Create a Clutter-Free Morning
Create a Clutter-Free Morning
Mornings are tough – So much to do in too little time. But your morning sets the mood for the rest of your day.
How can you make your mornings more energizing than draining?
Spend a few minutes each night setting yourself up for success.
- Make sure items like coats, shoes, keys, purses, and cell phones are put away, so they can be found in the morning.
- Keep up with your mail by at least recycling junk mail and newspapers each evening. Put all important papers in a designated home.
- Put all the clothing you have worn that day away, either in the laundry or back into the closet. Don’t forget to empty pockets of loose change and receipts.
- Tuck away any movies, games, toys, and remote controls to tidy up your living space.
- Pack up homework and office work, so the backpacks and briefcases are ready to roll in the morning.
- Clear your kitchen counter of clutter, by quickly putting things away.
None of the clutter-busting tasks takes long. Maybe only a few minutes each. But they will make a big difference in how your mornings roll. I’m sure they will help you create a Clutter-Free Morning!
Do you struggle with getting and staying organized?
Are you afraid to start an organizing project just to be overwhelmed or lose motivation in the middle, to be left with even more chaos? You are not alone. That’s the fear of most people who don’t have time to allot to a big organizing project.
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Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Life is simpler now that I work at home, but I used to make my lunch and set up the coffee with a timer every night before work.
Same here. I used to pack lunch for the week on Sundays. It saved a lot of time.
Excellent list of ideas of things to do in the evening to simplify and streamline your morning. I do many of these things. Mornings are so much easier when you don’t stress about finding the things you need to take with you as you quickly get ready to head out the door.
I agree, it definitely helps a lot and will make things move smoothly in the morning.
Yes, Yes, Yes. What a difference preparing the night before makes! Thanks
Yes stress free is amazing, focus on more important things.
That is such wise advice. Taking those few minutes at the end of the evening to get things back to square one makes the morning flow so much better.
Very true, less things to do and worry, and focus on the more important things.
These are all great tips to help minimize morning chaos. You never know what you are going to wake up to, right?
Clothing off the floor is a big one, especially with teenagers. Even just hanging it over a chair can often keep it in good enough shape to wear again without washing.
One things I’ve noticed in recent years is a steep decline in loose change. Seems like the younger generation hardly uses money anymore. A change dish/jar was always one of the first things I used to set up in a command center, but I’m starting to feel like some people don’t need them anymore. Nothing stays the same!
That’s true about loose change, less and less people are using cash these days, younger and older generations. One less thing to worry about I guess.
Because I’m SO not a morning person, this is the exact way of dealt with my evenings since I was a teenager. Everything is set out the night before, so I face the morning with an empty sink and a clear place at the table. I don’t drink coffee, so my breakfast requires no prep (except for pouring OJ, cereal, and milk), but doing all of these things you list in the evening ensures that the only things I have to accomplish in the mornings relate to grooming and eating. Before a particularly busy day, I may even set out my plates and select my outfit the night before. A gentle morning is key to a good day!
Oh I like the term, Gentle Morning. All the prep you do in the evening sound exceptional!
Love all of these suggestions! I think setting the scene the night before has been an absolute game-changer for our family of 5. I know the nights when I don’t do it always lead to chaotic and frantic mornings. Thank you for these reminders!
Evening prep is probably even more important for a big family and you can get everyone to participate in the prep to teach the kids the skill of planning ahead. I love this.