10 Ways To Shorten Your Morning Routine

Are you looking for ways to shorten your morning routine?

Your morning routine sets the tone for the day ahead. A strong start can set you up for a calm, productive day in the same way that a chaotic one can quickly turn into a nightmare of a day.

Thankfully, there are a many things you can do to shorten your morning routine and get off to a positive start.

The importance of getting organized

When I was young, I never saw my mom relax in the evening. She never sat down to watch TV or read a book. She was busy “getting organized”. She would write to-do lists, pack her things and even lay out her clothes for the next day.

My 8-year old brain didn’t get why she chose to ‘waste’ her evening when she could do all those things the next day. But today, at 34, I know better.

I have learned how powerful it is to organize yourself and plan ahead.

Because she was organized, my mom could shave time off her morning routine and start her day early without having to rush or stress. She could start her day feeling in control.

If you are also looking to shorten your morning routine, here are my 10 favorite tips:

10 tips to shorten your morning routine

Check out the weather the night before.

Before you start getting organized for the next day, check the weather on your phone. It’s the best way to plan your outfit for the next day.

Lay out your clothes the night before.

Next on the list is to lay out out your clothes for the next day. Now than you know what the weather will look like, you are better equipped to pick the right outfit. This will be a huge time saver for the next morning. No more fretting over what to wear. Get out of the shower and get into your clothes.

Use an outfit planning app.

If you struggle to plan your outfits, then using an outfit planner will help you save a lot of time. You upload the photo of each piece of clothes that you own into the app and it creates different combinations and daily outfit recommendations. Stylebook, Closet space and smart closet are all popular apps.

Build a capsule wardrobe.

If you are ready to take it a step further, I suggest adopting a capsule wardrobe. I built one in 2017 and it has improved my morning routine in a big way.

The biggest benefit aside from saving time is how it helps to reduce decision fatigue. With a 30/35-piece capsule wardrobe, you don’t fret over what to wear anymore. You just grab, dress up and go. Less choice frees up mental space so you are ready to make more important decisions the rest of the day.

Pack your bag.

Prepare everything you need for the next day – laptop, phone, wallet, keys, lunch bag, etc. That way, you will avoid wasting precious time in the morning and will be off to a good start.

Don’t switch your phone on.

Leave your phone switched off until you are out of the door. Surfing the web is a huge time sucker. You tell yourself you will read for a few minutes and next thing you know you’ve been on your phone for half an hour and are running late for work.

Create a morning ritual.

Creating a morning ritual is the best way to reduce decision fatigue and save time in the morning. Essentially what it means is that you repeat a series of action in the same order every morning day after day. A ritual might look like this:

You wake up at 6am
Meditate for 20 minutes
Shower for 5 minutes
Get dressed in 5 minutes
Hair and makeup in 15-20 minutes
Have breakfast
You are out of the door by 7.30am

You could choose different actions in a different order at different times. Just find what works best for you.

Prepare breakfast.

Imagine not having to fret over what you will eat in the morning? Preparing breakfast in the evening could help shorten your routine by quite a bit especially if you are a breakfast lover.

Here are some of the options:

Cook a bigger portion the night before and eat the leftovers for breakfast
Prepare overnight oats the night before – here are a few great recipes.
Make a big batch of chia pudding for the week – all you need to do is top it off with fresh fruits and some nuts.

Go to bed early – to avoid hitting the snooze button.

Getting some adequate sleep means that you will be less likely to hit the snooze button when your alarm rings and more likely to get up refreshed and ready to conquer the day.

Simplify your makeup and hair routine.

Does it take you an hour or more to get ready in the morning? If you want to get more out of your morning, then it might be time to re-think your makeup and hair routine. There are many ways to streamline and speed up your beauty routine. You could get your makeup and hair routine down to just a few minutes:

Saving time in the morning is easier than you think. It just takes some planning. Try these 10 tips to reclaim your time and get off to a good start every day!