Breakfast rituals

A large part of keeping your home organised is based on consistency in your daily routine. I’m certainly not saying that you have to turn into a robot doing everything the same way, every day. But to be fair, it’s likely that you are already doing that. I invite you to look closely how you start your day and you’ll probably find that 90% of what you do follows a very specific pattern already.

One of the best things that help promote an uncluttered and healthy home is a good morning routine: if you don’t start properly and with a sense of calm, how will you be able to keep the rest of the day drama-free?

Quite besides forming a structure for the maintenance of your home, it will be a boost to family interactions and communication. The simple fact that everyone is sitting around the breakfast table, having a meal together and passing information about what is going to happen during the day for each of you will create a series of common touch points that repeat each day. Planning your day at this point can be helpful to make it flow without too many obstacles and unexpected chores and appointments.

Of course, there will be exceptions: not everyone will always be able to join, a parent leaving early for work or staggered school hours will throw a spanner in the works. However, there must be a way to ensure that even a part of the family will usually be able to meet and ensure that the general idea can take root. It’s a time for reflection, taking care and getting rid of upset and bad humours, there is a chance to erase any bad feelings left over from the previous day… and all of those could be considered quality time for the family and a good start of a productive day.

After breakfast, part of the ritual should include clearing the table, doing the dishes and putting things away – a perfect way to collaborate, but also to instil that sense of clearing up after yourself in ALL members of the family. Let’s face it: we all are guilty of leaving stuff sitting where it doesn’t belong! “I’ll clean that up tomorrow morning.” “It’s not enough to even get started.” “I couldn’t be bothered right now.” These are common statements, and all of them lead to one thing: clutter. It’s low level all right, but that won’t be the case for long. Once clutter gets given a foothold, it will multiply. Always. Therefore, take care of the small things right away.

All of us can end up being stressed by the simple act of getting up and getting ready for the day, so why not make an effort to turn this into a useful time that incorporates interactions with the family, giving yourself time to plan ahead and avoid losing time throughout the day because you have to backtrack and catch up all the time? There is a point to be made to get up just a little earlier, stop hitting that snooze button and make use of this extra time to start the day in a positive way.

If you have enjoyed reading this, you may find these other articles interesting:

• Home office rituals
• Nurturing a mindset that focuses on yourself
• Decluttering is a state of mind