Lazy Girl's Guide: A Stress-Free Morning

Design: Chango & Co.

We get it; mornings can be tough. Sometimes they’re an epic battle between what to wear and, “Where the heck did I put my wallet?” Playing hide-and-go-seek with your keys at 7 in the morning is not fun. To avoid beginning every morning in a hectic scramble, our editors have laid out the five steps to getting out the door on time.

1. Wake Up On the Right Side of the Bed

Design: Common Bond

You know those crucial seconds when your eyes first open in the morning and you’re faced with the choice to either get up (ha!) or hit snooze and slip back into dreamland? Before you press that snooze button again, let us help you wake up faster and easier—it’s the first step to a punctual departure. 

Changing a couple of small details throughout your room can help you start the day less drowsy. Make the first thing you see something bold. Try replacing your wall art or nightstand lamp with a colorful option. For a lively boost choose yellow, which signals light, warmth, happiness, and energy. (Yes, energy, which is exactly what you need!) Next, check your window treatments. Are they lightweight enough to let in a natural morning glow? Swapping out heavy curtains will make your room bright, airy, and awakening.

2. Keep Your Routine Consistent

Design: Molly McGinness Interior Design

Make a habit of following the same routine each morning. Know what your morning tasks are and the order in which you prefer to complete them. Then consistently follow that schedule. The keyword here is habit. Once this becomes a habit you no longer need to think about it. Your morning autopilot mode will have kicked in, and you will have time to think about other things.

Try this routine: Wake up, brush teeth, shower, groom yo’self (hair and makeup), get dressed, eat breakfast, grab necessities (coffee, lunch, keys, purse), and get out the door.

3. Think About It the Night Before

Design: Terracotta Design Build

Your brain is foggy in the morning. To avoid forgetting to eat breakfast—or accidentally showing up to work in navy blue pants and a black jacket—prep the night before. Decide what you’re going to wear and hang the pieces together in your closet. Make your lunch and leave it front and center in the fridge so you can quickly snatch it on your way out. Have your coffee maker set and ready to go, so all you have to do is hit the brew button. The more you prepare ahead of time the less stressful your morning will be.

4. Stay Organized

Design: KMID

So much of your precious morning time is wasted running around looking for things. For a hassle-free morning keep your toiletries, makeup, keys or commuter pass, and purse in designated spots. Makeup can be easily corralled in a tray with different compartments and left on the bathroom vanity. Drop your keys in a dish by the entryway as soon as you walk in the front door to ensure you never lose them. Don’t go through the trouble of straightening up just to make a mess again—create an organized system and then keep it in place. Literally. 

Set a reminder on your phone for the exact time you want to leave your house. Add a checklist to this alarm with everything you should have in your hands when walking out the door. Half the struggle of staying organized is remembering what you need, let a checklist remind you.

5. Still Slow?

Design: Common Bond

If these four guidelines are in place and you still can't seem to get out the door on time, maybe you need a little more pep in your step. Here’s our morning ritual secret: Music. Not only does this lift your mood and give your morning some oomph, but everyone moves a little faster when the pace it set for them. Avoid slow songs and listen to an up-tempo playlist. It doesn’t have to be your Saturday night club mix, but look for something that will get you moving.

Listen to these jams:

• "Jump in the Line" by Harry Belafonte, listen to this if you need something to jump start your day.
• "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles, for the mellow, happy-go-lucky person.
• "MmmBop" by Hanson, throwback Thursday every day! This oldie but goody will perk you up.
• "Can’t Stop the Feeling" by Justin Timberlake, this up-and-coming find will get you grooving.