You might be feeling a little overwhelmed, stretched thin, or at the very least, discontent. You are probably craving some order, calm and simplicity, a slower pace. I am with you friend!
My blog exists to help working moms achieve calming the everyday overwhelm by simply living.
There are many changes you can make towards simply living:
You can make BIG changes like overhaul your budget, get rid of the majority of your stuff, move to a smaller house or change jobs. There are also many ways to make SMALL changes towards simply living. Start using a planner, create routines, declutter one area at a time, set goals, meal plan and take time for self care just to name a few.
I have been intentionally working on my life being simplified, more content and mindful for my family and me. I can tell you that it is work, but so totally worth it.
- Decluttering:
When most people thing about decluttering the first thing that comes to mind is getting rid of stuff inside their homes. While this is one of the biggest areas for decluttering, there area many areas just as important. We need to declutter our homes to have less stuff taking up space, time and money. We also need to understand the importance of decluttering our digital space, our calendars, and most importantly our minds.
The more “stuff” we have in our homes the more time we spend cleaning and organizing it. With concentrating on not being obsessed with having “stuff” just to fill a space we, we in turn save money by not buying unnecessary stuff. Decluttering our digital space frees up valuable storage on our devices and frees up our time. We all know time is valuable. Which leads to declutter of our calendars, learning to not overbook ourselves with events and activities can be hard at first. Once we have decluttered our calendars we free up time to declutter our minds through self care.
- Routines:
My Family is the most important thing in the world to me. Being a good mom and wife has always been my top priority. The overwhelm of the everyday chaos can make your head spin with trying to do “all the things”. Working full time, taking care of the kids, house and my marriage wouldn’t be possible without the implementation of routines to my everyday.
My most important routine is my bedtime routine, this sets me up to have a successful day the following day. Other routines that are important to me is having a laundry routine, a morning routine, a daily cleaning and weekly cleaning routines to name a few. Not only are routines important, it is imperative that they be simple routines. If the routines are overcomplicated then what’s the sense? Our main goal is for simply living, not navigating complex routines.
- Meal Planning:
Just the thought of trying to figure out what to feed your family EVERYDAY for the rest of your lives can be very exhausting. The most requested meal in my house is “I don’t know” can you relate? I can ask every family member and get the same exact answer from every.single.one.of.them. Go figure!
With having a meal plan, getting dinner on the table is not so much of a chore. What a sanity saver. Not only does having a meal plan make dinner easier, it saves money. By having on hand all the ingredients for each planned meal saves money by not having to make a quick trip to the store for something to complete a meal. Let’s face it how often do we go in for one item and walk out with having spent $50? We also save money by not having to make the impromptu trip for a fast food meal we all are guilty of when we don’t have a plan. Meal planning is a life saver when we keep it simple and only with meals we know our families love. Quick easy weeknight meals are my favorite time savers.
- Planner/Budget:
You’ve probably heard the saying “When you fail to plan, plan to fail”. This is so true in so many areas of our lives. Our time and money are two of the biggest areas we fail to plan for. By making simple, conscious decisions with what to do with our time and money it can set us up for success.
I have implemented a simple plan for managing my money to include an easy to manage bill paying system, categories for spending, debt payoff, and savings. I no longer wonder where my money went at the end of the month. By having a planner for my day/week/month also keeps me in check. I feel less stressed by tracking what needs to be done each day. A planner can be as simple as a note book or an actual planner you purchase. As long as you have something dedicated to keeping your day and finances on track.
- Self Care:
Part of calming the everyday overwhelm is self care. Just like a flight attendant points out to you during the pre flight safety speech “When the air bags drop, your must use it on yourself before giving it to your children”. If you are not taking care of yourself how can you expect to be healthy enough to take care of others?
Self care is often the most important factor in living a healthy life, which in turn allows you to live your life fully, in the ways that matter most to you. Self care includes all the choices you make on a daily basis that effect your physical, mental and spiritual health. Self care is accomplished in many ways and can mean different things to different people. Self care to some may mean taking a few minutes a day to breath deeply and meditate, it could be getting lost in a good book, allowing yourself to spend time on a hobby you enjoy. It could be getting your nails done, a glass of wine or a night out with friends. Whatever it is for you, it is important to practice self care.
In Closing
Along my journey to Simply living and calming the everyday overwhelm, I have learned the importance of decluttering, routines, meal planning using easy quick meals for busy nights, using a planner/budget book to guide our family and most importantly…….self care. I hope to inspire you to join me on my journey of Simply living by calming the everyday overwhelm.