8 Simple Tricks to Make Mornings Easier

You arrive at work at 7:30 am (or whenever you arrive) and somehow you get there in one piece. How? You probably have a morning routine.  So often we focus on the deals that happen while we are at work, but did you know what happens before you get there has a very big impact on how you perform at your job? I went back to work this week from my maternity leave, (Sniffle, Sniffle) and have used some of these simple tips to help the transition go smoothly.

So, lets talk about morning routines and how they can help you become a better teacher.

8 Simple Things You Can Do To Make Mornings Easier

1. Pack your lunch the night before. Even better, keep a week’s stash of food at school. One young mom I know has a case of Progresso soups, a loaf of bread and jar of Peanut Butter in her desk.  Then, each day, although boring, she has a lunch ready to go.  I might try this!
2. Get your coffee ready the night before, so all you have to do is pour and go. Get a reusable cup and skip Starbucks. Some teachers I know who are ALWAYS late come in with Starbucks. I don’t get it. You obviously don’t have time to stop.
3. Lay out your clothing the night before and stop worrying so much about what you look like. This is a hard one, because as the art teacher we have this quirky funky standard to live up to, but keeping it basic will help you go faster in the AM.  I have a hook that I can hang the whole outfit on in my closet, and I put the jewelry right on the hanger, too. Easy.
4. Get up earlier. I am a morning person, so it’s easy for me to say. I am accustomed to getting up at 5:15 to workout before I get ready to go to school. We’ll see if I can still pull this with a little one, but I plan to just go to bed earlier.  The last 10 pounds of baby weight are not going to come off on their own, are they?
5. Eat Breakfast (or keep a stash of granola bars in your desk) because you really can’t be a good teacher running on “Empty.”
6. Chug Water- I make sure I chug a whole thing of water before my first class walks in the door. (Not the best idea for using the rest room) however, what it does do is give you energy. Drinking water gives you more energy then just caffeine alone.  I am the only person at our department meetings with a water bottle and not coffee.  Yes, I’ve been up since 5 drinking coffee, but I switch to water after I brush my teeth in the morning (better for my teeth and stains) and never look back. I’m telling you, it helps so much with energy!
7. Don’t take much work home. I try not to bring anything home at night if I can help it. Less to drag, less to load, and less to remember. Plus, once I get it home I am usually too tired to work on it anyway, so why did I bother?  I just aim to use my time more efficiently the next day while I am at school.
8. Take a deep breath. Before students walk in mentally reverse how you will talk to them, and check your disposition.  They will pick up on it so fast.  You can control this!

All of these tricks can help you as an educator because you are fueling your own fire. You are making sure that your energy is up, your aren’t frazzled or rushed, and it will make your day go much more smoothly and help you enjoy your students.

What other tricks do you have for getting the morning going on a good note and not a sour one?