September marks the start of an extremely busy schedule in our house.  Hockey starts (or gets more consistent), school starts (which means ALL of us go back since I’m a teacher, homework, making lunches, returning paperwork), and my photography business ramps up, along with the rest of life that’s been happening all summer long.  Things in our house have spiraled out of control by the end of summer.  My anxiety is admittedly at an all-time high around this time of year.  Here are some things I do to get things back in order.

7 tips for managing a busy

schedule

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1. Follow a routine.

I realize this may be impossible some days.  If you manage to follow a routine the days it is possible, your off days won’t be as difficult.

For example, I have found that finishing one load of laundry a day helps me stay in control.  That’s not possible everyday, but when I have an off day it’s not nearly as difficult to manage the following day as it was when we only did laundry on the weekends!

2. Prepare at night for the following day.

For the last 13ish years we have had a baby in our home.  We are finally moving out of that phase of our lives.  Managing to prepare at night has become significantly easier for me this year.

Lunches are made in the evening, clothes are set out, papers are signed, uniforms set out, hockey bags are filled- all the night before.  I cannot tell you how big of a difference this has made for us.

3. Create a command center.

I have a paper planner which I LOVE, and I also use my phone to schedule events.  The more the boys become involved in, the more I am finding the need for a command center undeniable.  The kids need to be able to see what is happening as much as I do.

4. Meal plan.

By the end of summer, my meal planning has gone out the window. Routines have been thrown to the wind, and we have lost all sense of order in our home.

September requires the start of serious meal planning determined by our busy schedules.  The amount of money we save by meal planning is amazing!

5. Divide and conquer.

As much as I hate missing any of my kids’ activities, it’s just not reasonable to think I can make everything.  Allowing myself some grace when I need to miss something, has made things much more manageable.

I don’t miss games if at all possible, but I will happily miss practices (something I once refused to do).  In all honesty, missing practices has actually helped the other kids too because they get a little time off.

6. Have the kids help.

More often than not, I choose to do things myself rather than ask for help.  My need to have it done my way, and quickly, prevents me from asking for help.  That said, I am learning to let go, and have the kids help more.  They may not finish a task the way I would have, but it’s really close enough, and it saves me some hassle.

7. Schedule time to relax.

If you know you’re going to struggle with relaxation, set specific time to relax.  I happen to have a hard time turning my brain off, and relaxing.  That leads to burn out, and even more anxiety.

Adding time to my schedule that involves nothing by mindlessly binge watching tv, reading a book, or even just hanging out with my kids really does my soul good.  This is on my list of goals for this year.

Research actually shows that relaxation is beneficial to your health, your memory, your decision making abilities, and your mood.  Clearly, we all need to get on board with this, and make it happen!

Do you have any tips for managing a busy schedule?  Let’s hear your best tip in  the comments!

xo, Lorrin

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