Saving Your Sanity with the Power of habits and routines
In an age when life is moving faster each day, the power of great habits and routines is crucial to our success in parenting. Increasingly, we mothers must be intentional about the habits and routines we’re building for ourselves and our children.
From my own personal experience, accomplishing tasks is more complicated when you’re a mother. However, the challenges of motherhood also bring some pretty amazing superpowers: becoming ultra-efficient, creating remarkable systems, and becoming skillful at conflict resolution. We don’t have time for procrastination and inefficiencies like we did before kids.
My Story
Before I had children, I was a disorganized mess. But then, I discovered the power of great habits, routines, and organization. Marie Kondo? She became an inspiration. Clutter? I learned how to tackle it. This transformation is possible for every mother through the power of great habits.
Once I became a mom, I quickly realized I was drowning. I had to keep up with the extra messes, the laundry (OMG the LAUNDRY!), manage the schedules and clutter of multiple people, and manage the responsibilities of running a fledgling small business.
I finally understood why systems, routines, and organization are so important. But my reasons may not be what you think…
Personally, I started better habits, systems, and routines for ME. For my sanity. For my mental health. And the positive outcome is, because I took care of me, my family reaps the benefits of a smoother and cleaner household.
How does clutter and disorganization affect us?
Seeing the piles of unfolded laundry, clutter on the table, toys on the floor, and dishes in the sink intensifies feelings of overwhelm and stress every day. When we’re overwhelmed, it’s natural for us to go into fight, flight, or freeze mode.
For example, fight mode means you go on a cleaning rampage or start yelling at anyone that is around you when you feel overwhelmed. Flight mode means you get the urge to leave house because of the stress and overwhelm. Freeze mode means you procrastinate by scrolling on your phone or binge-watching Netflix.
These are all natural responses to being in a constant state of overwhelm or stress. Initially after having children, I went into freeze or flight mode often. And sometimes I still do!
I’m not saying your house needs to be picture perfect at all times to reduce stress. Mine certainly is not! But the bonus is that it can be faster and easier to get your home guest ready if you build in some habits into your daily routines, and over time it will help diminish the feelings of overwhelm in your house.
The Power of Great habits
Over time, I realized that building great habits and routines is a form of self-care. I completely flipped the way I think about them. And once habits are built into your daily routine, they start to feel less like work and more like just another a part of your day.
At some point during that initial overwhelm of becoming a mother, I started taking it one step at a time, building better habits and systems that work for me and my family.
If you’re stressed or overwhelmed by the amount of work in your household, just take one step in the direction of building a better habit. JUST ONE. Action leads to more action and someday you’ll have momentum. But in the beginning, focus on one step. This is where the power of great habits begins.
That one step may be clearing your kitchen counter before you go to bed at night or cleaning the sink. Focus on the areas in your house where you spend the most time, and pick one thing that will make YOU feel good once it’s done. Take one step and do it every day.
Once you master one habit, keep doing it and add another habit to your daily routine. But first, focus on what makes you feel good.
Great Habits to start today
If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, here are some simple habits to start incorporating into your day. Pick one or two to start today and do them every day. Once they become habit, add another one.
1). Clear the kitchen counters every night before bed.
2). Check the floors to make sure everything is picked up at night. Or better yet, do this with your family for 5-10 minutes every night!
3). Run the dishwasher every night and unload it every morning.
4). When you’re switching rooms or areas of your home, pick up one or two things that belong in the room where you’re going. For instance, if you’re in the living room about to head to the kitchen, pick up the water glass on the coffee table and take it with you and put it in the dishwasher.
5). Sweep or vacuum the floor every day.
6). Clean the kitchen sink each night before bed.
7). Put the children’s artwork where it goes each afternoon. (File, refrigerator, or throw away).
8). Manage the mail each day – file, pay, or throw away.
These are just suggestions to help you get started. I highly recommend starting slow and choose one thing you don’t already do every day.
If you're ready for more...
If you think you’re ready to take on a routine of habits, I suggest downloading the Me+ Routines app on your phone. I am not paid to advertise for them, but this little app is a powerful tool that’s all about establishing great habits and routines. It gives me the kick I need to get the things done that are not my habits yet. And best of all, I get a gold star at the end of the day if I complete all of my routines! Maybe a sticker chart would still work on me.
While children may increase the amount of chaos in your life, having children also makes you slow down, breathe, appreciate life, and develop some pretty awesome superpowers. Personally, motherhood helps me appreciate the value of taking one step at a time and the power of great habits and routines. If you take things slow and build your habits gradually, one day you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come.
