Things Night Brittany Does to Help Morning Brittany

Morning Brittany is not an overachiever.

She is tired. She is slightly overstimulated before 6am. She has already been to the gym, needs to get out the door on time to get to work on time, and honestly, she’s just ready for it to be 9am and in the full swing of adulthood.

Night Brittany, however, is optimistic. Night Brittany believes in fresh starts and smooth mornings. And over time, she’s learned that even a few small things can make a huge difference in how the next day begins.

These are the things Night Brittany does to help Morning Brittany survive.

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I set out my workout clothes

If I have to find socks, leggings, a sports bra, and a sweatshirt at 4:45am, it’s not happening. But if it’s already sitting there waiting for me, it feels easier. It removes the decision. It removes the excuse. Morning Brittany just has to put them on.

Not to mention, it means I might be able to sneak out of bed without waking my husband, who may or may not have gotten a good night’s sleep at work the night before.

I set out my work clothes

This saves more mental energy than you’d think. No digging through hangers. No trying things on. No standing there wondering why nothing feels right. Just grab, get dressed, and move on.

It helps that I have a self-appointed “work uniform,” but that’s a post for a different time.

I always run the dishwasher

Always. Even if it’s not completely full.

Because if I don’t, the next night it will be overflowing. There will be cups on the counter, plates in the sink, and suddenly the kitchen feels chaotic before dinner even starts.

Waking up and being able to empty the dishwasher feels like a clean slate.

I pack lunches

My lunch and Walter’s lunch get packed the night before. His is fully ready — it just needs the ice pack added in the morning.

It’s one less thing to do when time somehow moves twice as fast between 6:30 and 7:15am.

I get all the bags ready

Work bag. School bag. Everything goes on the dining room table.

Walter’s water bottle gets filled and put in his bag. Not on the counter. Not in the sink. In the bag. Because Morning Brittany will not remember.

Night Brittany knows this about her.

I move 80% of the furniture/rugs if I’m going to run the vacuum & mop the next day

Chairs, up. Ottomans, up.

We do have cleaners that come every other week, but on the off weeks I like to run the robot vacuum and mop. I’ve realized that this is a LOT easier to do if all I have to do is pick up a few things, versus everything.

Morning Brittany has really appreciated this thought process the last few weeks!

What I’ve learned

None of these things take very long. Ten or fifteen minutes, maybe. And honestly, it’s the perfect thing to do while listening to an audiobook while Paul is showering.

They don’t take much time, but they change the tone of the entire next day.

Mornings feel calmer. Less rushed. Less reactive.

It’s not about being productive. It’s about being kind to myself. It’s about making life a little easier for the version of me who hasn’t had enough caffeine yet.

Night Brittany and Morning Brittany are very different people.

But they make a pretty good team.