I am a full-time stay at home mother and I do everything that is on this blog. I am pretty much my own boss and I like that, a lot. I get to set my goals and work towards them and I enjoy my work. My husband works long hours and travels a lot for work, so I pretty much do not have help on the home front. I have to juggle everyday housework as well as work on my blog and also other volunteer work I do. I have found that if I am more organised and stick to a schedule, I get more done and it is less stressful and have more time for my son. When I am stressed I tend to be rude and less patient. No one likes that. Here are some things that I do that reduce the stress levels:
Keep a routine
I do certain things on certain days of the week. For example I do all my weekly grocery shopping every Wednesday(the shops here offer a 5% discount on Wednesday) after play gym. That leaves no time for anything else in the morning but at least I know what I am supposed to do. This helps me prepare for Sabbath, which for me is the day I get to relax and do nothing(I still take care of my son but I do not do any work). From Sunday I do small things keeping in mind that I need to be ready for Saturday, so I make extra food on Friday and all my laundry is done and the house is clean. I keep an updated calendar on my phone.
Keep a to-do list
I swear if I do not do something right away I will forget about it. As I have grown older it has gotten worse. I have to write it down on a list and that way I will remember to do it. I write my lists and stick them where I will see them, right now that is on my desk. The best feeling for me is striking something out on a list. It gives me a sense of achievement and I want to do it again.
Work in short bursts
Leo needs constant monitoring so I never have a full hour to just shut everything out and work. I have learnt to use 10 minutes at a time to work on small projects. 10 minutes is a lot of time if you do one thing at a time. Do not check your phone at this time. I use this time to pick up toys, respond to blog emails and comments and clean the kitchen(our kitchen is small). These minutes add up and you end doing a lot. Of course after cleaning up Leo will mess it up again.
Nighttime Pickup
After Leo has gone to bed at night, I pick up anything that is not in the right place, it will make your mornings easier. Some people use a basket and go all over the house picking up things that are not in the correct place. If you have enough storage it is easy to clean and donate the things that you do use. Put dirty clothes away, do not just leave them on the floor. If your family does their own part then it will not be left to one person.
Wake up early
Try waking up early like between 5.30 and 6 in the morning. You will be surprised by how much more you will be able to do. For me, this allows me to take a shower in peace. Leo knows how to open the door to our bathroom so if he is awake I get to shower with an audience which I hate. He is an early riser but I get about an hour to clean and make breakfast with very little distractions. It is hard the first few days but your body will adjust to the new routine. Of course you know you have to go to bed early, right.
Give yourself time to relax
I love the Sabbath because it is one day out of the week I stop everything and relax. Other than going to church I have nowhere else I have to go to. After church I come home have lunch and take a really long nap. It is the most refreshing thing for me. My sister is my polar opposite, she has a lot of church activities and that is how enjoys her sabbath. I know a lot of people who read this are not Adventist and may not be Christian but I tell you giving yourself time to just sit and do nothing will make you more productive than if you keep going. Give your body and mind time to reenergize itself.
Find something that you enjoy doing for yourself
Being married with children requires you to give all the time and sometimes with no return. Which is why I think it is important to find something that you do for yourself that does not involve your family. For me my escape is reading. Go out with your friends, go shopping or learn a craft. I grow flowers for this reason, sure they look nice in our home but taking care of them is something I do because I enjoy it and they make me smile