There is a lot to keep up with being a new mom. And a SAHM (Stay-at-home-mom) at that. One year + in, I am still learning to embrace this new role. I thought I didn’t have time before — wow! I had no idea! My life is completely devoted to caring for and keeping this tiny human alive. One who is completely dependent on me.
He is currently at the stage where he lives on the ground. Super fast ninja crawler. One minute I see him, the next I don’t. So I try my best to make sure there isn’t anything at his level that I wouldn’t want him getting into. Or putting in his mouth (because he puts ALL THE THINGS in his mouth!). Which means keeping the house as clean as possible. Did I mention we have a cat? Yeah. Lots of vacuuming.
I recently read the book “How to Keep House While Drowning” by KC Davis. Amazing. Go get it. Borrow it. Something. She has made it so you can read it in 30 minutes if you wanted to. One of my biggest takeaways was creating a schedule for myself so I don’t have to think about what I need to clean each day. With this schedule of “care tasks” to “reset the space” (I love the language she uses!), I have created a system where by the end of the week, I have cleaned the entire house. Or the essential parts that my little one has access to. And it makes me oh so happy. I am one of those people where if my space is clean, I feel content and at peace. Which is super important in my role as a mom and being present with my son. If I am not in a good space, it is harder for me to be a good mom.
Creating this schedule has taken out that (part of the) clutter in my thinking mind. I don’t have to make a choice. It has been made for me. And I can do it in 15-20 mins depending on the task. It has made a world of a difference for me. And I do it first thing in the morning, after my yoga and meditation routine (can you tell I like my routines?) so I don’t have it lingering over my head all day long.
I have to be honest here: I don’t love cleaning. Yes, it makes me happy when things are clean, but do I dig the whole process? Not so much. I don’t love vacuuming or dusting or doing laundry or washing cloth diapers. My husband loves cooking. It is his creative outlet. Our deal is that he cooks and I clean. But cleaning is no creative outlet for me. That’s why I have to listen to music or an inspirational podcast to get me through.
Peace of mind is my goal. When I don’t have to make decisions about what I have to do and get stuck in the “paradox of choice” (another great book!) and extra mind clutter, it helps streamline my day so I can be more at peace.
What can you do in your day to eliminate the mind clutter that is taken up by having to make decisions?
“Outdoor order contributes to inner calm.”
~Gretchen Ruben