How to Be a Happy and Organized Stay-At-Home Mom

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Has anyone ever asked you what it is that you do for a living?

And when you tell them you’re a stay-at-home mom, their response is something along the lines of “oh, must be nice” as if it’s some sort of vacation.

The truth is, there’s more to it than just hanging out and watching Netflix all day, right?

Sure, some days we feel on top of the world and might fit in an episode or 2 of our favorite show.

On other days, laundry is up to our eyeballs, we feel like we have no time for ourselves, NO idea what to cook for dinner, and the baby is demanding to be fed.

(Need dinner ideas? Here are 70 easy dinners to make from a rotisserie chicken!)

While I can’t promise you that laundry will ever truly be a piece of cake, I can, however, share some of my best tips for being a happy, healthy, and organized stay-at-home mom!

Tips to be an organized stay-at-home mom

These tips may sound simple, but they truly do make a big difference.

If you’re trying to get organized as a stay-at-home mom, one of the best things you can do is get yourself a planner or family calendar and actually use it.

It can be tough to keep track of everything that’s going on, from doctor appointments to field trip dates.

By having everything in one place, you can avoid the stress and chaos that comes with trying to remember everything. It makes life a lot easier!

These are my personal favorites when it comes to planners and calendars:

• The best planners for moms
• The best family calendar app for your phone
• Grab a simple printable calendar for your fridge

Get your finances in order

When it comes to stay-at-home mom organization, your finances matter too.

As a stay-at-home mom, you’re probably living on one income (unless you’re making extra money from home of course).

And let’s face it. Being a one-income family can be stressful.

What’s a mama to do? Get your finances on track by:

Creating a family budget – The more you make, the more you tend to spend. Figuring out where your money is going vs. where it needs to go is a good idea no matter what your income is.

Getting your bills organized – This can be as simple as downloading a monthly bill calendar. No more late fees and spacing on due dates!

Setting financial goals for your family – Working towards savings goals can be exciting. Want to plan a family trip to Disney? Pay off your car? Now is the perfect time to start.

Get a free 52-week money challenge printable here.

Embrace routines

If you are feeling overwhelmed as a stay-at-home mom, I highly recommend that you embrace routines.

Having solid routines in place will simplify your life and help you structure your day.

It wasn’t until my oldest started kindergarten that I started to grasp the importance of this whole routine thing.

Let’s just say that skating around on school mornings with no plan, no routine, nada… wasn’t cutting it. Racing against the clock isn’t the best way to start your day.

If your life feels like a chaotic mess, it might be time to rethink your routines.

A few of the areas that tend to get moms all stressed out tend to be…

• Dinner time
• Keeping your home clean and tidy (Learn the secret to cleaning a messy house)
• Morning time – especially if you have kids that are in school or you have an early morning appointment to get to
• Homework

Kick the clutter

Another crucial stay-at-home mom tip? Kick the clutter.

Now, I’m not saying you have to get rid of everything but the kitchen sink, but I wholeheartedly believe that decluttering your house is the first place you should start when you’re feeling frazzled.

Some believe that physical clutter can make you feel weighed down and crappy, and I definitely agree as this has been my experience too.

The idea is to get rid of anything you don’t use or absolutely love. The less “stuff” you have, the easier it is to keep everything clean and organized.

Is your closet cramped because you’re hoarding things you know you’ll never wear? When it comes to decluttering, you must be ruthless.

If you don’t love something or you haven’t used it in the past year, it may be time to donate or sell it.

Trust me when I say that you’ll feel so much lighter and better once you’re finished.

Plan your dinners

Is dinner time stressing you out? I highly recommend that you try meal planning.

I know you’re probably tired of hearing how meal planning is the solution to all your problems, but hear me out.

I think when some moms hear “meal planning” they think they have to plan out every morsel of food or cook fancy meals. And, yuck… that sounds like too much work.

That’s really not the case. It doesn’t have to be complicated at all.

In fact, getting started can be as simple as making a list of your family’s favorite meals and using that as a starting point.

You can even plan to leave one night a week up for Chinese, pizza, date night – whatever you like.

Related: Meal Planning Printables to Save You Time and Money

Make smarter to-do lists

To-do lists are supposed to simplify things for you, right? But if you add too many things to the list, it can be counterproductive.

What works better? You probably feel like there are a million things going on inside your head. Things you need to grab at the store, meal ideas you randomly think of, upcoming appointments or due dates, etc.

How do you sort out what needs to be dealt with now without forgetting about the rest?

I’m a huge fan of using brain dumps to create my to-do lists.

Once I have a nice, physical list that’s outside of my head and on paper, I can start to sort and prioritize what I should do first and what can be saved for later.

If you do this, you can physically see what needs your attention first and start crafting your (simplified) to-do list.

Get a free brain dump template for busy moms here.

