Mama’s on schedule

With Australia in and out of border closures, lockdowns and remote learning, I know how most of us are feeling right now; stuck, in limbo, awkward, uncomfortable with no sense of purpose or direction. It’s easy to feel like this when many of us have lost our jobs, our routines and our regular way of living, and as a result our calendars and planners may be looking a little empty. However, this is the time when you need to be using them the most! It’s time to start planning and reinforcing good habits to keep both mentally and physically healthy. Personally, I always plan my daily routines, budget, meals and habits - this is what helps me get through each day not only in a productive way BUT by keeping my anxiety at bay and mental health in check.

Now I’m not saying you can’t slow down and live in your pjs some days (I know I have!), because this is the perfect time to breathe and try to pace our lives. However, having a sense of routine right now is going to do wonders for your mental and physical health. With this in mind, I have provided some organisation tips and free resources to help reinforce positive routines and habits for the whole family.

Kids’ daily plans

Mamas, I feel you right now. We are all racking our brains trying to keep the kids entertained for longer than five minutes. What I find helps is creating a little routine for them ahead of time. It can be as simple as craft time, watching a movie, outdoor play or reading books. I have created some free printable resources for parents to provide them with some inspiration and ideas. Check out my Indoor + Outdoor Scavenger Hunt and 30 Home Activities for Families printable charts.

Some helpful tips for kids stuck at home:

• Create obstacle courses around the house to get them moving. • Check out Cosmic Yoga on YouTube for yoga, mindfulness, and guided relaxation classes to keep them relaxed and focused, particularly for children being homeschooled. • Schedule Facetime dates with separated family and friends to maintain their social skills and personal connections. • Utilise items like empty toilet rolls, cardboard boxes and recycled paper for crafts to nurture and maintain their creativity. • Keep their bedtime routine the same to maintain a sense of structure for our little ones.

Plan your meals

Anyone else need to practise social distancing from their fridge right now? Everyone is struggling to avoid snacking all day and finding it hard to stick to the usual mealtimes - meal planning will help! Planning our meals each week also allows us to save a lot of money and avoid food wastage. Meal planning is something I’ve done for many years as I hate the pressure of trying to think of what to make for dinner each night. I meal plan for the week ahead every Sunday. Try researching new recipes to cook each week and then save your favourites. I aim to try one new recipe per week, and I love my slow cooker right now because I throw in all the ingredients in the morning, and its ready by dinner time – all I have to do is plate up!

From your meal plan you can then write your specific shopping list, which will stop you buying too much food or items that you don’t need, and makes shopping in store, or online, faster and more efficient.

Having an organised and clean space around you will reduce the feeling of chaos. Using a cleaning schedule allows me to keep on top of my housework so I don’t have to spend all weekend cleaning. For example, I break up the cleaning into sections each day which takes me 30 mins max. Mondays I do bathrooms, Tuesdays I do floors etc.

Schedule your movement

Being cooped up inside right now means most of us aren’t getting enough exercise or movement. I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to get out and go for a walk each day or do a home workout. My husband and I tag team so we can both get out for a run or walk each day. If you don’t have the chance to do this, do a home workout or take the kids on a family walk. Fresh air and endorphins will do you a world of wonders. Schedule this movement in each day and tick it off.

Some exercise ideas you can do right now include daily walks, riding bikes, YouTube yoga/ pilates, home workouts, interval running around the block and kids’ scavenger hunts outside.

Schedule self-care

Self-care is so important, especially during stressful times like these. My tip is to write out your favourite self-care practices and then allocate at least one to each day. It doesn’t have to be something that takes hours, it can be as simple as going to bed early, putting down your phone or a doing a face mask. I also have a free 30 Day Self-Care Challenge available that can provide you with easy ideas on how to fill your self-care cup back up.

Setting new budgets

This is just as important now as ever, especially if you have had a change in income. Identify where you may be able to make some changes to minimise your cost of living. If you’re not sure where to start I recommend reading “The Barefoot Investor”. Look at your monthly fixed and variable expenses and compare this to your current income to see where you can save money. Now is a great time to reflect on the progress of your 2021 goals so far and list the little things you can still do to achieve these. Whether it’s starting a new business or hobby, now is the perfect time to research and get those plans in motion!

Refine your habits

Sticking to good habits is important right now as it’s so easy to fall into bad habits during times like these (I know I have!). For me habits like meditation, writing in my to do-list, 2L water consumption and daily walks are keeping me sane! Small efforts equate to enormous results. By Steph Pase. You can check out all sides of Steph from business, health, beauty, fitness, mental well-being, mum life, recipes, interior styling and organisation on her website Just Another Mummy Blog, join her 225K insta followers at @justanothermummyblog and check out her new Steph Pase Planners!