Morning and Evening Routines For Children with Autism to Adopt

When we look at our days as a whole, our mornings and evenings are often considered the easiest parts. We’re either waking up and preparing for the busy day ahead or collapsing into our sofas at the end of it. But of course, there’s always a better way to do anything.

Adopting healthy morning habits and routines like these can better prepare us for the day to come.

Try These Morning Routines

• Have a fixed waking time – Quality sleep is important, and this will set your internal clock and set you up for a better day ahead. Don’t hit that snooze button.
• Manage your time – Figure out how long it takes you to get up, make coffee, eat breakfast and get ready. Then set your wakeup time according to that. Things will feel timely and coordinated, which will keep your mind at ease. Avoid your phone – Instagram can wait. Your emails can wait. You need to wake up and focus on getting yourself mentally prepared for the day ahead.
• Drink water – Pour yourself a healthy glass of H2O. When you’re hydrated, you operate better, as it increases your level of alertness.
• Exercise – If you can, hit the gym before work. If time doesn’t allow that sort of luxury, either stretch, do some jumping jacks or go for a quick jog around the block. Get the muscles warm and the endorphins flowing.

And of course, there are healthy evening habits to adopt as well.

Try These Evening Routines

• Plan the next day – Jot down your to-do’s for tomorrow. Get them down on paper, so that when you wake up, you’ll know exactly what your day will look like.
• Cut the caffeine – That last cup of coffee could keep you awake longer than expected. Refrain from that late afternoon cuppa for a better night’s sleep.
• Set a bedtime – Yes, like a kid. Have a bedtime. This is a good way to ensure you get a proper night’s sleep, because you already have a wakeup time, right? Those 8 hours are important, so make sure you get them.
• Clean your living space – Wash those dishes and pick up your clothes! Don’t leave them til the morning. The last thing you want to wake up to is a dirty pan and a messy lounge.
• Avoid the screens – Turn them off. You don’t want an increase in brain activity right before your head hits the pillow. Perhaps leave the cleaning up for the last hour before bedtime. That way, you can turn off your screen, clean up your mess and get ready for bed.

Your morning and evening routines are just as important as your busy day. Make sure you incorporate some healthy habits like these into your routine. You’ll thank yourself later (or earlier).