Creating Peace During the Holiday Season

Get into your routine ahead of time

When was the last time you took a step back and assessed whether your daily routine is still working for you? 

Our lives change so much over short periods of time, so it makes sense that our daily routines should be changed often too.  Getting ready for the holidays can be a stressful time for parents (and children!) so getting organized and creating your routines ahead of time can be a great help. Sometimes just one simple change can make such a massive difference.

Instead of trying to overhaul your entire day at once, start small - with your morning routine.  Don’t try to pack too much into your morning routine.  You will be more successful and happy when you are doing what feels right for you and when you are enjoying the process.  Those people that get up at 5am every morning and thrive, are thriving because that's what feels right for them.  If it doesn't work for you - don't do it!  Find what works best for you and make tweaks to your routine over time.  Don't do something just because you've heard that you have to in order to be successful.  Only do what feels right for you and you'll be well on your way to happier and more productive days.

Sunday – Style your week for success

Most weekday mornings I am jumping out of bed into a flurry of breakfast, gym uniforms, school letters, last minute homework and usually an argument with my daughter over why she isn't allowed to wear glitter tattoos to school.

So, a Sunday is the perfect time to set everything up for the week and get a solid plan in place.  A good start is to sort out your to-do list for the week.  Once you know what you have on, you will feel much less stress and you will be prepared for anything.  Another good tip is to get on top of the housework, and get all of the school clothes, homework and other school stuff prepared.

If you can do this in the first part of the day, you will still have a good chunk of time to relax, and you can go to bed on Sunday with the peace of mind that everything is taken care of.

Simplify your to-do list

Overwhelmed with your ever growing to-do list? Follow these easy steps to get back in control...

1. Have a Master to-do list that you can add everything to, and make sure you break down larger tasks into small, manageable tasks.
2. At the end of every week (preferably on a Sunday), pull out your Master List and choose 10-12 of those bitesized tasks that are most important - This will be your weekly to-do list.
3. Every evening, look at your weekly list and choose 3 items that are most important. This will be your to-do list for the following day. Make sure you write them down where you can see them the next morning.

It's okay to put more on your list if you're especially busy, but make those 3 tasks your Top Three. Once you have completed those 3 tasks, you can feel like you've been productive and your day has been a success.

Please try some of these tips and let me know how it goes. Did you get more done and feel more calm and productive as a result?