3 Organizing Hacks for Stress-Free Mornings
Organize These 3 Zones to Save Time Every Morning
Mornings set the tone for your entire day. When they’re rushed, stressful, or have you frantically conducting last-minute searches for important items, everything feels a little harder.
To combat the morning chaos, here are 3 zones to organize that will make leaving the house a peaceful breeze.
Zone 1: Entryway aka The Drop Zone
The Drop Zone, located near the entry way, is the place where common household items (like keys, sunglasses, shoes, etc.) are kept. We want to organize this area because 1) keeping the entrance to our home tidy is welcoming and calming and 2) it is the designated area of “things to grab” as we head out the door. We want these items that are frequently needed to be easily accessible to us:
Wall hooks for hanging purses, bags, backpacks, hats, and jackets
Bowl, tray or small basket for keys, wallets, to-go water bottles, sunscreen, and other grab-and-go essential accessories like sunglasses
Shoe storage options include shoe cabinet, shoe basket, and shoe racks (bonus if you also have a bench or stool nearby for making putting on shoes easy!)
Bin or basket for outgoing items that you want to take with you on your way out (examples: retail returns, reusable grocery bag to return to car, outgoing mail, etc.)
It is important to identify the items that tend to clutter your entryway, so that you can create a designated storage solution or processing space.
Zone 2: The Next Day’s Needs
Your Future Morning You will thank the You that did the Pre-work the night before, I guarantee. Pre-planning your outfit and required needs the night before means less decisions (and remembering!) to be done in the morning. Don’t waste precious morning time and save your decision-making energy!
Over-the-door hook or valet rod for next day’s hanging clothes
Lay out next day’s clothes on chair, decorative ladder, or dresser surface
Pre-pack the work bag, purse, backpack or gym bag with what you need the next day and place near entry way
Fill up the reusable water bottles and place near entry way
Prepare any morning food or drinks that require overnight processing like overnight oats or cold brew
Bonus: have a lot of items to carry to the car in the morning? Pack the car the night before.
Zone 3: Charging Hub
Most of us rely on our tech devices being fully charged and ready for the day’s actions every morning. So it is essential to routinely have a spot for them to charge up:
Create a designated permanent area(s) where phones, laptops, and other devices can be charged each night and only keep the daily charging cables at the charging hub (do not have rarely-used cords cluttering the charging station)
I advise purchasing multiple charging cables that you can set up in different permanent areas if you need to, instead of moving cables from room-to-room — then you’ll never lose your cable or have to search for the correct one
Depending on how many devices you need to charge, charging hubs can be a multi-device dock, cord management box, or open decorative basket
Also permanently store the correct charging cable for your phone in your car — for when you need that battery boost while on-the-go!
Getting these 3 zones organized and working for you, will allow you to welcome the day and get your morning started without the stressful rush. Savor your new morning of peace and calm!