“The first hour is the rudder of the day.” – Henry Ward Beecher
Let’s face it. Mornings can be tough. In many homes, they are famous for containing too much to do and too little time.
But mornings set the mood for the rest of our day. They have the potential to energize us or drain us. They have the opportunity to lift our spirits or drag us down. They can start us on the right foot or the wrong foot.
Given the fact that mornings are so important, it’s wise to spend a few minutes each night preparing your house for tomorrow’s sunrise. After all, a clutter-free house in the morning means less stress, less anxiety, and less time getting prepared for the day. And that benefits everyone in the home!
Contrary to popular misconception, you don’t need to spend hours each night cleaning the house to accomplish a clutter-free morning. Instead, simply stay ahead of the clutter by tackling these ten 60-second decluttering projects before you go to bed each night.
1. Return shoes/coats to closets. In the winter, add gloves, hats, and scarves to the routine.
2. Recycle junk mail and newspapers. A new day brings new mail and new news. Keep your table or counter space clutter-free in the morning by removing today’s.
3. Put away articles of clothing. Some go in the laundry. Some go back in the closet. But none should be left on the floor. It helps to have a minimalist wardrobe.
4. Store media out of sight. Put back all dvd’s, cd’s, video games, and remote controls that were used during the day. The first time you walk into that room tomorrow, you’ll be glad you did.
5. Process coins and receipts. I’m sure it was your husband who left the contents of his pockets on your dresser, but either way, it’ll take you only 60 seconds to put those items where they actually belong.
6. Clear all bathroom surfaces. The first place you’ll go in the morning is the bathroom. It’s also a surprisingly easy room to keep clutter free. Invest the 60 seconds every night to make it happen.
7. Clean-up homework. Get your kids into the habit of putting away their schoolwork each night before bed rather than scrambling around each morning to find it.
8. Put kitchen items away. Granted, I’m assuming you’ve done some cleaning up already after dinner. And if you have, it’ll only take you another 60 seconds to tidy up anything that got left out.
9. Put back toys. Realistically, life doesn’t allow a clean toy room every evening. But if you have a toy room apart from your living room, spend 60 seconds returning toys to the room where they belong. Or better yet, get your kids into the practice of doing it themselves.
10. File paperwork. Stay on top of paper and office clutter by handling it the day it arrives.
If you are not in the habit of doing these things, it’ll definitely take longer than 10 minutes the first time. But once you get a handle on each area, the entire project will take you less than 10 minutes… and your morning you will thank you!
Image: BeatPlusMelody
Jes says
Also, the night before you should lay out your clothes and gather the things you’ll need to take with you in one place.
Summer says
Ps some nights I’m exhausted and bear broken after wrk and running a family yes…. And some mornings are not always successful but routine as boring as it is does work for my lifestyle….peace
Summer says
I agree with you …since I began this journey of minimalism, preparing for the mornings has became a part of habitual living thus allowing the morning to flow…I now wake my children up by playing up beat musicals happy musicals while they get ready leaving no choice to just be relaxed happy n maybe even dance….something I tried for my youngest who is highly emotional particularly in the mornings….your blog rules…. Putting stuff away …hanging uniforms and making lunches the night before works well for me as I’d never get out of the house if I did it all in the morning
Ines says
the problem is in finding the energy for doing this 10x60s tasks every single day.
Robyn says
Thankyou for these great tips. We don’t do many of them, so hope to start afresh.
Betty Winslow says
Great list! For me, a good morning also requires laying out the next day’s outfit, complete with underwear, jewelry and shoes, as well as deciding on what will be for breakfast. The fewer decisions I have to make in the morning, the better I function.
Glorey says
I do many of these things most evenings and it makes a difference. I fill the kettle too and I am set to spend a 1/2 hour or a little more of quiet time with my journal before the rest of the household awakens. This has been a basic sanity practice for 20 years. ;)
Kaz (The Angel Zoe Kindness Project) says
One of the simplest things I have done to remove both physical and mental clutter from my life is to take the junk mail from the letterbox and put it directly in the recycling. As well as not cluttering up my kitchen counter, I am not constantly coveting the things being marketed to me and imagining I would somehow be a different person if I had them.
Michele says
Gosh, that isn’t just a good minimalist idea to create a clutter free morning – I can promise you – this is an ADHD riddled adult’s SURVIVAL list!!! I went from crazed to Zen by applying this sort of daily management of all those crazy messy little things. :-)
Adventurous Andrea says
It’s fantastic how free just spending a few minutes a day can make us!