Is it time to start a morning TO-DON’T list for less stress?

Tomorrow morning’s to-do list:

1. Hit the snooze button til even the dog gets annoyed (yaaaawn).
2. Read through all the notifications that rolled in on my phone overnight (don’t wanna miss anything important).
3. Hop around all 6 social media platforms to see what’s going on in everyone else’s lives (those selfies and food pics aren’t gonna like themselves).
4. Make a beautiful scratch-made breakfast for the whole family (I know they appreciate the sprig of fresh mint even though they never say so).
5. Make everyone’s lunches too (can’t let the family starve!).
6. Stick to my morning routine with militant precision no matter what (don’t want the earth tilting off its axis).
7. Grumble and gripe about not being a morning person (maybe someday I’ll get an opt-out of mornings).

Ok, silly exaggerations and sidebar comments aside, do any of these items resonate with you? How many are on your list just out of sheer habit without ever considering you might be able to make some changes for the better (and the earth, or your family, still wouldn’t tilt off its axis). Maybe it’s time for you to make a TO-DON’T list that will give a whole new perspective to your mornings, along with a brighter outlook and less stress. Let’s take a peek at what that might look like:

Tomorrow morning’s TO-DON’T list:

1. Set the alarm 20 minutes later and skip the snooze button game (you’ll continue to get actual sleep during the time you’d be reacting to alarms over and over).
2. Commit to doing something productive (brush teeth, shower, exercise, or eat breakfast) before even touching the phone to check for notifications (they waited all night – they’ll wait a bit longer).
3. Leave the social media scrolling til after the morning routine is done (i.e. during commute to work, during a work break, after the kids are off to school)
4. Make a simple, healthy breakfast for the family (or pull out overnight oats or pre-made egg “muffins” for everyone to enjoy).
5. Smile as the family packs their own lunches for the day (if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day…).
6. Be flexible to changes in the morning routine as needed to maintain peace and harmony (the dog will forgive being walked a bit later than usual).
7. Embrace a new positive attitude about mornings (when the family sees you dancing around the house, they’ll feel better too).

Change is never easy. And routines make change even harder! But a big part of achieving your ultimate health and wellness is about living with intention. Taking regular inventory of what you’re doing on a daily or weekly basis with an open mind and a focus on your well-being, can have major positive impacts on your physical and mental health. You’ll even find ways to be more productive, gain more energy, experience more joy, and generally enjoy life a bit more.

Take a moment to make your own to-don’t list for whatever part of your life is cluttered with a whole lot of routines you haven’t stepped back and examined in a while (or ever). And if you have other humans in your midst, be sure to share your new list with them along with why you want to make the changes since they’ll likely be impacted. Maybe they’ll get inspired to come up with their own list too!

What’s top on your to-don’t list? Share with us in the comments below so we can be inspired and consider adding it to our list too.