I know it can be highly stressful during these times when the children are at home. The demands of work, children and other responsibilities can create very stressful days! In this week’s blog, I share a guide with six (6) ways you can reduce stress as you go through your day.
1. Plan ahead for a successful day
This section talks about how to set up a day and provide an outline so it is successful.
Think of the things you want to achieve and work your way from morning to evening. It is crucial to be realistic with the time frame and create space for failures because not everything can happen as planned.
Planning ahead is so important. It is a simple yet powerful concept. It can save you time and money. It can also avoid a lot of unnecessary stress. Some simple things that you can plan ahead for are your time, resources, and finances. Planning helps you to be prepared for those opportunities ahead. You can’t just sit around and wait for the right opportunities to come to you. You have to go out and create your own opportunities so that you can achieve your goals.
2. Start with the most important tasks for the day or month
By prioritizing the most important tasks for the day, we can better plan our work and get more done with less effort. I utilize my Ultimate Mompreneur Planner to set up the “Top 3 Priorities” for the day.
Every morning, it is important to start your day by writing down the three most important tasks for that day. This will help you prioritize what needs to be done right away and what can wait until later. It will also give you a place to start every time you sit down to work so that your tasks are easier to remember.
It is also helpful when working on long-term projects or milestones to identify the top three most important tasks for each month at a time, even though these may change from month to month. This way, you have a clear understanding of what needs to be accomplished in order for your project or milestone’s goal can be met.
3. Set deadlines for yourself and your kids
Moms should set a deadline for themselves and their kids. It will teach them important lessons on how to balance their work life and personal life, as well as how to prioritize tasks. Likewise, it will help the children develop good habits like being organized, setting deadlines, and understanding the value of time.
Setting deadlines is key to success. If you want your kids to be successful, set deadlines for them so they can learn how the importance of time schedules and organization.
Children need to know what is expected of them in terms of their behavior and academic performance. And parents should also set expectations for themselves by setting deadlines. It can be a little daunting to set timelines but it is the only way to make sure that we are making progress and not drifting through life.
4. Prioritize your time by categorizing tasks into 2-minute, 10-minute, 30-minute, and 1-hour segments
A common time-management strategy is to divide tasks into four categories: short, medium, long and extra-long. But this system assumes that all tasks are of equal importance. This is not the case.
#2 minute tasks: These are usually quick, necessary actions that you take without thinking much about them. For example, checking your email inbox and responding to important messages as soon as they come in.
#10 minute tasks: These include less urgent actions that may need a bit of thought before starting them or require a lot of concentration once you have started them. For example, making a phone call to schedule an appointment with a client or doing research for an article that does not need to be finished today.
#30 minute tasks: These are major projects that can only be completed in half an hour. I like to do tasks like clearing and writing emails, brainstorming content ideas and connecting with friends & family during those times.
5. Free up your mental space by taking breaks throughout the day
Taking breaks throughout the day gives our brain a chance to relax and process the information that we have learned. It also helps us be more productive and creative at work.
Studies show that taking breaks in between tasks, can help you be more productive when you return to them. Breaks don’t have to take up a lot of your time, they could be as short as a few minutes long. You can even set alarms on your phone or computer for when you need to take a break.
Taking breaks is just as important as getting enough sleep or eating healthy food. It is good for both our bodies and minds!
6. Stay organized by using checklists and to-do lists to reduce clutter in your brain
It’s not always possible to remember everything that needs to be done. That’s why it’s a good idea to take some time at the beginning of each day and fill in what you want to accomplish.
This is where checklists come in! Checklists are a good way to remind yourself of tasks that need completing and can help you stay organized. To-do lists are another helpful tool, because they allow you to list all the things that need doing, in order of priority.
There are many benefits of using these organizational tools – one being that your mind will thank you for not having too much clutter in it!
Lastly, make sure to schedule some fun in your day! It will help the family to get closer and lighten the mood significantly.
I created an Infographic that complements this guide.
I hope this was helpful! Let me know which step stood out to you in the comments.
