1. A Planner::
A good planner does a world of good. Mine has a block calendar in the front and then a detailed day view along with a to-do list to help keep my house at a manageable level. It’s from the Passionate Penny Pincher and it’s literally been a game-changer. Find the perfect planner for you and use it! Knowing what is coming in the next month, week, and days helps me so much to know what to expect with minimal surprises.
2.Quick Pick-Ups::
Two 15 minute pick-ups a day. Put on some jams and set a timer for 15 minutes. Pick up and put up whatever you can in those 15 minutes. This does a wonder for not having random toys or sippy cups that you trip over. I get my kids involved too. They like to help and when we are done, the house appears clean and no one breaks their neck on Legos. It’s a win-win! I do this once in the mornings when we get up and usually again after I put everyone to bed for the night. I sleep so much better knowing things are picked up. 
3.Wash Daily::
Ok, hear me out on this one. Laundry can kick my anxiety into high gear, quicker than anything else. So, I wash a load of clothes and a load of towels every day. And let me clarify, I wash, dry, and fold straight out the dryer. I have a closet with shelves in my laundry room that I put my folded clothes in. I immediately put the towels up after they are folded and the other clothes I fold stay in the closet until the end of the week. The closet was a game-changer for me because it is “put away and company ready” and it doesn’t just stare me in the face. I cannot put clothes in a basket because they will stay in said basket for days, weeks, or months even. Daily washing has been the biggest thing that has helped with my daily mom anxiety. 
4.The Roomba::
If you don’t have one, get one! We have one that is almost 8 years old. You can set a schedule on it to run whenever you want. I set mine to run in the mornings during our carpool runs. By the time I come home, it is finishing up. It does a wonder for my floors. It takes so much off my plate because all I have to do is mop when it’s done. The other fun thing about the Roomba is that you can name them (ours is Little Billy)and they become part of your family quickly.
5.Preparing the Night Before:
This will make alllllll the difference! The night before school, I lay out everyone’s clothes, underwear, socks, and shoes. This means we find those things before we are ready to leave in the mornings. I also have a specified place for book sacks and lunch boxes and have trained my little minions to put them there. So we always know where they are. The next thing I do is make the sandwiches the night before and get everything else for their lunches and set it on the counter. I make milk and juice cups the night before and put them in the fridge. All we have to do before school is execute and eat breakfast. It decreases the stress in our house tenfold. There’s a lot less screaming and a lot less rushing. 
All of these things together have made my household run smoother. They’ve helped me be more present with my family while being less anxious and agitated. I challenge you to try all of them or maybe just some of them. I guarantee this list can make your life better.
Do you already do these things? Did you try them? Do you have anything else to add? We are all in this motherhood game together and we can definitely learn from each other!
