anytime in the evening.
So let’s get to it. Here are 10 things to get done at night to make mornings easier!
1. SET OUT CLOTHES
Sometimes it takes awhile to figure out what to wear to work. Business casual? Could be a 20 minute decision making process. I don’t need to waste that much time first thing in the morning. I figure out the outfit I’m going to wear, including socks, underwear, and shoes, and have it hanging on my doorknob ready to go.
Sadly, my work outfit is my second change of clothes. I usually pull on jeans and whatever shirt I was wearing the day before to walk my dog.
2. FIGURE OUT BREAKFAST
I generally know in advance what I’ll be eating for breakfast in the morning. Often I have chocolate chip pumpkin muffins or a peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal bake in the freezer. Quick to microwave in the morning. Other times I’ll plan to make a smoothie.
Breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated. Maybe it’s a couple of slices of toast. As long as you’ve gone over in your head the night before what you plan to eat for breakfast.
If you’re a coffee drinker – I’m not – most coffee makers have timers. Set it before going to bed.
3. MAKE LUNCH
If you’re not going to be home at lunch time, pack your lunch the night before and put it in the fridge. Or pack as much of your lunch as you can. Some items that get soggy faster should be assembled in the morning.
4. SET YOUR ALARM(S)
I have an older model iHome, which is like a clock radio. It’s programmed with the date as well as the time. There are different alarm versions to set and I’ve got it for weekdays. I don’t need to turn it on and off depending on the day of the week. The iHome does it.
The only thing I have to remember is to shut it off if there’s a stat holiday so I can sleep in. Yup, I’ve messed up my day to sleep in on more than one occasion!
On my iPhone under Utilities and then Clock, there is a Bedtime option. I’ve got it set for my bedtime and my wake up time, which is about 10 minutes after the iHome’s alarm, just in case I fall asleep again. I’ve got it set for weekdays. The neat thing is about 15 minutes before “bedtime”, it plays a verse of Brahm’s lullaby song to remind me it’s time to get to bed. Kind of annoying because I’m usually wide awake! The night owl thing never goes away…
5. CLEAN THE SINK
I don’t want to wake up in the morning to a dirty kitchen. My kitchen sink is always clean and empty before going to bed. I either wash my dishes by hand or load up the dishwasher.
See my post: A Clean Kitchen Lowers the Food Bill.
6. VACUUM
If your floors needed it, and you didn’t get around to vacuuming earlier, make sure to run a quick vacuum around your house.
7. SHOWER
I always shower at night. Though not necessarily as I’m closing in on bedtime, but probably by 9pm. It’s one less thing to do in the morning! That means I’m clean when I get into bed. The advantage being my bed sheets stay cleaner longer, and can go an extra week or so before laundering.
The only downside is sometimes my hair hasn’t completely dried before I get into bed and I’ll wake up in the morning with a funky new hairdo!
8. ICE CUBES
I drink a lot of iced tea, therefore I go through a lot of ice cubes. This might not apply to you! There’s no reason for empty ice cube trays to be sitting overnight on the counter. Especially if it’s hot weather and you’re using a lot of ice cubes. It takes 30 seconds to refill the ice cube tray and put it back in the freezer.
9. GATHER UP EVERYTHING YOU NEED
Make sure you know everything you will need to take out the door with you in the morning and gather it in one spot. This could be your purse, your backpack, your keys, and anything else on an endless list.
It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally I’ll have an appointment first thing in the morning for blood work or x-rays. I have to bring the requisition sheet from my doctor with me. The night before, I’ll put it in my car. I don’t recommend leaving anything of value overnight in your car, but things that are useless to thieves are OK to put there. And of course, one last thing to be rushing around in the morning trying to find.
10. CHARGE THE PHONE
I don’t want to be rushing out in the morning and realize my phone’s battery is getting low. I try to get in the habit of checking and plugging it in early in the evening.
Sometimes I forget to charge in my phone. It’s bedtime and I see that battery is getting down.
Then I send an email reminder to myself to plug in the phone. Whew! I always check my email in the morning after my dog is taken care of.
10 THINGS TO GET DONE AT NIGHT TO MAKE MORNINGS EASIER
Do you run around in the morning trying to get your act together?
Or do you hop out of bed bright eyed and bushy tailed and know exactly what you need to get done?
Do you have anything to add to my round up of 10 things to get done at night to make mornings easier?
Published by Cheryl @ The Lifestyle Digs on June 29, 2021.
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