Mornings Were a Mess: How I Went from Chaos to Calm (Without Waking at 5am)
There was a time when every single morning felt like a test I hadn’t revised for.
I’d open my eyes to the sound of my toddler yelling for milk, the clatter of school shoes being searched for, and my brain already five steps behind. I’d spring out of bed in a panic, barking out instructions while mentally trying to remember if the kids had packed their PE kits, if I’d printed my coursework, and whether there was enough bread left for toast.
I didn’t walk through my mornings — I raced through them. And most of the time, I lost.
No matter how early I tried to wake up, I felt like I was already behind. Some days, I’d stand in the kitchen, baby on hip, staring at the cereal box like it held the answers to life. Other days, I’d forget to eat entirely — only to crash by 11 a.m. with a headache and a short fuse.
I envied people who had peaceful mornings. Who lit candles, drank hot coffee, and journaled about their goals. I couldn’t even find matching socks.
The Hidden Cost of a Chaotic Morning
What I didn’t realise back then was that chaotic mornings weren’t just about disorganisation — they were a symptom of something deeper.
I was doing everything in real-time: decision-making, problem-solving, planning, parenting. No buffers. No margin for error.
And because my mornings started off messy, the rest of the day followed suit. I’d forget important emails, miss appointments, snap at people I loved, and constantly feel like I was playing catch-up with my own life.
I started believing I just wasn’t a “morning person” — that this was just the way my life had to be.
Until one day, I broke down while buttering toast.
Literally.
The knife slipped, the butter fell on the floor, and I just stood there crying while the baby tugged at my leg and the kettle screamed behind me.
That was the moment I realised this wasn’t about mornings. It was about how much I was carrying — and the fact that I had no real system to lighten the load.
The Shift: One Tiny Change That Rewrote My Mornings
I didn’t have the luxury of waking up at 5 AM for yoga and lemon water.
But what I did have was a few quiet minutes in the evening — after the kids were down and my mind hadn’t completely clocked out — to do something that changed everything:
I started prepping the night before.
Not just lunches and clothes, but decisions.
I made a checklist:
- What’s happening tomorrow?
- What’s for breakfast?
- What will I wear?
- What’s my ONE non-negotiable task for the day?
This took 10 minutes. Sometimes less. But it created space in the morning — mental space. I didn’t have to figure it all out while half-asleep with a crying baby. The decisions were already made.
And little by little, the chaos began to settle.
I Didn’t Become a Morning Person — I Became a Prepared Person
I no longer expect my mornings to be perfect.
Sometimes, someone still spills juice on their shirt. Sometimes the toddler still wakes up early and demands everything at once. But now I have a buffer. I have room to respond, not just react.
I’ve stopped aiming for calm mornings that look good on Instagram and started creating mornings that feel grounded and doable for me.
Because truthfully? The morning you want doesn’t start in the morning. It starts the night before, with intention.
✅ Ready to Take Action?
Download my free tool:
📄 “Morning Stress Tracker: Find Your Triggers & Build a Routine That Works (Even If You’re Not a 5 am Girl)”
Inside this FREE guide:
- A simple morning stress log to track the chaos and identify patterns
- A printable “Before Bed Mini Checklist” to reduce morning overwhelm
- A fill-in-the-blank template to design your realistic morning plan — not a fantasy routine
- Bonus: My go-to 10-minute prep strategy when I only have energy for the bare minimum
👉 Perfect for multitasking women and anyone who wants their mornings to feel less like a battlefield and more like a fresh start.
“Peaceful mornings aren’t born from perfection — they’re built with intention, one small decision at a time.”
The Balanced Wealth Studio
