It is not a secret that being a mother, a student, working a full-time job or even just being a busy person, is not an easy task. We are people and we sometimes burn out, slow down or simply feel like we can do better. I struggled with keeping up with my busy schedule, like most new mothers. My breathe was taken out of me when my life changed for the better! I had my little bundle of joy home and then boom! I had no sleep, I would forget to eat and I was struggling keeping up with simple daily tasks. I got behind on my exams in school and I just was NOT taking care of myself. These are some things I have implemented in my day-to-day life to help me be a more productive,on top of things, type of person!
1. Set my coffee pot's timer the night before
This is some thing that can seem silly, but for me, coffee was a major help! Waking up in the morning and having to make my coffee for the day just seemed like a dreadful task I had to complete. Setting the coffee to be ready with the timer on my coffee pot ensured I had my morning cup of joe ready to go! If you don't have a coffee pot with a timer, setting it up the night before with coffee and water is a HUGE help too. All you need to do is hit the start button in the morning! Some people are not coffee drinkers and that's OKAY! prepping your morning need the night before is just a great way to make your mornings less of a hassle.
2. Waking up early
Waking up early for me, meant me time. This was something that was so important to me. I rarely had time for myself during the day. Some days I couldn't even hear my own thoughts. When I started waking up before everybody in the house, it gave me a chance to enjoy my own company and do anything I wanted. Even if that meant sit in complete silence. I also started drinking water in those early morning sessions and I couldn't believe how healthy my body started to feel. I had more energy and I was ready to take on the day!
3. 30-minute exercise session
I am not an athlete, nor do I particularly like crazy amounts of exercise, however 30-minute morning work out sessions felt amazing and helped me feel more relaxed. This is not only good for your health and keeping your weight steady but it gives you a mental release of stress as well. When you are treating your body with care and giving it the things it needs, it becomes stronger and will in the long run help you become more productive.
4. Reading before bed
I never believed when people told me that reading helps you sleep. Could it really be that great? To my surprise, it was! I started reading some of my favorite books first, the Twilight saga series, and I wouldn't get very far into it before I was out like a light! Reading before bed not only helped my memory throughout the day, it put my mind at ease! It helped me not think about everything I did that day, or everything I needed to the next. I was simply able to just relax and fall asleep.
5. Playing classical music in the house for an hour a day
The internet, and parenting classes all around me, tell me how good classical music is for babies brain development. This had me thinking, if it's good for my baby, it should be good for me too. I think I was right! This gave my house a friendly,relaxed atmosphere for me and my baby. I was able to enjoy the melody and clear my mind. This helped me keep up with chores around the house and allowed my baby to spend time by herself. I would play classical music on YouTube for 1 hour. I would use this hour to get stuff around the house done, like dishes or the laundry, it made me more productive and feel like I was accomplishing more on a day-to-day basis.
6. Going to bed early
Like most new mothers, sleep is very hard to get at the beginning. This did take me awhile to implement into my life because my baby didn't sleep often. Once I got my baby on a schedule, it was easier for me to get myself on a schedule. When you have young children, in my case, under 1 years of age. It can be extremely hard to get them asleep at the same time EVERY day. So I took the pressure off myself and made a time-frame bed time. For me,this meant, we all need to be in bed between 8:30PM-9:30PM. This helped me be way more productive and less stressed out. My baby and I both got great sleep and I did not beat myself up when I couldn't set an exact bedtime. I found this to be very rewarding! Getting the baby to sleep, felt like winning a marathon and it helped me get the proper amount of sleep I needed to have energy for the busy day.
7. Pre-made lunches
I started taking my Saturdays and made those my lunch prep days! This is the most valuable lifestyle tip that helped me be the most productive. I would make all my lunches in one day, for the week. This helped me when I had exams that were 6 hours long and I was caring for my baby in between. I had my lunch ready. It helped me stay energized and helped me keep up through those crazy days. It meant a lot to me that I did not need to stop what I was doing to make lunch for myself, and those days of forgetting to eat my lunch, were over!
8. 30-minute self breaks
For me, being a stay at home mom, a student and working from home, is a HUGE job. I treat everyday, Monday-Saturday like I am on the clock. That means giving myself breaks! I try to give myself at least four 30-minute breaks to myself a day. This keeps my brain a float. It helps me walk away, break and just take my mind off things in my busy home. I like to watch videos or watch some TV, sometimes I like to read. This is awesome because it helps me take the time to regroup and be a better mom and a more focused student.
9. Make To-Do lists
Those morning sessions that I get are a great time to make a To-do list! Taking a moment in the morning and writing down some things you need to get done for the day can help you stay organized. I find that when I am more organized I get more things done. I will have less days where things feel clustered. This is an awesome way to help you be more productive!
10. Plan family time.
This is very important to do when your a busy mother. When you plan family time to spend with your kids, you are tending to something that is very important! Sometimes we get so busy taking care of the house, our careers, that we don't get as much family time as we might need. This will lead to more stress and frustration. When you get those family breaks, it reminds you of what is most important and it helps us, parents, avoid any guilt in not being able to spend as much time as we'd like. This helped me become more productive because I knew I was keeping my family as one my priorities and it made me feel like I was doing what needed to be done!
