Five tips to help overcome the overwhelm in the upcoming year.
Being a mom, I’m no stranger to feeling overwhelmed most days. Managing everyone’s school and extracurricular activities, nursing colds and tummy aches all while trying to make sure that everyone is fed, clothed and safe can wear down even the strongest among us. But there are a few things you can do as you begin this new year to help bring some calm to the chaos of everyday life. I hope they help you start your new year strong and happy!
Take a few minutes today to reflect upon the past year and celebrate your wins.
Let’s talk about what went right. Often we spend time analyzing why something didn’t work the way we wanted it in order to try to focus on what needs to be fixed. Instead, let’s talk about what went well this year. What attitudes, habits, and systems help us win. Let’s commit to doing more of what has been working for us in the upcoming year.
Commit to a planning system that works for you.
As moms, we often juggle many tasks and manage many schedules simultaneously. Carve out an hour every week to plan out your week giving each task, appointment or commitment a place in your week.
Depending on where you are in your journey, you may just need a notebook to keep your to-do list, or you may want something more structured that guides your day by the hour. Whatever you choose, make a commitment to check in and use it regularly.
Create a daily routine.
Set your day based on your priorities. Once you've identified the things you want to make sure happen, give them a specific time to happen and create a routine based on that. If you want to make sure you read Quran regularly, attach a few minutes of reading after praying fajr. Do this every morning and be consistent, making it part of your morning routine.
Do a regular brain dump.
This is my all time favorite activity to increase my focus and productivity. If you are anything like me, your brain feels like there are 100 tabs open all at once all vying for my attention. When I begin to feel this way, I always try to do a quick brain dump where I let all my ideas, thoughts, worries, to-dos pour on to a piece of paper until I feel like I’ve been able to close most if not all the tabs in my brain. Once everything is on the paper and the tabs have been closed I can manage each thought, idea, or task more effectively by assigning a time to complete, or discarding it all together.
Make Dua
Most importantly, make dua, lots and lots of dua. Pour your heart out to Allah (swt). Ask him for strength, clarity and to allow you to use your time and energy in a way that is most pleasing to him.
Hope these tips help you begin your new year with the confidence to overcome the overwhelm and enjoy the barakah of next year.