Do you ever have trouble coping with stress early in the morning? Many people do. I’m extremely lucky. I’m a morning person. I’ve never used an alarm clock and I’ve never had an urge to spend an extra half hour in bed – even when it’s very cold. I feel wide awake and can tackle anything immediately I wake up.

Now I know not everyone is like that – far from it. Plenty of people can hardly cope first thing in the morning until they have drowned a couple of cups of coffee and then they struggle to cope with the early morning rush which is a common feature of so many people’s lives.

People have different responsibilities so their mornings can vary, but whether it be kids – homework, packed lunches, sporting equipment..., family pets, a variety of duties associated with being a carer, housework, thinking about shopping, a meal for the evening, last minute work ...the school run, a long journey to work .... there are any number of things that can cause stress. Some of the things mentioned here may resonate with you, but you may have any number of different examples.

So what can you do to cope with stress first thing in the morning? By adopting a few sensible time management strategies you can make life easier on yourself. Adapt any of the suggestions below to suit your circumstances.

1. Fill up your car on the way home – If you’re a driver it makes sense to fill up your car on the way home rather than panicking in the morning about whether you have enough fuel in the car.

2. Prepare the night before – Spending 30 minutes or so making sure that you are ready for the next day will help to ease some of the stress of the morning. Always select clothes for the next day, including shoes and accessories, pack any bags so that you can pick up and go, tidy up if necessary, leave breakfast crockery out and ready, select contents of any packed lunches. Obviously it depends on the size of the family how long this might take, but if you get into the routine of doing it, it shouldn’t take that long. Encourage family members to do the same.

3. Don’t burn the midnight oil: If you’re working very late you will struggle in the morning. Be realistic about the amount of sleep you need. Shortness of sleep will make you more irritable and sluggish in the mornings. Burning the midnight oil on a consistent basis will harm your health.

4. Wake up 30 minutes earlier: Yes I know that can sound a grim prospect if you’re not a morning person, but it’s good to have that time of the beginning of the day to yourself. You could use it to do some relaxation exercises, mediation, read a book, enjoy the first drink of the day undisturbed. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you spending the time in being calm, rather than rushing around at the last minute.

5. Write a manageable to do list. I like to have a simple to do list that has a maximum of three things on it. Now this may sound unrealistic to you, but those are the things that I know I absolutely must complete on that day. I have a much longer list that has all sorts of other things that I know need doing and I always take the three most important things off that list as my daily to do tasks. Find something that works for you – but be realistic about the time you have available.

6. Drink water first thing in the morning: It’s really important that you to keep hydrated as it aids concentration and helps you to stay energised. Starting the day with water is a good option.

7. Walk part or all the way to work: That may sound stressful if you’re in a frantic hurry first thing in the morning, but walking will not only give you some exercise, it can also be relaxing to have some thinking time. Don’t worry about the day to come, just try and enjoy what’s going on around you.

Summary

These are just a few suggestions of strategies that you could try to minimise morning stress. Of course there are others. The important thing is that you take action. Although a certain amount of stress is normal, there is no point in adding stress to your life by failing to implement some simple actions which could improve the situation.