Do you always feel like you’re behind on your daily tasks, or you’re always playing catchup? This is unfortunately very common with parents today. It can be hard to balance parenting with work and your home responsibilities. Fortunately, we have some tips for how to get more done daily!
Plan Your Day the Night Before
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to set your day up for success. The easiest way to do this is to write your to-do list the night before. Taking the time to see, on paper, what you need to do lets you plan out the times for each event or chore. Seeing your day before it comes lets you be more prepared to get things accomplished!
Have a Routine
Routines are incredibly helpful for getting more done. Some people prefer to have a specific time for every event, but this may not work for you. Others have a cleaning schedule that has them cleaning certain rooms on certain days. Be realistic about the type of routine that will work for you.
Regardless of what type of routine you choose, it’s essential that you stick with it. Your schedule may feel like its own chore at first, but it will become much easier to follow the more you do it.
Wake Up a Little Earlier
Making yourself get out of bed a little bit earlier can make a huge difference for your whole day. Even ten minutes out of bed before the kids wake up will let you have a slower start to your day and mentally prepare for what you have to do that day. The key to this is making use of the extra time you have in the morning because you woke up earlier. Prepare for your day, and you’ll be shocked how much more you get done!
Use Naptime
This works for parents who have kids who are still napping. If your kid naps in their room, you can use that time to do any tasks that are harder with a little one around. However, if they like to nap on you, you can still use that time! Check your email on your phone or grab your headphones before you lie down so you can listen to a podcast or audiobook!
Turn Your Phone’s Notifications Off
Honestly, one of the biggest distractors for us these days is our phones. How many times have you been doing a task, then you hear a ping, so you check your phone and, next thing you know, you’ve been scrolling mindlessly on social media for 30 minutes. The easiest way to fix this is to turn your ringer off. If your phone has a “do not disturb” setting, turn it on while you’re working and see how much more you get done.
Takeaway
As a parent, it can feel like everything is working against you to get all your tasks done every day. However, there are simple ways to make your parenting lifestyle work for you and not against you. Small changes can make a big difference in how much you can get done in your day, so long as you make the effort to do them!
