The Nightly Tidy that makes mornings calmer

This has become a daily non-negotiable, spending 15-20 minutes tidying up the main living spaces every night, especially the kitchen.  It truly makes my life calmer and cuts down on the morning hustle chaos.   

The One Minute Rule

The one minute rule is a great tool, if it takes less than one minute to do something then do it now and don’t put it off.   

I do this nightly tidy before the start of our bedtime routines, that time may be different for everyone but for me it is between 7:30-8pm.  I like to set a timer on the Alexa, or put in headphones and listen to a book, a podcast or play YouTube (usually a clean or declutter with me video) as I tidy.  These tasks are what I focus on:

• Load all the dishes and start the dishwasher

• Clean and wipe down counters and kitchen table 

• Put away any laundry (the basket is usually in the middle of the living room)

• Return shoes to bins/closets, and get everything off of the floor 
  

Get your family involved, when I am feeling super overwhelmed to start this task I say out loud to my husband and kids “okay everyone, time to do a 5 minute tidy. Kids, please pick up anything you see on the floor.”  It's amazing how much this helps and you can make a game out of it or reward it with a treat.

Do something today that your tomorrow self will thank you for.