I’m sorry for the misleading title. A “Stress-free” week is what I would call overachieving. A stress-free hour? Yes. A stress-free day? Maybe. Time managing is essential, and I wanted to share my simple tips for a stress-free week. These tips are perfect for stay at home parents.
My simple tips for a stress-free week
Use a planner!
I have so many planners and barely make the time to use them. Set aside a day in the week to map out the following week. I suggest you go week by week if you are not familiar with using a planner. Sundays are best for me. I put the kids to bed and take a few minutes to write down things that need to be done for the week. To-lists are my favorite! I just love checking things off my list as I go along.
Do chores throughout the week
I’m the only one allowed to do the laundry in our house. Demo doesn’t separate the whites from the darks, so he’s banned from using the washer machine. I usually set one day of the week for laundry but because there are 4 of us, I that is ALL I end up doing for that day. I find that one load of laundry every two days is best for us. Plus, it keeps the clothes from piling up too much. Bonus tip: GET MORE LAUNDRY BASKETS!!!
Plan your meals for the week
You don’t have to plan for the entire week, but 4 out of 7 is a great start. I like to get an idea of what I will cook for the week. For one thing, it keeps me from ordering out. Meal planning is also an excellent way to save time and avoid stress.
Enjoy the little moments
Even if you had a tough week, make time for the little moments. For me, something as simple as making popcorn for the first time, or listening to my son and his dad playing Minecraft together, makes all the stress go away (momentarily).
My week would probably be even more stressful if I worked outside of the house. Since I don’t, I find that these tips have helped me a lot. I’ll be honest; my week isn’t 100% stress-free. Heck, I doubt it will ever be, but it’s a start.
Don’t be too hard on yourself if last week wasn’t perfect. Give these tips a try this week!
What exciting thing (other than laundry) do you have planned for the week?
Let’s connect!
I know a lot of people plan their meals, but I can’t think that far ahead. Sounds like you have a great way to start the week off right.
I do save a lot of time and money when I meal plan. And everything goes on my to do list, from errands to phone calls to groceries.
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We have to plan our meals to for the week. When I go grocery shopping I use this plan so I can stay on budget too.
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Love these! I would be SO lost without my planner! It holds my entire life!!!
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Laundry and cleaning the bathrooms. I use my planner everyday. Love the meal plan, which saves money and time. Always enjoy the little moments and take sometime for yourself.
I firmly believe in enjoying those little moments and taking breaks throughout the day. I try to plan my meals a week in advance. It just makes things easier.
I am definitely a planner girl and it really helps lower my daily stress. I love being able to refer back to my planner so I can see what things I need to do each day.
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Using a planner and scheduling out my me-time has been a lifesaver. It’s something to look forward to. I love these ideas <3
It is so important to make the most of little moments! I try not to overwhelm myself by tackling too much at one time. Breaks are super important to me.
Using a planner really helps me out. I don’t know what I would do without my planner. Probably not much lol, since I check it all the time.
I am bad at meal planning. I need to figure it out though. Hubby always buys a lot of groceries, meats, etc and then I make meals w/ what we have available, and we freeze meats too to use later.
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Some people look forward to the weekend. I have mixed feelings toward it. I know there will be a ton of laundry, cleaning, and doing grocery shopping. Before I know it, its Monday again and I did not get any of my much deserved rest. I know I should be doing some housework during the week but my hands are tied down with other responsibilities. I will have to try your tips. Maybe, just maybe, I can have a great weekend next week.
A planner is a great way to keep track of your week. I need to pick one up for this year still. I am always looking for a way to reduce my stress levels.
These are great tips :). I do my chores throughout the week after work, so I can have a nice weekend doing whatever I want. The one thing I miss is having a washer and dryer in my own place, so I don’t have to keep going to the laundromat or the washer and dryer at the apt house next door in the cold when it’s dark out!
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I really like the idea of doing chores throughout the week because on weekends its the last thing I want to do.
These are all great tips to have a stress free week!! Now I need to learn to take them!!
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I love to plan as well. But I really need to start planning my meals better. By midweek, I got use less stress. Thank you for sharing your tips.
These are all great tips for a stress free week. I love the idea of the planner and planning ahead. Doing chores throughout the week is a great idea also. Thanks for sharing the tips.
These are great tips on reducing the stress levels in your life. I try not to be too hard on myself, but sometimes life gets complicated. I will try to follow these tips for sure.
I definitely agree with time managing. Just like today, I got sidetracked and I have one thing to do that I haven’t started yet ugh.
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*managing time.
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At the top of the year, I went back to using my planner. It has helped to keep me focused and on track. My biggest stressor is meal planning of the lack thereof. Every day I find myself trying to find a meal to make for my family.
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These are some great tips!!! I’m all about planning my meals ahead of time. Helps so much
These are all great tips! I definitely use all of them! I couldn’t function without my calendar. Meal planning makes everything so much easier.