You might not think you have an official morning routine, but consider this: When is the last time you forgot to brush your teeth in the morning? Whether it’s a formal routine or not, when we make things a habit that we do at the same time each day, we start to do them instinctively and rarely – if ever – forget.

In that spirit, I want to share with you seven things that you might not have thought to put in your morning routine. They’re things we often forget, and anchoring them to your morning routine could be just the ticket to actually getting them done on a regular basis. These are all things that can make your day easier, more organised, and just plain better. 

1. Review your meal plan

It can really pay off to spend just a minute or two looking over your meal plan each morning. That way, you can answer the question you know your kids will be asking soon, the dreaded “What’s for dinner?”. But more importantly, this can prevent last-minute fiascos like realising that Greek yoghurt you let your daughter have for breakfast yesterday was actually an essential ingredient for tonight’s dinner.  

2. Take food out of the freezer for upcoming days

How many dinner plans have been ruined in your house because you forgot to take something out of the freezer in time? This used to happen to me more times than I care to admit, but making it part of my morning routine when I’m getting breakfast ready and in the kitchen anyway has made this a thing of the past.

3. Water your plants

Watering plants is one of those things a lot of us only remember when we notice our plants starting to droop. When you think about it, it’s such a quick and easy task, so why do we overlook it so often? By watering your plants at the same time you do something else (preferably something related, like filling your kids’ water bottles for school or topping up the dog’s water bowl), you can keep your greenery alive for much longer!

4. Clean up after your pets

Another relatively quick task that often gets shuffled to “later” and then “tomorrow” is cleaning up after your pets. Many of us can find a few minutes in our morning to fit this in and get it out of the way. Right after you feed your pet in the morning or just before you take out the trash are good, logical points where you could add this into your morning routine. 

5. Prep a load of laundry

It might make sense to wait until your kids get home from school to start a load of laundry so you can wash their uniforms, but it’s easy to end up forgetting in the absolute chaos that is a mum’s typical after-school afternoon. So why not get everything ready to go in your washer in the morning, perhaps after you get dressed, so all you have to after school is toss the uniforms in and press the start button? As an added bonus, this gives you time to let pre-wash stain treatments soak into those clothes that have some visible reminders of your child’s painting project or last night’s spaghetti sauce.

6. Listen to a podcast while you do a morning reset

Do you ever feel like you just don’t get enough time to yourself? Welcome to being a mum! And it might be true, but it doesn’t have to feel that way. I like to work in a podcast while doing a morning reset. Where you can fit this in depends on your schedule; maybe you’ll do it after the kids leave for school or during your morning run. Whether you listen to something uplifting and inspirational to start your day or some hilarious commentary on that TV show you watched last night, you’ll walk away feeling a bit more like yourself.

7. List the three most important things you want to accomplish today

Every morning, I like to list the three most important things I want to accomplish that day. Yes, it’s an extra step, but studies have shown that writing these things down can actually reinforce the idea in your brain, making it more likely you’ll remember it. I can’t promise you’ll actually do it, but it really does help to keep it front of mind! 

Of course, you might not want or need to add all of these tasks to your own morning routine, but perhaps there is something else I haven’t listed that you struggle to remember each day. If so, try this trick of adding it to your morning routine to give it some staying power!