5 Tips For A Less Stressful Week!

1. We have hall been there time and time again. Just getting home from a long workday or had a long stressful day for whatever reason and then you hear “What’s for dinner?” and for a quick moment you think to yourself (I DON’T KNOW! I JUST GOT HOME!!) but then you start to quickly mentally scan what you have in the cabinets and fridge to whip up a quick meal. Then you politely say “Oh we are going to have ______ today.” So now you have to quickly transition from work mode to chef mode and start cooking up a meal before the family starts to get hangry (you know hungry/angry = hangry). Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have a solution for that and it is to meal plan and meal prep. Pick a day where you can sit down and plan your meals. I prefer to do this the day before making a grocery trip so that you can pick up any additional items you may need. Believe me, if you meal plan and prep for just three days out of the week, it will make a world of difference. By doing this you are able to spend less time in the kitchen preparing food and more time enjoying your family. Listen, I have been there after a long day at work and then having to come home and cook dinner… Heck, when you are finished cooking, eating and cleaning you are ready to just throw in the towel and call it a day… But we all know as moms we can’t do that!

**Here is a throwback youtube video I recorded years ago.**

2. Make your own coffee or tea. I know you are probably thinking how in the world is this going to help me have a less stressful week?! Well, let me tell you girl. That extra time you spend in the Starbucks line (not to mention the amount of money you are spending) or drive through waiting for your coffee and possibly risking being late for work adds to the stress. Having to leave the house earlier so that you have time to stop at Starbucks and then risking being late to work can all be alleviated if you make your own coffee or tea at home.

3. This next tip may take a little time getting used to, but I can assure you once you get the hang of it, you will thank me later. Tip number 3 is to wake up 30 minutes earlier than your household. I know, I know girl… You are saying I’m already sleepy in the mornings and you are telling me I’m going to lose 30 more minutes of sleep?! We are so used to hitting the snooze, trying to get every last minute of sleep before jumping out of bed, rushing to get breakfast ready, kids ready, ourselves ready…look I understand it can be chaotic in the mornings. Just hear me out on this one… waking up 30 minutes ahead of everyone will give you time to mentally prepare yourself for the day. Have a cup of coffee or tea and just enjoy the peace and quiet. Take this time to set the tone for your day and when the kids wake up you are in a good headspace and ready to take on the day. Trust me waking up 30 minutes earlier then the family may take some getting used to, but it will be so worth it.

4. This next tip will make getting ready in the mornings a breeze…Having your kid’s clothes ready for the week. I’m telling you ladies, doing this will make your mornings run so much smoother. I like to take time out on Sunday to look over the weather forecast for the week, and then go through and pick out outfits accordingly. Iron them if need be, then place the outfits on hangers or neatly fold them and place in a space that is easy for you or the kiddo to get to in the mornings. If you want to be fancy, try adding little signs for the days of the week so that your little one can just grab the outfit for that particular day. Trust me this is a game-changer!

5. As a mom and wife, this last tip may seem a bit tough to do because for some reason we seem to feel guilty and selfish, or that we could be doing a million and one other things. My last tip is to take time each night for yourself. Whether its 5 minutes or 15 minutes, it’s so important for us moms (anyone for that matter) before you go to bed take time the time to relax, take this time to reflect, maybe write down your todo list for the next day. Whatever it may be just take the time for yourself. Listen, it’s NOT selfish. You deserve this time. The older I get the more I understand that you can’t pour from an empty cup, so take this time to fill up your cup with things that make you happy.

I hope that you will at least take away one tip from this post. If you do please leave me a comment I would love to see what tips you will start to implement into your routine to help you have a less stressful week.

Thanks for stopping by The Moms Lounge!