How I'm Creating Calmer Mornings This School Year
The Morning That Made Me Realize Something Had to Change
Picture this: It's 7:45am. Someone can't find their backpack. The permission slip I forgot to sign is crumpled on the counter. Breakfast? A granola bar eaten in the car. Again.
Our mornings last school year were chaotic — and I know I'm not alone in this.
As back-to-school season approaches (can you believe it's almost here?), I keep thinking about this quote from Aristotle:
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
If we are what we repeatedly do, then last year we were... scattered, stressed, and always running behind.
This year, I'm determined to be different.
My 2-Minute Morning Routine That's Changing Everything
Instead of overhauling our entire routine (been there, failed that), I started with one small personal habit that takes exactly two minutes, plus one family habit we do the night before.
My morning routine (before I check my phone):
Drink a full glass of water
Take 3 slow, intentional breaths
Say one sentence of gratitude out loud
Our family habit (every evening):
Get everything ready the night before — backpacks packed, clothes laid out, permission slips signed
That's it. My two-minute personal routine to ground myself, plus one simple family habit that eliminates some of the morning scrambling.
And here's what I've noticed: When I start from this calmer place, I respond to the inevitable morning surprises with more patience. The forgotten lunch money doesn't send me into panic mode. The missing shoe becomes a problem we solve together, not a crisis.
Three Ways to Adapt These Habits for Your Family
Since we all have different needs, here are a few other ideas to help start your morning off a little calmer.
For Early Risers: Add 30 seconds of stretching to your personal morning routine to wake up your body along with your mind.
For Families with Toddlers: Do your routine while your coffee brews — they can join in with their own "grateful sentence." For night prep, make it a game: "toy hunt" to find tomorrow's special toy.
For Teens in the House: Model your morning routine consistently. They're watching, even when they pretend they're not. And involve them in choosing what "ready the night before" looks like for their schedule.
Struggling with more than just mornings? Let's chat about creating sustainable rhythms that work for your whole family. One of the things I specialize in is guiding moms to build practical habits that actually stick.
Why Small Habits Create Big Changes
One of my coaching clients, Sue, recently told me: "I still can't believe that just sticking with one tiny habit completely transformed how I start my mornings. Don't get me wrong—there are still chaotic moments, but now I can handle them so much better."
This is exactly the kind of gentle, doable shift I help moms create in my 1:1 coaching work. No pressure. No rigid systems that fall apart when life happens. Just sustainable rhythms that support how you actually live.
Ready to Transform Your Mornings?
If you're craving calmer starts to your days as the school year approaches, I'd love to support you. I have just a few coaching spots available this month, and we can start wherever you'd like to create a small shift in your life. It can be auditing your current morning routine, creating evening wind-down habits, or finding small pockets of calm throughout your day.
Or if you're ready to dive deeper, schedule a free 15-minute First Steps Discovery call where we'll explore what shifts you're looking to create and see if working together feels like a good fit.
Happy back-to-school!
Ashley M Ghose Coaching: Guiding Busy, Working Moms to Clarity, Purpose, and Calm
