Your days will be more productive if you create a schedule for yourself and your family members. We’re all trying to make sense of this new version of life where every day looks and feels like the one before. To help create a new sense of stability and routine, we need markers for every day of the week to help create a sense of grounding, normalcy and help you create a sense of what your priorities are. Here are our best tips to get you started:
- Create a list of everything you need to accomplish that day. Don’t worry about the order – just get it all out on paper.
- Review with your kids what classes and assignments are due the next day.
- Create separate workspaces for yourself, your spouse (if he/she is also working from home), and your kids.
- Once you have an overview of everything that’s a key element on your family’s calendar, create a system (paper or digital, like Google calendar) to help you keep track.
- Plan regular meal times to make sure everyone is hydrated and fed and have some quick snacks at hand to avoid blood-sugar lows.
- Assign chores! Try to assign everyone at least one or two daily tasks that each person enjoys doing. Play to your kids’ strengths, whether that’s loading the dishwasher, folding their own laundry or mowing the lawn, find something that appeals to them and builds their self-esteem. An added benefit is that this teaches your children that they need to work for something when they want a reward! Teaching them to do things for themselves will off-load you from feeling responsible for it all and it will teach them to appreciate little things like clean dishes and a nice made bed.
- Create a family tool-box of things you enjoy doing together to create healthy breaks during the day. Go on a walk or a bike ride, play a game, or do something creative together that’s low-pressure and enjoyable.
Breaking your day up into manageable “chunks” will go a long way to stay out of feeling overwhelmed. Go for little successes and above all, be patient and kind with yourself and each other!