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We all have those days. You know, the ones where you are running on coffee and fumes. Every sound your child makes sounds like nails on a chalk board. All you want to do is go back to sleep, but the list of things to do: contact the cable company, prepare a report, contact the doctor's office, get a gift for so and so, .... its never ending.
Having a day like that every once in a while is normal, even expected. Every day can't be sunshine and roses. But when these kinds of days start running together, thats where we run into trouble. How can you manage your time well when you are dragging? This just makes matters worse since you get even less done than you should have and your to do list continues to grow.
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In the meantime, there are times when we start the day with motivation and then something happens that turns our day upside down. Here are a few habits that can prevent help prevent instances like this from throwing us off track.
You Realize You Forgot Something
Us moms are notorious for being hard on ourselves. We forget one thing and then start to question our worth, our ability to parent, and our life choices. While we definitely could afford to be less hard on ourselves, there are also things we can do to help us not forget things.
I find that keeping a pad of paper and pen in my purse and on the counter when I am home is super helpful. On this pad I keep a running list of anything I need to remember: appointments, things to do, errands to run, etc.. Then at the end of the day, I go through the list. Appointments get added to the calendar, errands get grouped and added to the calendar as well, and to dos are added to the to do list.
By writing things down as they come to me and then going through my notes at the end of the day, things are less likely to get forgotten. Plus, it takes a huge weight off of trying to remember everything.
Something Comes Up and Throws Off Your Plans
My job is the epitome of unexpected changes. As a claims adjuster, you have to be ready to head out to a claim at a moment's notice. You can plan your days to a T, but if there's a flood somewhere, guess where you're going.
This kind of situation can really throw us off. For this and many other reasons, a great habit to develop is to do your hardest and most important thing first. If you get this done before you have a chance to be interrupted, then that's one major thing accomplished for the day. It's hard to lose your motivation when the hardest thing you had to do for the day is already done.
If you want to learn about some of the other reasons to do the hardest thing first, check out the book Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy. It's a perfect read for learning to get stuff done.
Your Child is Teething, Refusing to Nap, Cranky, etc..
When one person in the house is cranky it can be contagious. Then you get cranky and it all goes downhill from there. Don't let it.
Remind yourself of 2 super important things. Your child's crankiness is not a personal attack. Oftentimes, especially with young kids, they are not trying to be stubborn or disobey, they just lack the ability to clearly communicate what they are thinking or feeling. Sometimes you just have to give them space.
With Tyler, I will sometimes give my answer to a particular request, which he may not like. He will often then repeatedly ask the same question hoping for a new answer. I calmly tell him that my answer is not going to change. I let him be angry and just wait a few minutes and usually he gets over it.
Allowing our kids to feel their feelings and acknowledging them often helps them to get over things more quickly.
These three tips can go a long way to prevent a good day from going bad. They can help you stay on track even when the unexpected happens. Do you have a tip to prevent a downhill day? Share it in the comments.
Cheers,
Emily
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