Essential Morning Rituals for a Smooth September Reset

After a hot and slower Summer, September often feels like a reset and a chance to switch up routines to make the most of new opportunities and the changing seasons.

Family life is so much different now we are a home of 4 adults. Our older daughter has returned from University and is job hunting, the younger daughter is a trainee dance teacher, and my husband and I both work from home and in offices.

Like many families, this time of year is a new start for us, and new routines take time to settle. We all need space to acclimatise to a new timetable, and deal with the pressures of new and changing responsibilities.

Mornings in our house are quite chaotic as everyone preps for their day, goes to meetings and dance classes, so I’ve been exploring ways to make our morning routine less hectic.

One thing we all agree on is that a good coffee is essential to wake us up, give us that early morning boost and shake off any tiredness we’re feeling. We are not all morning people and if we’re not careful, tempers can get frayed as we all get in each other’s way.

And we’ve become quite fussy when it comes to our coffee too, preferring a cup from a coffee machine to some instant. I guess it’s the coffee culture’s influence on our taste buds – and the accessibility of creating good coffee at home.

Prepping the Night Before (The 5-9 routine)

I’ve learned that ensuring everything we need is easy to access, clean and plentiful means the morning runs smoother and there’s less tension – the coffee area is one aspect that needs special attention.

• The coffee jar is always full
• The HK Living coffee mugs are clean and stacked ready to go – as well as any travel mugs.
• Milk is well stocked
• And crucially the coffee machine is clean with the water tank full!

It’s common sense, but ensuring the kitchen is clean and tidy each night before we get started the next day is crucial.

We have a planner that splits responsibilities for tasks like emptying the dishwasher which means no matter if young adults are cooking late at night, or older adults are up early for a gym session, the jobs are always done.

The 9-5: Managing the Coffee Queue

We do all love our coffee! So at times, when urgency to get ready for the day is at it’s height, a queue can form to get access to the coffee station.

There are a couple of things we’ve agreed on to ensure the coffee making process works smoothly.

1. We can use the 2-cup filter included in the Daewoo equipment to get 2 cups of coffee without refilling the powder.
2. We’ve also agreed to make sure the mugs are warming on top of the machine – such a treat particularly in the colder months.
3. If someone is making a Barista style cappuccino or latte and uses all the milk – they grab some out of the fridge to speed up the refilling process.

These are all little acts but when combined, they really ensure our coffee station keeps working efficiently to get us through the morning rush.

My Personal Morning Routine

When the kids were younger the morning routine was about getting dressed for school and brushing their teeth – and now we’re all about making barista style-coffee in the least time possible so everyone can get to their car or bus on time! How times have changed.

In order to keep my nervous system calm, and set myself up for a positive day, I have a routine that works around coffee making and ensures I’m prepared for my day ahead.

• I start the day with some journaling, focusing on the positives from the day before and 3 goals for the day ahead.
• I get up early, usually an hour before anyone else to enjoy my first coffee in total peace and quiet.
• Sometimes the coffee comes on my morning walk near the river where I get in the first batch of 4k steps to get me moving in an otherwise sedentary day.
• I nourish my body with a protein packed breakfast, usually after everyone has made theirs, either choosing a smoothie, eggs or Greek yoghurt bowl.

The evenings and morning feel different this year; the kids are embarking on new adventures and the demands on my time are changing. Nevertheless, in a busy household, a streamlined morning routine still ensures the family start their day on time and in a good mood!