How to Plan and Organize Your Way to a Stress Free Life

Well if you read the big picture above then you know exactly what this blog post is going to be about! I get super stressed and anxious a lot. How I cope with this and manage to be a functioning human being is by trying to find ways to destress my life. When I feel like I am in control of what is happening and I am prepared for what is going to happen in the future, I feel less anxious and stressed out about everything I have to get done!

Here’s a little about me to show you that the tips I am going to share with you today really work! 

-I work a full time job, eight hours a day and commute 30 minutes a day.
-I own my own house and deal with all that comes with homeownership
-I pay all of the bills and plan all of our budgets
-I make a home cooked meal every night (Sunday-Thursday)
-I sleep 8 hours every night
-I shower everyday (lol I know this is a challenge for some)
-My house is always picked up (nothing on the counters or floors) and clean
-I NEVER have dishes in my sink or endless laundry piling up

I do all of this AND have time to relax and run a blog!

Here’s how I do it:

I Write Everything Down.

This one is so important. I write everything down so I don’t forget and then I write everything down again in an organized and planned way (and then I probably write it down again lol). I have multiple to-do lists at any given moment. I use my phone notes, a planner, a to-do list organizer, a to-do list note pad and various other pads and papers. I make daily to-do lists, weekly to-do lists, blog to-do lists, you name it. What’s important is that if I write it down, I won’t forget (and stress about forgetting something) and I know exactly what I have to get done before I can relax.

I Budget.

I make monthly and weekly budgets (separate ones for me and Miguel) that I (you guessed it) kept written down. And these budgets are changing all the time, as we spend I reconfigure just exactly how much we have left. I keep track of our expenses everyday to keep on top of them. Just a quick login to the banking website to see how much money I have, what has been taken out of the account and what will still be taken out this week. This way, I always feel in control of our finances and know just how much money we have.

I Meal Plan.

Every weekend I sit down and get on Pinterest and write down the ingredients for 5 meals. And that’s my shopping list. (I cook 5 dinners a week and we eat the leftovers the next day for lunch). When I do this there is no scrambling to try and figure out what to make one night and then just end up going out to eat because I know exactly what I am making everyday. I also get my groceries delivered for free through Hy-vee and if you aren’t doing something similar you should be because it is absolutely life changing plus one less thing I have to worry about.

I prepare for the next day.

Both Miguel and I pack our lunches and lay out our clothes for the next day for work every night. This helps make your mornings run so much smoother.

I have a cleaning schedule.

Every month I sit down and write in my calendar my cleaning schedule. I like to clean on Sunday mornings so I write down what needs to be done every Sunday. There are some things I do every week (like Swiffer the floor) and some that I do only once a month (like dust or scrub the shower). This way at the end of every month my house is clean and and I didn’t spend a whole day doing my entire house because that sucks – make a rotation and it is much more manageable. I would also like to add that every single day before work, after work and before I go to bed I pick up everything that is out and put it away so there is no clutter. This takes about 5 minutes and then it always looks like your house is clean. (I also do the dishes immediately after every meal).

I use Sundays to my advantage.

Sundays are my recharge day. I use them to plan the week ahead and reflect on the previous week. I plan everything I would like to get done that week and put it in my planner on what day to get it done. This way I feel completely prepared and in control of the week ahead because I always make my to do lists manageable. I also do all of my laundry on Sundays: wash, dry, fold and put away. No Excuses. 4 huge loads. I can do it, so can you.

My motto is this:
Spread your to do lists out- a little bit every day or maybe every week. But you can’t let yourself procrastinate. Do a little bit everyday and you still get time to relax everyday while still accomplishing all of your goals.

I hope you found my tips helpful and are able to incorporate some into your own daily routine. I would also love any more questions you have about any of the topics above! I would love to dive more into a category if that is what you guys would like to see!

Let me know what you think in the comments below!