Here are some tips to help you gain some traction on those days when you feel overwhelmed:
1) Pray. Give it all to God, and ask Him to direct your efforts.
2) Tend to the living needs and safety issues. A kid's boo-boo comes before laundy, of course. Working out an argument with your spouse comes before dishes, though, too. Make sure the physical and mental/emotional needs of both those in your household, and your own are resolved. Also, put safety needs first. Examples might be: to remove any clutter from stairwells (avoiding potential falls or blocked walkways in case of emergencies or fire.), never walking away from a stove-top on which you are cooking something, and never leaving a small child free and unattended to take a phone call.
3) Multi-task strategically. Put a load of laundry in the washing machine before going to do the dishes, as the laundry can be ready to move along to the dryer when you are done with the dishes...thus, two tasks nearly complete for the time it took to do one.
4) Do some quick "instant pick-me-ups": Clear the kitchen table, clear the end tables and coffee table, counter tops, and chairs, corral the toys, and close the doors and drawers. It is amazing what you can do when you just take 15 minutes to "straighten-up."
For more help with the home, visit www.flylady.net. And, if you need more help than just a quick list, consider contacting us for life or marriage coaching...we can help you strategize and gain results that will help you to eliminate stress, gain traction, and get peace: www.marriageguyandgal.com is our website, and my e-mail is marriagegalmichelle@gmail.com.
Blessings on your week!
--Michelle
