Having four kids, homeschooling them part time, and running my own business has helped me figure out some tricks to make my life run more smoothly. Here are 13 little changes and habits for smoother days:
- Be grateful the moment you wake up. Every morning I make it a point to have my first thought be a positive one. Being grateful starts your day in a peaceful and positive way.
- Leave 10 minutes early for everything. Running late is a huge stressor. Leaving 10 minutes before I actually need to leave gives me a cushion if anything unexpected happens. In turn, I avoid a lot of rushing and unnecessary stress.
- Surround yourself with things you find beautiful. Do not worry about what’s cool, popular, or what other people are doing. Decorate your home with things you and your family like. Make your home a cozy place where your family feels happy and peaceful.
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- Keep your home tidy with a priority system to help life feel less chaotic. Throughout the day, I do a quick “stuff pick up,” so things never get too out of control. I prioritize which rooms I see most. I always pickup in my living room and dining room first, and if I get those in order I move on to my kitchen, then my bedroom, and so on. This means my house looks tidy, unless you open a closet, a drawer, or see my laundry room. If I have time, I clean those more hidden spaces, too. But they are seen the least so I care about them the least. This way my house looks good, for the most part, even when life is full.
- Let kids help. Teach your kids age-appropriate things to cook and clean and let them do it. Even little kids can use a spray bottle of water to “clean,” and they can practice putting butter on a piece of bread. For a while, their “help” will actually be more work than you doing it yourself, but eventually their help, helps. This is also so important for your child’s confidence and development of life skills.
- Make a house cleaning schedule. I’m not good at this one yet, but I have found it helps my time management and my sanity if I have a rotating house deep cleaning schedule. For example:
• Mondays: living room
• Tuesdays: kitchen
• Wednesdays: bathrooms
• Thursdays: bedrooms
• Fridays: laundry
• Saturdays: yard work - Plan meals beforehand. I’m not good at this yet either, but I’ve learned the hard way. When my husband and I wait until the end of the day to decide what to cook for supper, we always wind up making the same things. If you make a meal plan before your week begins, you can make sure you have the right foods on hand and better ensure you feed your family on your budget and in a well-rounded way.
- Keep your phone on silent. Having my phone on silent keeps my home and life more calm and peaceful. I do often wear an Apple Watch. I have it set to vibrate, so I can discreetly see who’s calling in case I need to answer a call.
- Walk 30 minutes. Even if you walk slowly, it is beneficial. Walking is a great stress reliever, and if you walk with your family, it can provide wonderful quality time together. In this season, I enjoy walking on a treadmill in my garage because I don’t have to talk to anyone or think about what’s going on around me.
- Stop eating after supper. This has helped me keep my weight balanced, but it has also helped me sleep a lot better at night. Now that I’ve broken my habit of eating in the few hours before bed (which took me a good few months), I can enjoy evenings instead of worrying about what I should/shouldn’t eat.
- Write your next day’s schedule on a white board the night before. I’ve found writing my schedule on a white board the night before helps me stay on track. I display it in my kitchen so my kids can also track what’s happening.
- Write the three things you need to get done tomorrow. Pick the most important things you really need/want to get done the next day and write them down. You can also have a running list of to-dos, but honing in on the most important three can help you prioritize what to focus on first.
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- Go to bed peacefully. Figure out what you need for your heart and mind to be peaceful when it’s time for sleep. Pray, journal, forgive, make a call. Its makes your sleep better to let go of anger and fear before bed.
What are your daily habits for smoother days?