Stay-at-home mom tips for staying happy and healthy

Staying organized is so important for your sanity, but overall happiness is just as important.

Here are a few crucial tips for staying happy and healthy as a stay-at-home mom.

Start exercising

Yes, move your body!

Exercise is a natural stress reliever and can even help with anxiety and depression (source).

So, exercise for the feeling you’ll have afterward. Do it because you want to feel your best.

No matter what my weight is or how far I can run, I always feel better when I’m exercising consistently.

And by exercising, I’m not saying you have to hit the gym.

It can be as simple as setting a step goal and walking for 20-30 minutes a day. I’ve noticed that just getting in a quick 20-minute walk improves my overall mood tremendously!

Also, if you want to step it up a notch, there are endless home workout options.

If you can find a type of exercise you legit enjoy, that’s the best kind.

Make sleep a priority

I know it’s hard to get in enough sleep sometimes, especially if you have a baby. You’re on their schedule and you can’t always just sleep on demand whenever you want. I get that.

I also get that sometimes when your kids are asleep you just want to sit there and enjoy the peace and quiet as you catch up on your favorite show.

But, it’s so important that you at least try to get enough sleep.

If you’re feeling extra irritable or crying at the drop of a hat, you may not be getting enough quality sleep.

I honestly didn’t start paying attention to the amount of sleep I was getting until I started using my Fitbit.

I started noticing that I felt so much better when I’d get at least 7 hours of sleep. I had more patience and felt all-around better.

What if you’re a stay-at-home mom that can’t sleep?

• Eat a healthier diet. More whole foods.
• Drink enough water during the day so that you’re not feeling thirsty at night.
• Figure out what helps you relax. ASMR videos? Reading a book?
• Lay off social media at night. Sometimes a break from the mindless scrolling is a good thing. Plus, the bright screen hinders the production of melatonin (source).
• Try diffusing a few drops of essential oils for sleep.
• If all else fails, talk to your doctor and see if they have any insight or advice.

Find a hobby or a side hustle

If you’re feeling bored or unfulfilled, there are plenty of things to do when you’re a stay-at-home mom.

Scraping food off of weird places doesn’t count, by the way.

You need things to think and talk about other than Minecraft, Lego blocks, and which baby bottle you like best.

Yes, those things are great (and necessary), but the person you were before you had kids is still in there somewhere.

It’s okay for you to have a little something for yourself, too.

Having a hobby or even a side hustle gives you something new to be excited about, look forward to, and work at. This will help you feel fulfilled as a stay-at-home mom.

So, what do you like to do?

What would you like to learn? What did you like before you had kids?

Have you considered starting a blog? Or a YouTube channel?

I’m giving you permission to take the leap!

Related: How to Start a Mom Blog for Beginners

Related: How to Make Extra Money as a Stay-at-Home Mom

Make time for yourself

Happy stay-at-home moms know that in order to be the best mom possible, they need to take make time for themselves too. Even if it’s just 10-15 minutes a day.

You can use this time to read, watch a video, take an uninterrupted shower, work out, or just relax. Do whatever it is that makes you feel good and recharged.

It’s so important to have a little “me time” each day, otherwise, you will quickly start to feel burned out.

Mom burnout is real, and it often happens when we try to do it all and don’t prioritize our own needs too.

Related: 21 Quick and Easy Self-Care Ideas for Moms

Wake up before your kids

One way to squeeze in a few minutes to yourself is to wake up a few minutes before your kids.

It gives you a few minutes of alone time to wake up, make some coffee, read – anything you want to do before transitioning to mommy mode.

Those first few uninterrupted sips of coffee are the absolute best.

Play some music

Good music soothes the soul.

You can be in the absolute worst mood ever and turn on one of your favorite songs and feel better instantly. I challenge you to try it.

Doing the dishes? Folding clothes? Throw on some music, even if it has to be done with only one earbud in so that you can have the other ear in “mommy listening” mode.

Learn to say no

And if something comes up that doesn’t align with your main priorities?

Sometimes you have to say no.

Being a stay-at-home mom may not come with a paycheck (unless you have a SAHM job on the side), but it’s hard work – no doubt!

You have a lot on your plate and if you aren’t feeling up to a certain activity or event, it’s 100% okay to say no.

Get out of the house

Finally, as simple as it sounds, getting out of the house is one of the most important tips for stay-at-home moms!

When you’re a stay-at-home mom, you might find yourself slowly transitioning into a hermit. It happens.

It’s GOOD to change your surroundings even if it’s just to take the kids to the park.

A little sunshine and some fresh air go a long way!

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Being a stay-at-home mom can be a lot of work, but by using these tips you can make things a little bit easier.

Consider using a planner, get your finances in order, tweak your routines, and start planning out your meals. These are key to being an organized stay-at-home mom.

And don’t forget to take care of yourself too! If something doesn’t fit into your main priorities, you are allowed to say no.