I’ve always wondered…Why is it that we wear “busy” as a badge of honour? For the longest time our life was pure Chaos, both of us full time shift workers with side businesses and two little ones who had a schedule of their own. Tired, overwhelmed, no date night in sight and our daughters were being shuttled around between long days at daycare, school and overnight stays at their grandparents.
Does this sound familiar?
Although we were always able to find joy in the little moments, it wasn’t until we got intentional with our time, “scheduled” our joy and practiced selfcare, that we truly found the beauty in our chaos.
Let me share 3 tips that might help you ditch the dread and get excited for your busy life.
1. Time Blocking.
If you want it to happen, schedule it! Not by writing it loosey goosey on your monthly calendar. Get yourself a time blocking weekly calendar where you will dedicate your precious time to what’s most important to you! I love my Do Good mindful planner for this! Start by blocking off the non-negotiables (work, appointments, events). This really allowed me to eliminate the “fluff” and helped me realize how much time I actually had.
2. Schedule your joy.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the mayhem of day to day life. Are we really living if there’s no joy? Or are we just going through the motions waiting for retirement to come around? An unplugged date night in on Wednesday night, lunch with a friend on Saturday, a yoga class after work Thursday, an afternoon at the park with your family Saturday or a weekly family movie night? I learnt that if I didn’t intentionally schedule these things, they would be pushed aside by chores, work or errands and next thing you know… weeks go by without any scheduled joy.
3. Morning rituals.
In my experience, there’s nothing quite like a good morning routine to prepare yourself, and arm yourself for the magical chaos of your day to day. It’s true what they say… you can’t pour from an empty cup! Truth is, most of us go out there expected to fill other people's cups all day long, yet we never make the time to fill our own! It’s important to make this ritual all about purposeful selfcare, all about you.
Set an alarm! Wakeup before your household does (this might require a bit of bedtime discipline). What’s beautiful here is that you don’t need an extra hour, you can start with 20 minutes of quiet uninterrupted time.
Here are a few things I like to start my day with:
A. Journaling! With or without prompts, some days I like to be guided, challenged to think about specific things. On other days I like to reflect on things I’m grateful for, my life vision and things I am proud of. This allows me to start the day off on a positive note.
B. Make a List! Every morning I make a list of To-Do’s. Pay attention to what you add to the list and be realistic. What I like to do is divide my list into 3 sections; The “Must do’s”, the “Sooner than later” and the “Would be nice to get to” categories. This helps me focus on the necessities while allowing me grace when things don’t go to plan.
C. Exercise! Oh, c’mon you weren’t going to get away without me mentioning movement! Endorphins, a dose of happy hormones & energy to start your day? Just 10 minutes of stretching, a walk outside or an online workout session will do the trick. No need for a commute or an hour at the gym if your schedule doesn’t allow for it.
D. Personal development! “Nothing changes if nothing changes” is that the saying? We must open ourselves up to growth, challenge our beliefs so we can evolve. I like to include audio books and podcasts in my morning routine. I put my headphones in as I clean the dishes, tidy the kids toys and pack our lunches for the day. Feel free to reach out if you want audio book or podcast suggestions.
Those are my “go-to’s”, you can customize your morning ritual as you wish with meditation, walks outside, classical music and yoga… my point is… watching the news while rushing out the door with a coffee in hand isn’t really going to help you embrace the beautiful chaos ahead.
Life is busy, sometimes unpredictable. We are able to make time for the simple things and equip ourselves to be in the right mindset to embrace it. There is so much opportunity for joy amongst the beautiful chaos of our day to day.
-- Written by Jennyfer Leblanc
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It's become clear to Jennyfer Leblanc that her passion in life is to make a significant impact on others around her. All her careers, Advanced Care Paramedic (11 years), College Teacher (5 years), Wellness Coach (4 years), which she still practices simultaneously, have all served as vectors to serve others. She recently made it her mission to help women fuel their inner spark and feel their best through a healthier lifestyle, providing community and accountability. As a mother of two, her goal is to help as many mothers as she can find fulfillment outside of daily motherhood.