If you are a stay-at-home mom, do you ever feel like your days blend together? Or that you lose track of what day of the week it is? That is how I used to feel when I left school to be at home full-time.
It would be Sunday and I would think of what I wanted to get done, but before I knew it, it was already Friday and I had yet to accomplish any of my goals.
I was lost in this cycle for a while, and it wasn’t even about getting all the things done, but more so about having a structure and planning out my days differently so that they didn’t all blend together.
It was beginning to take a toll on my mental health and I decided I needed some kind of system. A system that would help me stay on top of my homemaking tasks and plan different outings for the week. Being the homebody that I am, I needed intentionality to get myself out of the house.
I realized I needed to set goals and plan out my week in advance.
So I bought a weekly planner at Target and now every Sunday, there are 5 things I do that I am sharing here with you. These are five Sunday habits I have acquired in order to have a productive and fulfilling week as a SAHM. They have been game-changing for me as a homemaker and a busy mom of two little ones!
1. Make Sure Laundry is Folded and Put Away
Laundry has a way of piling up REAL QUICK! If I wake up Monday morning and see a huge pile of dried laundry that has not been folded and put away, I immediately feel overwhelmed and unmotivated. This is because I know that the pile is going to get even bigger by the end of the day.
To start my week off on the right track when it comes to laundry, I want to make sure everything I have previously washed and dried is folded and put away. It’s like having a clean slate. I try to do a load of laundry a day so that it’s less intimidating to fold and put away.
2. Put the Kitchen & Living Room “to Bed”
I try to do this every day, but on Sunday our house ends up messier than usual and sometimes I am tempted to just go to bed and clean up the mess in the morning.
HOWEVER, this is another one of those things that help me start my week with a “clean slate”, and on a positive note. Because when I wake up to a dirty kitchen, I do not feel very positive.
3. Meal Plan for the Week
Before implementing meal planning, I remember having to run to the grocery store almost every day for the ingredients I was missing. Making dinner took up SO MUCH time as I would have to think of what to make (usually day-of), and THEN go to the store for any groceries I needed for the recipe.
Meal planning allows me to be more efficient, and I am able to fit more things into my day because making food doesn’t take up as much time as it used to.
I usually only plan dinners for five days out of the week. On Saturdays, we eat leftovers, and on Sundays, we visit my parents or Alex’s parents for dinner.
4. Make a Goal/Task List for the Week
Think about any important tasks you have been putting off, any people you would like to see, or any goals you have for the week.
On Sundays, when I think about the upcoming week, I like to just “brain dump” all the things that come to my mind. It can include things like meeting up with a certain friend, reading my bible every morning, scheduling an appointment, and so on.
Doing this is so therapeutic too, because it frees my mind from the mental “to-do list”.
5. Plug the Goal/Task List Into Your Weekly Planner
After making my task list for the week, I like to pull out my weekly planner. I then plan my week out by time-blocking and by plugging the tasks into my week. If you are a visual person, it is so helpful to see your week planned out like this!
It took me a bit of time to figure out how long certain errands or tasks would take me (like getting my kids ready and going grocery shopping with them). Now, I have a pretty good idea of how long things take. and I’m able to have a better understanding of what I can actually accomplish in a day.
Thanks for sticking around to read this! Let me know if you have any Sunday habits that help you reset and get ready for the week ahead. I would love to hear about them!
