Just A Mom Trying

That feeling of dread you get when you wake up to face a long day… and the immediate guilt that comes with it. The overwhelm of a house that needs attention before your day has even started can feel suffocating and relentless. It feels like a never-ending battle you just can’t win.

Without clear strategies or a consistent approach, the daily demands of a household can quickly spiral out of control. This lack of structure leads to frustration, burnout, and the nagging sense that things could be better, if only there was a reliable way to manage it all.

Recognizing this persistent struggle and the need for a solution, I understood that a different way was necessary. I couldn’t keep going on that way. That’s when I created a system based on these five simple habits that changed everything.

1. Find Your Daily Anchors

My daily anchors are the set things that never change, and they’re what keeps our family on track. They are basic necessities that absolutely must be done for the health and safety of everyone, and they can’t be skipped. For us, that means breakfast is the first thing we do every day, lunch is at noon, and I like to have dinner on the table by 5 because the kids are little and that’s what works best for them. These anchors are the consistent foundation of our day that helps reduce chaos and lets us know what to expect.

2. Tackle the Daily Basics

If these tasks aren’t done, then our anchors can’t be done. The small tasks will continue to pile up and affect the health and safety of everyone. By getting them done every day, we prevent them from snowballing into huge mountains of problems to stress over. These are the mandatory tasks that have to be done no matter what — they are the bare minimum. By getting them done every day, we ensure the house is functional and the family can move smoothly through the day. For me an example of these basics is dishes, trash, and at least a load of laundry.

3. Know Your Calming Down Techniques

The biggest reason I’ve found these techniques so important is that they help me feel better. I’m able to regulate my emotions and think clearer, which helps me to act instead of just reacting to the chaos. For me, a great technique has been using the free Finch app. It helps me track everything from my mood to my hydration, and it has breathing exercises and other tools to motivate and help me work on myself. This helps me to not let little things ruin my day, and in the end, it helps me to raise my kids better and break cycles. Ultimately, it’s good for everyone.

4. Create a Simple Meal Plan

For me, having a simple meal plan takes one thing to worry about off of my shoulders. It helps to ease the burden of the mental load that so many moms carry everyday. Another trick I use, I hold onto my menus and rotate them/glance back when I need new ideas, because I don’t like to have the same thing all the time. For my family, a two-week menu works best because I only shop twice a month. For someone just getting started, a simple weekly plan is a game-changer. That’s why I created a free weekly meal planner just for you! You cam download it in my Free Resource Library!

5. Perform a Nightly Reset

For me, the key to a successful nightly reset is not saving all of the chores for the end of the day. For example, I clean as I go when I’m cooking, which makes it possible to finish the reset in just fifteen minutes. Everything having its own place makes it so much easier. I prioritize the kitchen — clean and empty counters and sink — so we are ready for breakfast, our first daily anchor. I also like the living room to be picked up because it’s the first thing I see in the morning. It helps me to have a clear, calm space as I get my day started. This routine is also a way to close out the day and have guilt-free me time, because I’ve finished the day’s tasks and won’t have nagging chores screaming at me. Ultimately, a nightly reset helps me clear the physical clutter so my head can be clutter-free too.

Motherhood is hard all around. We can get so caught up in the stress of everything that we forget to appreciate the beautiful, messy moments. It’s about finding little ways to make life work for us and be a little bit easier, because life is about finding the joy. That’s really all that matters. By implementing a few simple habits, you can take back your time and find peace in the chaos, so you don’t miss a single moment.

If you’re ready to start building your own simple routine, you can download all the free printables mentioned in this post, plus some for the kids, in my Free Resource Library! Do you have any habits that you find helpful? Share below so we can learn from your experience!