Are you looking for ways to simplify your life, to feel like you’ve achieved what you wanted in a day, be more relaxed and still have energy to spend quality time with your kids? Read on as I share with you what works well for me (well, for the most part, it’s all a work in progress…)
I used to be so organised before having kids. The house was always spotless, I was always on time and I didn’t miss one yoga class. Now with two young children, the house is a complete mess, I struggle to make it to a Doctor’s appointment and yoga classes?… It’s been so long since I’ve been to one, I don’t even think I can still do the downward facing dog without needing someone to help me get out of the pose!
It recently occurred to me that in order to calm down the stress-head I’d become and be a happier mama, I had to somehow make my life simpler. Even if simplifying doesn’t mean that everything is easier, it certainly makes life less complicated. The key is to revisit priorities and remove unnecessary tasks from our daily routine.
Here are 6 ways to simplify your life starting today.
Plan Ahead
Cook your meals ahead of time and freeze them. Plan meals for the week before you go grocery shopping. If you do one big shop for the week it will save you from having to go back again and again. Stock up on non-perishables and essential items such as toilet paper, tissues, pasta, rice, sauces and preserves. You may also want to buy extra school supplies to quickly replace them when they get lost.
Other things you can plan ahead are Christmas presents. This will spare you the stress of last minute shopping in an over-crowded shopping mall. Plus, you avoid the risk of not finding that limited edition Frozen castle set your daughter wants more than anything else in the world, because it’s sold out everywhere. Then, you need to find a really really good hiding place the kids don’t know about. Make sure you remember where that really really good hiding place is when comes Christmas!
Declutter
Whether it’s rearranging cupboards, filing documents, activities, friendships, hours spent in front of the TV or getting rid of toys your kids don’t play with anymore, a good clean up helps see more clearly. Now the challenge is to keep it that way! To avoid having to do it all again every month, try not to pick up things just because they’re on sale, free, or because someone is giving them to you.
Don’t let Those Chores Get the Better of You!
Don’t delay doing chores and other tasks such as doing laundry, folding clothes (I know that’s a hard one, especially when you have little people throwing everything on the floor right when you’re about to put it away!), opening mail or paying bills. If you deal with this quickly you will spend less time doing one or two tasks as they come rather than spending a long time doing it all at once. You may also save money by avoiding fees for late payments.
Delegate Delegate Delegate
Ask for help and learn to delegate. Whether it’s your spouse, your children, your parents or housekeeper, trust them and delegate! Children from 4 to 5 years are able to give you a hand too! If you need a night-off from cooking, why not find an affordable caterer who does pre-prepared meals and go see him once a week.
Avoid Complicating Everything
This may sound silly but you have to admit that we tend to complicate everything we do (well, I know I do!). Whether it’s driving to our gym located at the other end of town or agreeing to bake a cake for a party when we had a hectic week. We are always eager to please people but the reality is that we need to learn to say NO sometimes, it’s OK do so.
Switch Off and Learn To Do Nothing
I know it can be hard to completely “switch off” when we have young children at home but allowing yourself to take mini breaks during the day will help you relax and give you the focus you need to proceed with your day. Turn off your mobile phone, go outside for some fresh air, read a magazine while having a cup of tea, close your eyes, take deep breaths, stretch and think about something that makes you happy. Learn to do nothing! Then find what you really like and do it! Take time to enjoy the little things in life.
What do you do to make life simpler for yourself? Please share below!