I bet you know tons of women who claim to be ‘morning persons’. They wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, excited to take on the challenges of the day with a peppy and positive demeanor. Unfortunately, the rest of us are a little enthusiastic about facing the waking hours, and depend on our morning rituals, like coffee, toast, or the newspaper, to ease us into the rest of the day. But as luck would have it, there never seems to be enough time to truly enjoy even these routines before the ticking clock reminds us of our obligations and responsibilities. Whether you are a working woman or a busy mom, the morning madness gets to you and leaves you huffing and puffing.
Fortunately, there are ways to save time in the morning so that you can slow down and collect your thoughts for the day to come. Here are some great morning tips for the busy Indian woman:
Choose Clothes the Night Before
Try taking a few minutes each night to prepare in advance. Choose your clothes, and check your calendar to organize anything else you’ll need. Same goes for your school going children. If they are young and depend upon you, prepare their uniforms the night before. If they are old enough, make sure they sort their clothes or it will eventually fall upon you to do it the next morning.
Prepare for Breakfast in Advance
Starting out with a light, nutritious breakfast will give you energy for the day. Plan and prepare for it ahead. Grind wet doughs for cheelas or dosas, chop veggies to add to upma and prepare the stuffing for parathas. If you have a cook, plan ahead the menu so you don’t end up having to make last minute decisions. Try making extra minutes for breakfast by using time savers like filling the coffee maker and setting the table the night before and keeping pre-sliced fruit in the fridge. Any extra time you can find will help you maintain a calm and relaxed feeling in the morning. Planning meals ahead will give you a better head start for the day.
Avoid Social Media in the Mornings
In today’s rushed mornings, precious time is lost in checking your phone for whatsapp messages, facebook and other social media notifications that took place throughout the night. Resist the temptation to play the alarm clock of your group and save checking messages for while you commute.
Take Some Personal Time
Busy women tend to sacrifice their personal time as the first measure to save time. This is not necessarily helpful in the long run. Implement other ideas to save time and use the time you save to do something special for yourself. Read the newspaper, meditate, go for a walk, or simply enjoy some quiet time.
Have a Place for Important Items
By now, you must have gotten a very good idea of a few particular items that tend to delay you every single day. Hair pins, rubber bands, kids school belts or ribbons? To avoid last minute scrambles, always keep important items like your keys, ID cards, wallet and bags in a specific place. This way, you’ll make it out the door without rushing, and even have time to stop and appreciate the scenery.
Expect the Unexpected
Be sure to leave a buffer of time to take care of anything that comes up unexpectedly.
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