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The 3-Minute Morning Hack That Keeps Me From Screaming Into a Pillow

by Kane Ong

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Moms, I hate mornings.

Like, truly. I have a beef with mornings.

They come in hot and aggressive, every single day, without consent or warning.

One minute you’re dreaming of dancing with mermaids in a sun-drenched lagoon, the next you’re being slapped awake by a tiny human who’s demanding a very specific kind of toast cut the wrong way at your own peril.

Can we just be honest with each other for a second?

Mornings are HARD.

Especially when you’re the one responsible for everyone’s mood, shoes, hydration, and breakfast preferences before your own eyes have even adjusted to the light.

I used to start most mornings in a blur of frustration, silently screaming into my coffee mug (or let’s be real, sometimes the pillow).

And that mom-guilt would sneak in before 8 a.m. — “Why can’t I be more patient? More prepared? More… Pinterest-y?”

But here’s the truth I had to learn the hard way:
I don’t need to fix my mornings. I just need to anchor them.

And that’s where my weird little 3-minute hack comes in.

It’s not fancy. It doesn’t require a sunrise yoga flow or brewing organic matcha while whispering affirmations into the wind.

It’s just three minutes to stop the chaos before it swallows me whole.


Minute 1: Sit + Breathe (Stillness)

I sit up in bed — eyes still crusty, hair resembling a bird’s nest — and take five deep breaths.

No one is allowed to talk to me until I do this. (Okay, they try not to talk to me.)

Minute Two: Senses Check

I mentally check in with my five senses:

  • What do I see? (Sunlight on the wall, a sock monster on the floor)
  • What do I hear? (Birds. Or my daughter arguing with her stuffed animals)
  • What do I feel? (Soft blanket, cool floor under my feet)
  • What do I smell? (Coffee. Always coffee.)
  • What do I taste? (Sometimes toothpaste. Sometimes leftover crackers from bedtime.)

This little grounding ritual snaps me into the moment not the fantasy of what I wish mornings looked like, but the real, messy magic of right now.

Minute Three: Mantra Magic

I whisper a tiny intention to myself. Something like:

  • “I’m allowed to be a work in progress.”
  • “We’re going to be okay — even if the banana breaks.”
  • “Let it be messy. Let it be enough.”


That’s it. Three minutes. No perfection, no pressure, just a lifeline before the morning tsunami hits.

So if you’re like me — allergic to mornings, chronically overwhelmed, and deeply in love with your kid but also kinda want to hide from them before 7 a.m. — I see you. I am you.

Let’s stop pretending we’re crushing it before coffee.

Let’s meet the morning with a breath, a little grace, and maybe a toast cut the right way this time.

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