Morning routine? What is it on those early morning days... Help!

MandaBattles · Aug 15, 2011

I have a website that might help. It gives you tips and plans to help you get a routine. Flylady.com Hope that can give you some ideas! :)

Iridescent Orchid, CNA, LPN · Aug 15, 2011

There is a study that states it takes around 21 days to form a bad habit, and 66 to form a good one. What you want to do is find something that you want to get into a habit of. Your friend does the treadmill, and it probably doesn't bother her one bit now because it's habitual for her. Find something that you can create a habit from, something you know you can stick with easily. If you have a treadmill and that's what you want to do, go for it, set a time, and try to stick to it for past 30 days and I think you may have a routine created to help jump start your day! It is said if we can do something for 66 days, we can do it for a year, 5 years, 10 years. I believe that because of the exercise routine I created for myself - though I must say that after brutally sticking it out for 30 mornings straight, it was pretty established as a routine, you just got to keep pushing and before long, it will be a routine and seem less like a nuisance or an interruption of sleep. Good luck!

BelleNscrubs04 · Aug 15, 2011

I hate early mornings but I start nursing school next week and wilL have classes starting early along with clinicals once a week at 6:30. I have to get my kids ready and off to school in the mornings too. Here's what I'm going to do:

Wake up at 5:30 every morning. This is the time I must be up for clinical days so I'm going to make it the norm so I'm on top of my game.

Even more importantly I'm going to go to bed at the same time every night. Even on weekends, it will be 10:30 for me.

Have a routine: I'm going to workout for 30 minutes, then shower and dress. Wake kids, do hair and makeup, breakfast, and fix lunches. Then it's the school run. I'll skip the workout on clinical days, and leave hubby in charge of the kids.

Everything is laid out at night for everyone.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck, we can do this!

butterfly134 · Aug 15, 2011

I have to be up for about 6ish every morning that Im on clinicals. The night before I make my packed lunch and leave it in the fridge. I put the clothes and shoes that I'll be wearing out and have a towel ready. I make sure I have black pen, notebook,fob watch, name badge etc packed in my backpack and ready to go. I make sure my alarm is set. I make sure I know where the hairdryer and brush is. By preparing the night before, it means no rushing and panic in the morning, all I have to do task wise it turn off alarm, stumble to shower, turn on shower, get in shower, wash, get out of shower, grab towel that I had ready, dry off, get dressed, dry hair, put lunch in bag, grab bag and then make + eat breakfast :D simple as :) Then just ensure the kids have their stuff ready to go too :) :)

ErinRN2B · Aug 15, 2011

If I have to get up early in the AM, I shower the night before instead of the morning of. Not my favorite thing ever, but it saves time. I make sure the clothes I need are washed and folded and ready. I get my bag ready with everything I'll need and make sure there's enough gas in my car. I'm pretty low-maintenance, so it usually only takes me about 15 minutes to get out of the house in the morning...

Lifeofanurse · Aug 15, 2011

Wow you guys are seriously ambitious!!

About to graduate so finished clinicals last week. 3 days a week began at 6:30 am. and one location was about 30 min from my house and the other 45 min.

I just got in the habit of getting up @ 4:45am. Fixed my face/hair and brushed my teeth. Got dressed. Went and made kids lunches for daycamp and grabbed a yougert and soda (on good day hubby had coffee pot set nite before) and was out door by 5:30 am. Gave me some extra time just in case. Soon I had it down to a science I knew that if it was 6am I should be at a certain landmark and if I was running behind I was still okay but would maybe drive a teeny bit faster (still legal though!). Or I could slow down and enjoy the quiet morning drive. I always got there at least 20 min early and had time to eat my yougurt and chill, getting into my serious "I'm going to be a great nurse today" attitude.

It worked. I was anxious if I didn't leave an hour before we were due there because of the distance. The first semester my clinical was pretty close, less than 15 min so I would leave my house by 6am and still had time to spare.

I say make a routine and stick to it. Pack your stuff the night before. the one time I didn't I left my drug book at home and needed it that day!

But ...I was one of the few who never forgot her stethescope, name badge, or paperwork due even ONCE in the entire year.

