I think we all know that the simpler something is, the easier it’s going to be.
The same applies to our life as mums.
There are so many things going on all of the time in motherhood.
We are trying to juggle being a mum, being a wife, school stuff, appointments and therapies, keeping on top of the house, making sure everyone is fed and maybe you have a job on top of that too.
I think it’s safe to assume that we all have a lot going on.
If you can relate, then here are 18 ways that are going to help make your mum life simpler and hopefully calm a bit of that overwhelm!
So here goes…
Just a quick note first
Although all of these things are going to help you simplify life a bit, it is worth mentioning quickly that some of them aren’t going to be quick tasks.
Sometimes a little bit of planning things out or putting in some extra effort initially, means that in the long term things are going to be so much simpler and easier for you.
You might have to do some work first though!
As an example of this, we will kick the list off with meal planning.
There are going to be some quick and easy ones in here too though so don’t feel daunted!
Meal planning
I don’t think that there is anything more stressful than not knowing what to make for dinner and nothing is defrosted and everyone is hungry (and most likely hangry).
While a takeaway is nice, it’s not really the best for your health (or your bank balance) to have them all the time – and I don’t know about you but I enjoy a takeaway far more in a relaxed way than in a chaotic last minute decision because I’m overwhelmed kinda way.
Enter meal planning.
It doesn’t have to be a huge ordeal, just get out your calendar to see what is on this week and on the busy nights plan for something quick and easy, or maybe a slow cooker meal – and on the quieter nights you can make something that takes a bit more time or effort.
It’s tempting to skip this step – but it’s a really important part of the process!
I promise you you will 100% regret deciding to try a new recipe the night where everyone has clubs and it’s been a crazy day – ask me how I know.
Start small – make a meal plan just for your evening meal, you don’t have to plan every single meal including snacks.
You absolutely can if you want to, but if you go from no meal planning to extreme meal planning every single thing it’s going to overwhelm you.
Start with evening meals.
Then do lunches.
Then move on from there.
There are lots of different ways of meal planning (I do have some upcoming posts about this coming soon), so try out a few to find what works the best for you.
You could do themed nights, or a rotating meal plan, you could do it by meal type or by meat etc.
It’s one of those things that is of a higher effort to begin with, but once you get into the habit of it, it does become quicker and easier to do.
It makes like so much simpler too!
Have water on hand at all times
I don’t go anywhere without my emotional support bottle of water.
It’s so easy to forget to drink, or to ignore your thirst for longer than you should – but staying hydrated is so important.
Not just for health reasons – we all feel more anxious when we are dehydrated.
Taking a bottle of water or your chosen drink with you all the time makes staying hydrated so much easier when out and about.
At home, I always have a pint of water on the worktop in the kitchen and I just take a sip every now and then – it’s surprising how many times I re-fill the glass throughout the day, and 95% of the time I drink it without even thinking about it because it’s always there.
Or use your drink bottle around the house if that makes it more fun for you to drink.
Declutter your clothes
Less clothes = less laundry.
Less clothes also equals less overwhelm about deciding what to wear in the morning.
We automatically presume that the more options we have, the easier it will but actually having too many options makes things a lot more overwhelming for us.
If you haven’t worn it in the last six months (or year if that works better for you) or the last winter season etc – then maybe it’s time to let go of it.
There are lots of options for what to do with your unwanted clothes – some examples are you could donate to a charity shop, or take to a recycling bin or even sell on vinted.
You could even set a goal of having a capsule wardrobe – Courtney Carver has a lot of information on how to do this on her blog.
There is also something about an organised wardrobe that makes us feel we have our lives together.
Declutter that thing that keeps stressing you out
If there is an area of your home that is stressing you out, maybe it’s the constant picking up of toys, or maybe there are papers and mail everywhere or maybe you can’t walk through your door without tripping over someone’s shoes – it’s time to declutter that area.
Maybe it’s a specific area of your home that is stressing you out, or maybe it’s a collection of items that is stressing you out, or even a digital thing that you can’t stop thinking about.
Whatever that thing is – it’s time to declutter it to make things a bit simpler.
When you are decluttering it, maybe make a specific home for that thing, or make changes to how it is usually stored being it’s not quite working how you want it to.
