5 Ways to Get an Extra Hour a Day
We could all use an extra hour in our day, especially to reclaim some “me” time.
You probably don’t even realize you HAVE an extra hour or two already! You just aren’t using it productively.
Because let’s face it… we can all find an hour to scroll through Instagram. We can all find a way to hit the snooze button in the morning.
So here is my challenge for you. I challenge you to implement these strategies below for the next 30 days. If you can do at least 1-2 of these strategies (to start), I guarantee it will make your life easier, more organized and provide that extra hour you’ve been searching for.
All it takes is a little priority reset and a mindset shift.
1. Meal Plan
Make an effort to meal plan. This takes 30 minutes OR LESS. Do it on your lunch break, think about meals on your commute to work or during your child’s nap time. Figure out meals for the week in the shower. Write a note of your meal ideas in your phone for easy storage.
Think about your schedule for that week. Plan quick and easy meals for nights you know you will be busy with activities or work. You can even plan crockpot meals for those nights, so when you sit down to eat, dinner is ready. Extra credit if you use the crockpot liners – cleanup is a breeze!
Pairing each meal with a day of the week will take the pressure off your weeknights and provides one less thing you have think about. You have time to figure it out. Make it a priority once a week.
Bonus Tip: Order your groceries online for pick-up or use a grocery delivery service. It’s a tad pricier with the delivery fee and/or shopper fee, however, you’re not only saving time by NOT doing the grocery shopping yourself, but you have all the ingredients you need on hand for each meal. Which won’t leave you scrambling to throw something together or run out to pick up some chicken broth last minute. Pre-ordering groceries is also a great way to stay on a budget!
2. Get up earlier than your kids
Get up 1 hour before your kids to shower and get ready for the day. By the time your kid(s) wake up, you can to focus on getting them ready and spend some quality time with them in the morning. Having some lead time on the kids makes mornings less hectic and you better able to handle any unexpected situations thrown your way.
If you’re really ambitious – schedule in some workout time too. I personally get up at 4:50am to workout. I know I need to be in the shower by 5:30, so I give myself 10 minutes to get out of bed and get ready to work out. The extra 10 minutes doesn’t take away from a solid 30-minute workout. By 6:30am, when my daughter is starting to wake up, I am already showered and ready to go. You could use the extra time in the morning for anything… to work on a side hustle, have a HOT cup of coffee uninterrupted… sky is the limit. But there goes your excuse for not finding time to work out.
3. Prepare the night before
Prepare lunches, sign permission slips, refill the daycare bag and lay out outfits for the family the night before.
Take the extra 30 minutes a night it takes to prepare your kid’s (and your) lunch and snacks for the next day. Being able to grab the food and pop it in a lunchbox after breakfast can save 20 minutes or more in the morning.
Make picking out the next days’ outfit part of your bedtime routine. Not only does this help your toddler express their independence, kids get excited about being part of the process. Choosing an outfit the night before will also save time and frustration in the morning.
Preparing the night before on top of getting up an hour before your household to enjoy ME time is life changing for busy parents.
4. Schedule your laundry and cleaning
My laundry room is on the second floor of my house, which I love, but it’s also next to my daughter’s room. Bummer during nap time and bedtime. I know if I can get laundry started by 6:30am on a weekday, I will have time to do a load before work. I won’t have time to fold the clothes from the dryer – but my dryer has a “refresh” button that steams the wrinkles out in a 15-minute cycle I can hit during bath time and fold then after lights out. Sometimes I even load the washer the night before so in the morning I can just add the detergent and hit start. If I don’t have time in the morning, I know having the washer loaded will make it easy to hit start when I get home from work.
Try multi-tasking during bedtime, too. Alternate bath nights with your partner. You can clean 2-3 toilets during your “off nights!” Or fold some wash, collect the trash, file your nails. If your child is old enough to enjoy a bath independently – supervise by cleaning the rest of the bathroom while they are in the tub playing!
Bedtime can be a really great time to spend quality moments with your kiddos, too. Limit your multi-tasking to alternated bath nights or twice a week. You’d be surprised how much you can done, and you won’t have to sacrifice coveted bedtime.
5. Put your kids to bed earlier
A healthy bedtime for infants and toddlers is between 6:30pm-7:30pm. Think about how much you could do if your kiddo went to bed BY 7:30pm. You could easily prep for the next day, meal plan, workout, shower, and still be in bed by 9:30pm. You could spend some QT with your partner, read a book, take a hot bath, catch up with family or friends on the phone, watch a show.
Respecting an early bedtime has lots of benefits for your kids, too. Particularly if you have an early riser. Sometimes getting your child to bed earlier can help stretch that morning wake time and prevent an overtired baby. Moving bedtime up as little as 15 minutes can make a huge difference! Remember, at this season of life, quality of time is better than quantity of time with the kids. Getting them adequate sleep and making the most of your time together is one of the best parenting practices you can offer.
If your child needs help getting on an appropriate schedule for their age so you can appreciate these transformative strategies, check out our Services Page for a sleep package that suites your needs. We offer FREE 15-minute phone consultations!
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