How to Relax in the Morning

Is relaxing in the morning a concept to laugh at?  For many of us, it 

sounds like a dream. Mornings can be so rushed that you dread them. 

Sometimes, if you step back a bit and reassess things, you can find some 

ways to make your mornings less busy. 

Here are tips for a relaxing morning.

Wake Up Earlier

This one may seem obvious, but it's really amazing the difference just 15 

minutes can make. If you normally get up at 6:15, set your alarm for 6 and 

make sure you actually get up; don't use the 15 minutes to lie in bed. If 

you are up for it, try getting up half an hour or even a whole hour earlier. 

You'll need to go to  bed a bit earlier to get the sleep you need, but it can 

be well worth it to have a calmer morning. 

 Wrap Things Up in the Evening

Although you're probably aiming for an earlier bedtime, try to wrap things 

up before bedtime - at least some of the little things. Pack lunches and fill 

water bottles, for instance, and get the kitchen cleaned up so it's ready 

for you to cook breakfast. Write yourself a note for things that need to be 

done tomorrow, so you can relax and not try to remember everything. Get 

purses, briefcases, and backpacks ready to go.

 Prepare Dinner Earlier

To free up time in the evening, try having dinner at an earlier hour and 

spend less time cooking when possible. Try to have dinner eaten and 

finished by 6pm (for example), which frees up a couple of hours before 

8pm (when you might be dropping everything to put the kids to bed). It 

makes your whole evening seem longer and more productive if you have 

an early dinner.

Time Management

Every morning, take five minutes to be still, look out at the sky, pray, 

meditate, stretch...whatever helps you focus for a few minutes. Try to 

calm and center your thoughts. Your morning is more likely to be calm if 

your mind is calm first.

Exercise 

Since you've gotten up a bit earlier, take some time to stretch a bit. 

Whatever you like to do - Yoga, Pilates, or miscellaneous stretches - the 

goal is to relax your body and get you ready for the day, and to help 

make you more alert. Taking a brief walk outdoors can help you get 

started, too. Exercises and stretching helps work out any "kinks" in your 

muscles too.

 Do Analogue Activities First

Rather than heading for your phone or computer first thing, do things that 

do not involve the information inundation that can occur when you log on. 

It can make your morning feel much more rushed if you bombard yourself 

with e-mails, messages, and voicemails.

 Be Gentle With Your Wake-Up Routine

Rather than blasting yourself with a loud alarm, try waking to music or a 

low radio that gradually gets louder. If you can, a light alarm that mimics 

sunrise is even more gentle. 

Mornings don't need to be rushed. Try to take a little time and rearrange 

your routine to make them a bit more relaxed.