Something that I have noticed over the past few years, and even more so since working from home, is that if I put in a little bit of extra effort to stay organised each week, I am much happier and calmer each day. There are a number of tasks that I try to complete each week relating to my home, doing exercise, and general life admin, which help to make me feel that little bit more organised.
1. Meal prep and grocery shop
Towards the end of each week (usually on Fridays) I like to plan out the meals that I'll make for the week ahead. I tend to plan about four meals each week, and make fairly large batches of them, so that each meal gives us enough food for a couple of lunches and dinners (you can read more about my meal prepping routine here). Once I've decided on the meals that I plan to make, I write a list on my phone of the ingredients I need to buy, then I try to do a grocery shop at a time when the supermarket isn't too busy (early Saturday mornings are ideal), as there is nothing more stressful than Woolworths at peak hour. It is really lovely having a fridge and pantry stocked at the start of the weekend with all the food that we need for the week ahead.
2. Book in gym classes for the week ahead
Since joining The Studio HQ a couple of months ago, I'm now in the habit of booking in my workout classes for the coming week, given that you need to book in classes via their app, and the more popular classes can book out if you don't get in early. I try to have my workout classes for the following week booked in by the weekend, so that I know I have them locked in and have one less excuse not to turn up to an early morning cycle class.
3. Add bills into my iCal as soon as I receive them
I try to be as paperless as I can when it comes to mail and bills, so whenever I receive a bill via email (or occasionally in the mail), if it isn't due for a few weeks, I add it straight into my iCal (and take a photo of any paper bills) so that I can easily see when I have payments due, and can receive a reminder the day before so that I won't miss the payment date. Doing this means that I don't have to worry about paying them on the spot, or having loose pieces of paper floating around the house or cluttering up the fridge (which can be a bit of a mental stressor if I have the constant reminder of a water bill staring at me every time I open the fridge).
4. Set aside an hour a week to do a decent house clean
One of the things that I dislike the most about adult life is having to clean the house. However, since I started working from home three and a half years ago, I have come to realise just how important a clean and organised space is to me. So, I try to set aside an hour each weekend to do a pretty decent house clean (which has become all the more important since getting a furry chocolate labrador that sheds like crazy). I've found that an hour is a pretty generous amount of time to vacuum and mop the floors, clean the bathrooms, wipe and dust the surfaces, put on a load or two of washing, and tidy up any miscellaneous items lying around the house. As much as I dislike the actual task of cleaning, I always feel a hundred times better once it's done.
5. Tidy up the house for 5 or 10 minutes before going to bed
Similarly to the last point, I've found that if I set aside just 5 or 10 minutes each evening to tidy up the house before I go to bed, I am so much happier in the morning. I like to make sure that I've put on the dishwasher, that my water bottle is washed and placed in the drying rack, that my workout clothes and gym bag are laid out for the morning, that Moose's toys are placed away in his toy box (yes, he is like a child), that any blankets are placed back in their basket, and that the kitchen bench top and stove top are wiped clean. Doing these small tasks means that I can wake up to a clean and tidy house, which really helps to start my day off on a good foot.
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