BIG TIP: Put your name badge in your glove box the minute you get out of clinical. I never lost it or forgot it. (but if I had switched cars w/ hubby that could have been an issue, luckily I never did). Many people forgot theirs often!!

butterfly134 · Aug 15, 2011

wow you guys are seriously ambitious!!
about to graduate so finished clinicals last week. 3 days a week began at 6:30 am. and one location was about 30 min from my house and the other 45 min.
i just got in the habit of getting up @ 4:45am. fixed my face/hair and brushed my teeth. got dressed. went and made kids lunches for daycamp and grabbed a yougert and soda (on good day hubby had coffee pot set nite before) and was out door by 5:30 am. gave me some extra time just in case. soon i had it down to a science i knew that if it was 6am i should be at a certain landmark and if i was running behind i was still okay but would maybe drive a teeny bit faster (still legal though!). or i could slow down and enjoy the quiet morning drive. i always got there at least 20 min early and had time to eat my yougurt and chill,[color=cyan] getting into my serious "i'm going to be a great nurse today" attitude.
it worked. i was anxious if i didn't leave an hour before we were due there because of the distance. the first semester my clinical was pretty close, less than 15 min so i would leave my house by 6am and still had time to spare.
i say make a routine and stick to it. pack your stuff the night before. the one time i didn't i left my drug book at home and needed it that day!
but ...i was one of the few who never forgot her stethescope, name badge, or paperwork due even once in the entire year.
big tip: put your name badge in your glove box the minute you get out of clinical. i never lost it or forgot it. (but if i had switched cars w/ hubby that could have been an issue, luckily i never did). many people forgot theirs often!!

im gona try that!!! sometimes its hard to get motivated first thing in the morning but i think that could actually work for me too!!

MammaNurse2Be · Aug 16, 2011

Great advice guys! Maybe I need to make my bed more uncomfortable! It is just so cozy and on those cold, foggy mornings, it is hard to get going. But, I shall just have to get over it! :) and I love flylady it does help with routines. :) thanks for the ideas!

SC APRN, DNP, APRN, NP · Aug 16, 2011

I was a morning person until June, I started my shift at 0630. I went to bed at the same time seven days a week. That helped me the most. I always had my lunch, things for the next day, clothes etc lined up ready to go. I gave myself 15 minutes in the morning for me, check my email do stretches, focus on what I wanted to accomplish for the day.

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2011

i have my bag packed the night before... i lay everything i need in the morning out the night before so i dont have to pull my hair out looking for something stupid like a bra lol

i take a 15 min shower , brush my teeth while im in there and do my hair..(i have lots of curly hair..i do everything like..wash, detangle , conditon...leave in.. put the gel & hairspray in after i towel dry it a bit) so thats all done...

i throw some clothes on, pack my lunch,feed the cat, put my make up on... and out the door..

i usually dont eat breakfast, but carry a bunch of luna bars, granola bars to snack on. if i feel like coffee ill have it set from the night before so i can just pour it in my tumbler add sugar & cream :)

bluemushroom · Aug 21, 2011

To make things easier in the morning, do as much as you can the night before. I used to make my lunch and put it in the fridge at night. I really don't have much of an appetite too early in the morning, so for breakfast I'd usually make a bagel with cream cheese, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge. If I didn't feel like eating it before I left, it was easy to grab it and take it with me. I'd make sure my name tag, books, and supplies were in my bag at night. On weekends, I'd iron enough clothes and uniforms for the entire week. I'd try to have things done by a specific time so that I could relax at night and enjoy my favorite TV shows or do other things.

Since I hate having to immediately get out of bed when the clock goes off, I'd set my clock 5-10 minutes earlier than I wanted to get up so I could wake up and just lie there for a few minutes. I would also set it for a time that would allow at least one hour to get ready so I could take my time. I'd get up, brush my teeth, take a shower, do my hair, and get dressed. All I had to do then was grab my stuff and go. I'd leave early enough so that I could get to class or clinical about 25 minutes early so I could get organized, go to the bathroom, etc., and still have a few calm moments before getting started.