As many of you know, I’m always on the lookout for ways to make life easier for myself; however, self-care is often something that I struggle to fit into my chaotic lifestyle. Looking after kids is chaotic, but when you throw a child with ADHD into the mix, it really does ramp it up a notch, especially on a homeschool day during the lockdown. Time for self-improvement and mindfulness is at the bottom of the list. While on holiday recently, I read the miracle morning by Hal Elrod, and his advice was to take some time during the morning to read and improve. So I decided to set up a morning basket to help me find a few minutes in the day to recharge, regroup and reset.
What is a morning basket?
It’s simply a book basket that you can grab each morning to help you practice self-care. Sometimes if I’ve had a particularly chaotic morning (most mornings), I might reach for my basket at 9 pm, and that’s ok! You can use your morning basket time whenever suits your busy schedule. It doesn’t always have to be in the morning.
You can use any basket you have to hand, like this pretty one, or this wipe-clean one, whichever suits you. If you are commuting or working in an office, you could use one of these portable offices in a bag that you can carry around. It’s up to you!
How to use a morning basket
Ideally, 60 minutes a day is what Hal suggests we take each morning to recharge. In his book The Miracle Morning, he suggests that we:
- Meditate or sit in silence
- Write a gratitude journal
- Read
- Say daily affirmations
An hour you say! Who has an hour in the mornings to sit and do nothing but self-care? Not us busy mums, that’s for sure. He suggests getting up an hour earlier each day to practice self-care before the rest of the family gets up, which is an excellent solution for anyone without small kids!
I suggest you fit it in wherever you can and only dedicate as much time to it as you can. Five minutes of deep breathing or doing a crossword is better than nothing, and if you only do that every day, you’ve given yourself 35 minutes a week of self-care that you wouldn’t have done otherwise! If you can only use your morning basket during breakfast while the kids are eating, then that’s ok too, do whatever works for you.
Morning basket ideas
So what goes in a morning basket? Morning baskets will differ from person to person, so here are a few ideas you could put into your “me time” basket.
- Self-help books
- Novel
- Nature book
- Cookery book
- Gratitude Journal
- Angel cards
- Crystals
- Religious studies
- Foreign language book
- Coloring book
- Coloring pens
- Earphones
- Podcast
- Audiobook
- Affirmation cards
- Hand cream
- Puzzle book
- Planner
- Reading glasses
Self-help books. I like to continually self-improve, so this could be anything about parenting, learning how to code, productivity books, or anything that interests you.
Novel. At the moment, I’m reading The Serial Killers Wife by Alice Hunter
Nature book. A book about birds, plants, gardening, nature study, or anything else that piques your interest.
Cookery book. If you like recipes, this is a great way to top up your meal planning skills!
Gratitude journal. Writing in a gratitude journal like this one, helps you reflect on your week. A few lines at a time can help create a pocket of mindfulness during your day. It’s good to remind ourselves of everything we have to be grateful for, especially when going through hell!
Angel cards. I don’t use these every day, but I take comfort from their words of wisdom if I have a problem. These are the cards I use when I’m searching for some guidance.
Crystals. I like holding a crystal while doing some deep breathing exercises to help me stay calm and regroup. Crystals like these are often used for protection or healing. Remember to charge them before you use them for the first time. You can find out how in this post.
Foreign language book. Ten minutes a day is better than nothing if you want to learn a new language!
Coloring book. Coloring is another way to practice mindfulness and add some time for self-care into your day.
Airpods. I’ve included these because sometimes I feel like I’d rather listen to an audiobook than read, particularly if I’m exhausted. There are many free podcasts to listen to, like The Archers podcast, which is my favorite and only 12 minutes long!
Affirmation cards. I love to pick out an affirmation card from this pretty pack each morning to read aloud. I keep it displayed on my desk or carry it in my pocket and often revisit it during the day to remind myself of everything I have to be grateful for.
Hand cream. Using the morning basket is the only time I remember to put on my hand cream. I love to use any of the luxurious treats I receive as gifts. I sometimes apply my favorite foot lotion if I feel like having a 60-second mini-spa!
Puzzle book. If you like puzzles, then this is the one for you. Sudoku, crossword, word search, or anagrams are perfect for flowing those creative juices.
Planner. A daily planner can help you focus on your day ahead, plan meals, write a shopping list and a to-do list. Remember that a to-do list should be short and clear, a way to organize your thoughts, and not to over-schedule your day with tasks you’ll never do. Over-scheduling will only demotivate you.
Reading glasses because no one wants to be stuck without them when there’s a book to read!
What do I keep in my morning basket?
Sometimes I change it up a bit depending on how crazy life is, but these are the items I always have in my good morning basket:
- Angel cards
- Crystals
- Gratitude journal
- Non-fiction/self-help book
- Fiction book
- Reading glasses
- Airpods/earphones
- Affirmation cards
- Hand cream
- Foot lotion
Using a morning basket helps me create a small window of tranquility in a whirlwind of family chaos, and it helps me recharge my batteries for the day ahead.
What would you put in your morning time basket? Let us know in the comments!
Why not set up a homeschool morning basket for your children to use together? Here are some homeschool morning basket ideas for kids of all ages to help get your homeschooling morning off to a good start.
- A read-aloud book
- Music book
- How to tell the time practice
- ABC ordering sheet
- Picture books
- Artbook /coloring pages
- Religious study book
- How to tie laces practice
- Memory Work cards
- Meditation Time activities
- Audio stories
- History
- Human Anatomy
- Geography
- Health
- Music composer study
- Language flashcards
- Sewing cards
- Activity cards
- Mindfulness activities
- Maths flash cards
- Number writing practice worksheets
- Puzzles books and brain teasers
- Board games like Snakes and Ladders
- Phonics matching
- Phonics games
- Spelling practice sheets
- English literature resources
Grab your wellness / self-care planner here!
