You’ve had it!! It’s been a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day!
Your to do list is overflowing, your house is a mess, the fridge is empty, and there’s a good chance you’ll be turning your undies inside out tomorrow because you haven’t done laundry in ages. Plus, one kid has soccer practice, while the other one has a swim meet tonight and you’re just praying your husband makes it home in time so you’re not late.
There’s just too much to do…
This post contains affiliate links
As you’re doing the dishes, your 4 year-old comes up to you and says “Mommy, will you play with me?”, and you lose it.
“No! I can’t play with you! I have too much to do!”
At once, the guilt smacks you right in the heart. That was harsh and you feel terrible. Not only did you scream at your child, all those parenting articles that tell you how terrible you are for not soaking in every last moment of your kid’s lives keep playing in your head like a broken record.
Sigh…Why can’t I do it all!?
You feel like a failure.
The day continues on and as each hour passes you get more and more angry at everyone and everything.
You have to find a way to turn this day around. This is not the kind of Mom you want to be.
How to Turn A Bad Day Around When You’re Stressed-Out
1. Make a List
Write down everything you have to do. Everything. Unload your mind onto a sheet of paper.
By writing it down, you’re freeing your mind from stress. You know it’s written down, so you don’t have to worry about remembering it.
Often our minds get so cluttered with things we have to do, that we can’t do any of them. We end up frozen and unable to do a darn thing because there’s just too much.
Or…
We don’t know where to start, and we flip between one thing to the next because our brains are running a million miles an hour trying to remember it all. We end up running around half-way completing tasks because we get sidetracked by something else that needs to get done.
If we take the time to write everything down, we free our mind from all the clutter and can focus on the tasks at hand. So find a slip of paper, a a special notepad
2. Pick Three Things
By writing down our to dos, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer length of our list. It’s hard to focus because there’s just so much to do.
I know how to fix this…
I learned this trick from my friend Kelly over at The Reformed Idealist Mom, and have been using it every day. It’s completely changed my life and lowered my stress level.
Ready?
Take your super long to do list and decide what the most important things are. Write down the three most important things that must get done today, and focus on completing those.
This breaks down your list into manageable portions so you don’t feel overwhelmed by your list. Plus, it helps you focus so you can complete the most important things first.
3. Make Chores Fun
Anytime I’m feeling stressed, I try to infuse a bit of fun and play into my day.
Instead of pushing the kids away so I can get work done, I put on some rockin’ music and have a cleaning party. We dance and sing while we unload the dishwasher or scrub toilets.
Add in some fun!
- Have a race each to see who can accomplish tasks first.
- Chase each other around the house with dusters and the vacuum cleaner.
- Have a fun reward when the chores are done.
4. Take a Breather
As always, getting outside and taking a few deep breaths can do wonders for your body and mind.
Clear out the overwhelm by infusing your brain with oxygen. It will make you feel better, I promise.
More from this series:
Leave a Reply