2710: [Part 2] Evening Routine For Stay-at-Home Moms by Cara Harvey of A Purpose Driven Mom on Household Organization

[00:00:00] Manchmal gibt es Momente, die man für immer festhalten möchte. Ein Lächeln, ein Gefühl, eine Erinnerung. Mit einer Gravur auf deinem Pandora-Schmuckstück wird daraus etwas ganz Persönliches. Ein handgeschriebenes Wort, ein Foto, ein Liebesbrief. Was auch immer dir am Herzen liegt, du trägst es immer bei dir. Entdecke die Gravurmöglichkeiten von Pandora. Online oder im Store. Halte fest, was zählt.

[00:00:28] This is Optimal Relationships Daily, Evening Routine For Stay-at-Home Moms, Part 2, by Cara Harvey of A Purpose Driven Mom.com Prepping for tomorrow really allows you to start your day with ease, because you have things done and you know what to expect. If you've ever had a frazzled morning trying to get everyone off and ready for school and forgot to pack lunches or checkbook bags, then you know what I mean.

[00:00:52] On the checklist that you can download for your evening routine that's linked in this post, you'll also see a blank space for adding in preparing tasks. I've added in some of the things I do, but again, think about the season of your family. Your tasks may look different if your kids go to traditional school or your home school. It may look different if you have older kids versus younger kids. So take the template I've given and customize it for your needs.

[00:01:16] My prepping for tomorrow tasks include making lunches, including mine and the kids as much as I can, even though we're home. This may look like pre-making salads or making a batch of hard-boiled eggs. Packing book bags, diaper bags, sport bags, or anything else anyone needs. And again, the kids can be part of this as well. Laying out clothes. I lay out my workout clothes so I have no excuses in the morning and the kids pick their clothes out during our bedtime routine to make it simple.

[00:01:44] Loading the coffee pot with the timer. Reviewing our schedule for the day and pre-planning my time-blocked tasks. And setting out an independent morning activities list for the kids. I put one on their small table that they always gravitate to so I can get breakfast in the morning going without them under my feet and asking for TV right away. I think it's key to have a good idea of your schedule and pre-planning tasks for your family the night before.

[00:02:09] I like to use time-blocking for most things, so it helps if I know in advance which errands I want to run, which work tasks I'm planning to focus on, or any phone calls that I have to make before places close. Taking time for you as a stay-at-home mom. After you've done the majority of your home tasks for the night, it's time for the best part of the evening routine. Time for you. Time for you.

[00:02:34] Might take you anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes depending on how much you get done before the kids go to bed. Again, some of mine gets done with their help before bed. Or how crazy the day is. I like to close out my day with time for me. And as a stay-at-home mom, it's very important you do the same. When we're just go, go, go for everyone else and don't pause for us, stay-at-home mom depression and burnout can occur. I find as a stay-at-home mom, I have to be super intentional about time for myself,

[00:03:03] self-care, and personal growth. Once my checklist is complete, I take 15 to 60 minutes in my own learning and growth. And I know that seems like a lot of time if it's not a habit you already have, but trust me, 15 minutes can start to become a habit that you crave and take more of. So, what are some things you can do during this time? And again, start with just 15 minutes and over time, increase it by 5 minutes. You'll find that you love that time. The mom guilt will melt

[00:03:31] away and your mindset will be on fire. Consider these ways of spending your time. Bible reading, devotionals, or Christian development and reading. Take a course about a topic you want to learn about. Watch YouTube tutorials on how to gain a skill. Read a book to increase your mindset or for pleasure. Exercise, do yoga, or meditate. And journal, draw, or anything creative.

[00:03:56] By ending your day for you, you'll go to bed with less anxiety, more peace, and feeling jazzed about the next day. What I don't recommend you do, though, is just plop on the couch and have a Netflix binge or get sucked into a social media scroll. These things wreak havoc on your mindset. They make you compare your lives to others, and they don't fill you up. Now, there's nothing wrong with social media or TV, but I just don't think it's the best way to close your day. The lights from the TV and phone

[00:04:24] can keep you up, your brain gets super stimulated, and the last things in your brain tend to be where your dreams go. Give yourself the gift of positive thoughts. You just listened to part two of the post titled Evening Routine for Stay-at-Home Moms by Cara Harvey of a purpose-driven mom.com. Hey, think about that your immune system is hungry. And try it with the health goals of

[00:04:51] eating in the app AOK Navida. Get tips, recipes, and challenges for your healthy I. Now download the app AOK Navida and start. AOK Plus. Love for health. And a great finish from Cara, right? So glad to have shared this post. And I would love to expand a little bit on that last part about closing your day with a Netflix binge or a social media scroll.

[00:05:17] Now, it seems Cara isn't necessarily discouraging that in general, but I agree with her in that it can be very stimulating before bedtime. But at the same time, it's kind of not stimulating at all. All right. So hear me out. Surely the light isn't helpful, but in terms of your mindset, it's not a very controlled way to end your day. The relaxing, turning off your brain part of it can be super necessary sometimes, no question. But it's easy to make this part of our routine in a bad way,

[00:05:47] kind of idling and distancing yourself from opportunities to connect and be present. So if you do feel you need to just shut off sometimes, maybe consider planning a Netflix or social media scroll just for some days. And for others, meditating, reading, or just practicing some breathing or stretching exercises. Even these may feel like they require more effort than you're willing to give. But if you only do them every other night, maybe you're giving yourself a chance

[00:06:14] to end some of the nights with a sense of growth and purpose, as opposed to just being cradled away by technology night after night. And to me, when we do just let our minds go to electronics, it can often feel like we're really just trying to delay the next day from starting, as opposed to celebrating what we have left of the current day. Things to think about. Different strokes are different, folks. Time to wrap up though, everybody. As always, I really appreciate you joining me today and listening until the end. Have a terrific Friday if you're listening in real

[00:06:44] time, and I hope to see you back here with me tomorrow and Sunday. That's where your optimal life awaits.