For example, if you keep tripping over shoes, you could get some shoe storage.
If you already have shoe storage and it’s full, decluttering will help with the issue.
If it’s just that people come in through different doors and leave their shoes wherever they come in for ‘later’ then maybe consider getting some baskets by each door to keep things a bit tidier (and safer!).
Declutter toys
Picking up toys constantly gets old quite fast!
Especially when you know they are everywhere and they didn’t even play with those toys!
Something that I have found with toys is that the less toys you have, the better the children play.
They just seem so much happier playing and play longer and more in depth games, whereas the more toys there are they tend to bounce from one thing to another.
Or they take their toys to a different room to play.
Probably because it’s less stimulating for them.
Having too many choices on what to play with can get very stimulating very fast for kids too.
You don’t have to be extreme and chuck out all their toys, just pick their favourites or the ones you know that they definitely play with and donate the rest.
Or you could set up a rotation system where you have some put away in a box, and then the toys could be switched up every couple of months.
If there are toys that you aren’t convinced they play with, but that you are not really sure about you can put them in a box, write the date on the box and set a reminder in your phone for 3-6 months from now – if nobody has asked for anything in that box by then – it’s safe to say they can leave your house!
Less toys is less overwhelming for you and your child.
Goal setting
When there is a lot going on, it can be hard sometimes to prioritise what is important and what isn’t important.
You can feel like you are being pulled in so many different directions.
Having goals will help you make easier decisions about what is important for you right now and what you can let go of or push on to a later time.
It can help you prioritise your todo list or help you decide whether to say yes or no to an event etc.
If you are clear on where you are heading right now, it will make things a lot simpler in deciding what you need to give your time to.
That will help make life so much less overwhelming.
If this sounds like something that you need more help with – these two posts might help!
This post about values.
This post about goal setting.
Make a todo list
Having a running todo list makes life a lot simpler.
It also creates a lot more brain space for us which help stop us feeling so overwhelmed.
You can use a paper todo list if that is your preference, but it is a good idea to have a running to do list on your phone so that if you are out and about or in the middle of cleaning the bathroom or tesco and you suddenly notice or remember something that needs to be done you can just quickly jot it down,
If paper is your preference, you can still use your phone for that and have a routine of transferring them into your paper planner once you are home or are planning out your next day.
Another todo list that is 100% worth it is…a daily todo list.
Just taking 5 minutes at the end of the day to plan out your next day (or early that morning) makes such a difference to us not in just a productivity way but also in a mental health way.
Just ticking off a couple of things make us feel like we are actually getting somewhere, especially on those harder days of motherhood.
If that sounds like something you struggle with, have a look at this tada list blog post.
I personally use notion for my running todo list and sometimes my notes app if I am out and about, and use a paper bullet journal as my daily planner.
This blog post about being more organised might also help.
Have a morning routine
How our morning goes, tends to set the tone for our entire day.
Creating a morning routine is going to help you to make sure the essential non-negotiables are done and get your day going on the right foot.
If you need help to create your morning routine you can read this post here.
Re-pack your bag when you get home with the essentials
The amount of stuff that we have to take with us on a day out makes us look like we are going on a weekend away.
It can sometimes make going out for the day a bit daunting because I have to make sure that we remember everything.
One way I make it a bit less overwhelming, is when we get home to re-pack the essentials into my bag.
The things I am always going to need – nappies, wipes, spare clothes etc
That way all I need to remember on the actual day is the stuff we use all the time or medications or food etc and can’t be packed until that day.
It seems small, but it does honestly help.
It also helps create a bit of calm if there is an emergency and you need to leave the house quickly because the essentials are ready to go.
Emergency list
I don’t know if you have ever been in an emergency situation where you need to leave the house quickly, but one of the things that completely goes out of your head is what you need to put in a bag.
I have a list saved on Notion in my phone that has everything that we need in the bag if we needed to leave quickly for the hospital etc.
It helps create a bit of control in the situation, and I really recommend you do it if you haven’t already.
Unsubscribe from emails
Maybe an unexpected one, but this is a really helpful one.
Going on to our emails and seeing a lot of new and unread emails and knowing we have to deal with them all is going to be overwhelming sometimes.
One way of making it a bit simpler and easier is to unsubscribe from anything you don’t love.
