Personally, when I am overwhelmed and stressing out its usually over little things that are only affecting me because I haven’t prioritised a bunch of them and now I have this big problem on my hands like… “no food in the house and a baby still asleep but I have to get the kids from school in 20 and I have no time to go shopping because we have sports tonight and dinners not done, oh and the house looks like shit”
Step 1: Accept you need a better way of doing things.
Step 2: Introduce new way..
I love learning different ideas to simplify to my family and mum life. Like exercise, consistency is key with these hacks, but once your in a rhythm you will notice the magic of organisation.
1. Online shopping
The shops were & are an absolute pet hate with children – so many bags so much crap to carry, baby not stoked to be there = nightmare
Write down your 5 favourite family dinners, once you have those, pick some really simple and easy snacks, fruit is so nourishing and filling, particularly for the breastfeeding mamas, greek yoghurt, or ingredients for smoothies, whatever the list includes, grab your laptop and online shop for your groceries. Have them delivered, and now you can even select to have them delivered to your bench top. My biggest problem with doing this was being time poor – but you need to make time. It takes no more then 30 minutes and once you get in the swing of it much faster. If your like me and a lover of structure and routines, writing out a weekly meal plan including snacks for the adults and the kids & having these foods prepped makes life so much easier.
Opt for a fruit and vegetable delivery service as not only are most of the products cheaper, they will be tastier and last longer then a few days that your average woolies avocado seems to last. Having healthy, nutritious snacks and meals available in your fridge will set you up for more energy – better sleep quality and support you to FEEL better. Its a win win.
Jump onto fresh frozen meal options too, they are unreal to have in the freezer for the lunchtimes you forget about and its 10 minutes until school pickup and your starving. If you don’t nourish yourself, most of us end of bingeing on junk or simply over consuming at dinner. Think ahead for these moments.. and have options available.
2. Plan ahead & invest in yourself. This one is for expecting mums or new mums
Buy a new pair of comfortable beautiful pyjamas, for after bubs arrives. Do not underestimate the value of a soft, feminine pyjamas to wear to bed after a long day of vomit, poo and crying.
Schedule in some beauty appointments
Book a massage & facial at a time when your partner or someone close to you can be there for baby for an hour or two, or book into your hair salon for a fresh blow dry to allow yourself. (Personally I booked this in every odd Friday, it took no more then half an hour and I started my weekend feeling fresh again and with a little more love for myself amid the chaos of a newborn) or go on the hunt for a mobile beauty service…
I found a unreal business Ivarli Beauty (Newcastle based) Brodie has been giving me at home facials, waxing and tans for over a year now, and it has been a game changer for mum life. Instagram @ivarlibeauty
Buy yourself some air pods. (Or headphones without the chords)
I know how hard it is feeding for what seems like a decade in the middle of the night in silence. With your air pods you can move around, have the volume down and tune out watching netflix on your phone, or listening to a podcast. I even enjoy a little guided meditation as my son finishes his bottle and drifts back to sleep.
Note: AS much I loved looking at my beautiful boy breastfeeding as a new mother, honestly speaking.. that long gazing stare lasted a few minutes before I was bored as bat shit sitting in silence in the dark for the next hour.
3. Delegating/ Outsourcing
If cleaning your home is becoming so overwhelming it is affecting your stress and taking your weekends away – get a cleaner.
They are usually $30 an hour, or less, and just once a month, or fortnight, seek support, delegate those tasks that have been eating away at you. The cost far outweighs the stress I know the never ending to do list can cause.
Worried it won’t fit into the budget?
Think of it like this, how much did you spend on average on a night out each month prior to being a mum? Hair, make up done? Perhaps new shoes or clutch? Nails? New outfit? How many cocktails really did you have? My point is, if its important enough to you, we will prioritise it. And having minimal stress in our lives and spending time with our family instead of freaking out that you haven’t done the floors this week is a priority. Any task or area in your life you have difficulty accomplishing, or feel overwhelmed by it is so beneficial to simply delegate. Another option is reaching out to a loved one like a parent or sibling..
Eg: My mum has my son of a Monday morning for me to get the things down I simply find impossible with him. She loves spending Monday mornings with him, and I love getting organised. Win!
4. Setting a timer for your To Do List
Whenever I have a long list of chores to get done, I set myself a timer put my earphones in and put on a new podcast or some music and I get in and get it done.
I found when I don’t do this, my chores could take me all day to “get to” my mind goes from starting one task to finishing the other, i check my phone 5 times, make something to eat and basically procrastinate throughout the day and it takes a lot longer to get done.
- Write a list of my chores
- Set my timer (anywhere from 10-40 minutes)
- Put my phone on top of the fridge (out of sight)
- I will get stuck in a get the jobs done in a short amount of time.
5. Washing baskets.. they are good for more then washing 😉
When doing your quick tidy up, grab a washing basket and start with everything that doesn’t belong. Ie all the crap your kids bring into the lounge room from their bedrooms, then as the day goes on slowly when you walk past the basket deliver the items back to their rightful room. It tidies up those main areas so much quicker, and the little deliveries back to the rooms through the day don’t feel so overwhelming! Bathtime, baby and a washing basket Another handy washing basket trick i have used is putting my son in the basket (once he was able to sit up,) and in the bath. I put all his toys in the basket with him and it stopped him slipping and sliding, I was also able to knock over a task like folding the washing while he plays in the bath next to him.
I hope one of these hacks make your day a little less chaotic!
