It is the start of a brand new year and this week many of us will be heading back to work after the holidays and parents will be back on the school run.

Mornings can be stressful, and I know if I haven’t prepared for the day ahead I end up feeling like I’m constantly playing catch up.

So here are my 8 steps to a stress free morning.

1. Prep the night before. If you have kids place everything they need for school at the front door ready to go. Make sure all clothes are ironed and lay out underwear and socks. I also prep breakfast in advance, my favourite being egg muffins. These can be stored in the fridge and heated in the microwave in the morning. Overnight oats are also a great breakfast which can be prepped the night before.

2. Set your alarm an extra 15 minutes early. Use this time to start the day with a probiotic, some water and to either look at your diary for the day or write down a quick to-do list.

3. Eat breakfast. I can’t stress this one enough. As I said above there are many breakfasts that can be prepped in advance. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

4. Set a timer. I have started using a timer when I shower on school run mornings. Not only will this save you money on your water bills it also means you can stick to your morning routine without the risk of running late. 7 minutes works for me.

5. Be organised. If you are using public transport be sure to check timetables in advance or if you are driving leave 5 minutes early to account for any potential traffic. I hate being late and this is a step which I use everyday. There’s nothing worse than turning up at the school dates late or having to call your boss to say you’re going to be late.

6. Separate bags. One great life hack is to have different bags for different things. So for my work days I have a bag which I keep my reusable coffee cup and water bottle in, a book for reading on my break and anything else which I may need for work. I only touch or use this book on work days.

I then have a bag which is for my day to day school run days. In here will just be essentials and usually a reusable shopping bag and snack of some sort incase I am doing a food shop or going to town. This means that I don’t have to keep switching items from one bag to the other.

7. Simple skincare routine. I keep my morning school run make-up routine simple. A good moisturiser, mascara and lip balm. If I have a meeting mid-morning then I’ll maybe add some eyeshadow.

8. Lastly and most importantly, get a good night’s sleep. I aim to be in bed for 10pm but I’m usually in bed long before this. I also track my sleep with either my Fit Bit or I test out various sleep apps.

I hope this helps you to start your day on a more positive level.