Three Ways To Regain Sanity and Simplicity At the End of the Year
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I’m sitting in a parking lot waiting for a store to open, because I didn’t check the time they open and arrived early. “Early” is unheard of in my life lately; I have been too flustered and too disorganized to be early anywhere.
At home, the dishwasher is full, my coffee is cold and half-finished, the laundry is crumpled in a heap, the floors dusty, the bedrooms untidy.
Thanksgiving is less than a week away (note to self: start thawing the turkey!). My son’s birthday is also next week. I’d like to not be at the store six out of seven days…
Also, Advent begins next Sunday.
Cue overwhelm and decision fatigue before I even make a single decision.
Can you relate?
Dear reader, we can do something to bring some sanity back to our homes. Here are three ways I’m planning to refocus, simplify, and prepare this season. I’d love to know what you do to reset when your life has hit overwhelm-mode.
One: The Executive Function Toolkit
Perhaps you, like me, feel so crazed with home chores and school checklists you cannot even begin to choose an area to tackle. In this little guide, Ginny explains executive function in a way that even my exhausted brain can understand. (spoiler: it’s about brain processes and being able to do things in an organized way to bring more order to your life and home. aka: tools to clear the brain and life clutter to give simple structure to your life.)
I have chosen tools to start using today; a “steps to a clean room” list for my boys is one of them.
I am looking forward to equipping my kids with these skills, and guiding them towards stronger brain function! (Lord let this please be possible.)
Two: Printable Advent and Christmas
My boys love to know how many days there are until special days. I am thrilled to have this “count up” printable calendar for them to use and count the days themselves.
Kendra even designed and included a storage envelope to print and craft! I’ll just print the pages, and let my guys do the rest. It’s bound to keep them busy for at least 20 minutes the first day, buying me valuable time for peace and quiet and coffee. Or 20 minutes to straighten the pillows and blankets strewn about every day. 🤪
Three: Unplug
I know, I know. It’s laughable for how obvious this is, and also how unattainable it feels. At least a for me, I cannot 100% unplug. I have to keep up with emails from the schools, I text my friends, I use GPS to find my way neat everywhere in NoVA.
My goal is to wake up with my alarm, and then leave my phone aside for an hour or longer each morning. In that unplugged time, I will pray a Morning Offering (literally giving my entire day to the Lord before I can forget to entrust it to Him) and read the Advent journal I chose for this year.
And that’s it. In my dream-world, I’ll also unsubscribe from emails I don’t need, spend a few extra minutes on meal-prep each morning so the afternoons aren’t so stressful, and read aloud more with my kiddos.
Speaking of reading aloud, I saw a great idea for anyone to do this Advent. All you need is a Bible. Starting on December 1, read one chapter of the Gospel if Luke each day. There are 24 chapters, and if you keep up, by Christmas you’ll have rediscovered the why for Jesus’ birth. So I guess there are actually four things I’m doing this season. Who’s with me?
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For the Adoration Journal I wrote, click here.
ps–Next week I’ll have Black Friday/Thanksgiving weekend sales!