I have a couple of email lists I am signed up to with emails I actually enjoy reading – but all the shops, holidays, email lists from freebies I signed up for but am no longer interested in – I unsubscribe from them all.
Most of the time then I can see at a glance if any important emails have come through and nothing gets missed because I have gone on to my emails, it’s been overwhelming and I have just clicked off.
Plus, not being constantly bombarded with things you should buy is going to save you money too.
Chances are you hadn’t even thought about buying that thing until you saw it in your email.
Give it a go.
Review and delete photos every week
So I would love to pretend I always do this, but it is currently the 23rd June and I haven’t deleted any photos since the beginning of May.
It is something I am trying to make a part of my routine though because photos can take over fast.
Every Sunday, just set aside 15 minutes, maybe while you are having a sit down with a cuppa and just go through photos from the last week.
Delete any that you no longer want.
And if you are like me and take photos of present ideas, or things you like the look of or screenshot ideas for things – save them to where they need to be.
I have lots of sections on my notion account that I just add these things from my camera roll to.
For example, If I took a photo of a present idea for one of the kids, I’d open it up the relevant section on notion, add it in and then delete the photo.
Then when it’s coming up to their birthday, I can just click on that notion page and all the ideas I have had will come up and it makes life a million times simpler.
Make a cleaning routine
Routines may not be the most exciting of things to talk about, but they are so helpful.
Not only does it mean that everything that needs to get done in your house gets done, it also means that you can free up a lot of brain space thinking about what needs to be done because there is already a plan for it.
I’ve got a couple of blog posts about how to create a cleaning routine if that is something you are looking for help with!
You can read them here and here.
Make packed lunch the night before & pack school bags
As tempting as it is to leave things until the morning because it will only take ‘2 minutes’, it actually knocks you more than you expect.
I regret every time I make the decision.
Packed lunch making can easily be tagged on to the end of dinner clean up, or whilst you are waiting for the food to cook.
Another way to make mornings simpler is to put any letters that need returning or PE Kit etc in bags the night before.
Having an evening routine will make life a whole lot easier.
I promise it makes the morning routine seem so much simpler.
Lay clothes out for the kids the night before (and for you)
Following on with the evening routine theme – spending 5 minutes just doing a quick check of the weather and making sure everyone has what they need to wear for the morning is such a stress-reliever.
Realising 10 minutes before you go out of the door that nobody has clean school uniform just isn’t a good way to start the morning.
Just a quick check will save so much time and stress in the morning.
If you find yourself struggling with deciding what to wear in the morning, checking the weather and then deciding what you are going to wear will also save a lot of stress.
Do a load of laundry every day
Laundry can get very out of hand, very quickly.
One way to keep it from becoming an ordeal is to do a load of laundry everyday.
Make it a part of your morning routine, and that is going to make it become an auto-pilot habit.
Go paperless
This might not be for everyone, but going paperless has been a game-changer in our home.
Not only has it meant we can get rid of the huge filing cabinet and replaced in with a smaller file that fits underneath our bed, but it means that it’s actually easy to find things.
In seconds I can just search for what I am looking for and have it pulled up on my phone.
It’s really handy in hospital appointments as well as I can pull up previous appointment details or letters from different consultants and it makes life so much easier.
I don’t think we realise how much paper clutter takes over until we go paper-free.
Just to be clear, I don’t mean completely paper free, I will always be a pen and paper girl at heart.
I mean the papers that you file away and don’t look at from one year to the next but you technically need to keep.
I have a couple of blog posts planned on this topic, let me know if you would like to know more about it.
Make a list of things you can do rainy day/dry day/free etc
It can be hard work trying to think of things to do all of the time.
Having a list on your phone or notion or just in your home with ideas of things to do, will make life simpler.
Every year we make a ‘bucket list’ for the year and stick it to the back of the playroom door and make our way through the list.
Think of things to do local, things further afield, things to do when it’s raining, things to do when it’s sunny.
You can make lists of things to do at home or out and about.
It’s very handy to just have a list you can quickly pull up and just choose something to do from.
I hope this list helps you feel that having a simpler and less overwhelming life is achieveable.
Let me know what you’d like to read a bit more about!
Beth x
