3 Ways to Alleviate Stress This Week

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It’s Sunday evening. The sun is just starting to go behind the trees, warning me that I need to fix dinner, bathe the kids, determine if there is any homework that needs to be done, pick up the house, and hopefully watch the season premier of Mad Men tonight — all before bed! To make my week go smoother I’m going to try a few things this week:

1. Make a list of lunches for the entire week.
   This means writing down all the items that need to go inside the lunchbox. It’ll look something like this:Monday:
   PB&J sandwich
   apple sauce
   carrots and hummus
   juice box

   Tuesday:
   Ham and cheese sandwich
   cottage cheese
   apple slices
   juice box

   Wednesday
   Soup
   Goldfish
   Cheese sandwich
   juice box

   This list is looking good! Now, just post it on the fridge and each morning you’ll know exactly what to do. No thinking required.

2. Set aside outfits for the entire week.
   This includes outfits for yourself. Don’t forget shoes, socks and underwear for everyone too! I like to use a hanging outfit sorter that fits perfectly in the kids closet. I put all items the child is to wear for the day in that shelf. No sorting for socks at the last minute. I also put in dance clothes and sports outfits on the shelf for the day when they need those.
3. Shower at night.
   This creeps some adults out, but there are times when this really works for me. When my husband is on a trip and it’s just me and the kids, this saves me tons of time in the morning. And, I may have not gotten to bed at a decent time the night before to warrant getting up before the kids to get my shower in. A nice, long, peaceful shower at night can also de-stress you and help you sleep. Plus, you will rest better knowing you have one less thing to do tomorrow.

Now that I have my list I just remembered that I have to pack the kids’ sports bags and get on with this evening so I can make the Mad Men premiere!