Less & More: The WFH Mom Edit

I don’t know about you, but in this season of elementary school parenting, I’ve come to realize that April is like December’s slightly less chaotic cousin. We don’t have Christmas, but Easter brings its own set of pressures, and instead of a two-week winter break, we have a 10-day spring break. All the seasonal activities—school events, spring musicals, and birthday parties—get crammed into a few weeks, leaving us feeling like we’re just limping toward the finish line.

After a tough go at this last year, I’ve learned a few things that help me reset my routine and survive the chaos. Here’s how I manage to stay grounded when life starts spinning out of control.

Here’s how I do it when life feels like it’s spinning out of control:

1. Pare Down My Workout Routine

This is one of the first things I look at for myself, because if I look at the reports from my Garmin fitness tracker, this is where a lot of my energy (body battery) goes on a daily basis. SO – I know that when life gets chaotic, it’s not the best time to start something new or too challenging. Instead, I scale back and focus on maintaining a simple, manageable routine. If I know that it’s going to be a week or two of madness, I’ll intentionally take a deload week. This means, instead of sticking to a progressive overload weight lifting schedule, I’ll “take off” by doing yoga, pilates or barre or maybe super low weights instead. This helps me avoid burnout while staying active and not “losing my place” with any progress I’ve made. I used to stubbornly double down on difficult workouts during times of stress, telling myself that it was great for my mental health. The unfortunate truth (for me, anyway), is that my brain and body can only handle so much stress coming in and even though it’s a GREAT stress, working out is still a stress, and sometimes the way my workouts are scheduled, it’s a MAJOR stress. This is something that needs to be mitigated when everything else is demanding my attention and energy.

2. Set Specific Priorities

I have a tendency to be a very “all or nothing” thinker. This can be disastrous during times of stress, because I might think, “Well, I can’t do everything I want to or focus on all my top priorities, so I’ll just drop everything.” Not good. During times of chaos, it’s essential to define what really matters. I will sit down and make a streamlined list of the key things I want to focus on, so I don’t get distracted by non-essentials. Narrowing my focus helps me say “yes” to the right opportunities and say “no” to things that will just add unnecessary stress (which, BONUS: helps with decision fatigue, which can be exacerbated during periods of chaos). This might mean that priorities like batting 1000 with the kids’ chores might take a backseat just temporarily until we can all make space for that again. Things I tend to prioritize during these times are spread throughout this post, but some top contenders include daily walks/movement (even if it’s adapted, as above), cooking quick but healthy (which in my house means protein, fat, fiber, veggies) meals and getting myself and everyone else to bed on time whenever humanly possible.

3. Practice Meditation & Breathing

This one has been tough for me over the years because it doesn’t FEEL productive in the moment and sometimes, I spend half my meditation time thinking about what all I need to get done that day. I first got into this habit when I downloaded Headspace during COVID and got into a great rhythm for a time. The stability of the habit has ebbed and flowed over the years since then, but I know that for my mental well-being, committing to just 10 minutes of meditation each day makes a big difference in how I’ll handle stressors that day. It doesn’t need to be complicated (I usually just select from the many options Peloton offers), but it’s crucial for creating a calm, centered mind amidst the noise.

Another recent, but emphatically effective practice I’ve added in recently: periods of down-regulation breathing techniques to de-stress and help lower anxiety levels. Throughout the day, I’ll set a timer for five minutes, turn on some relaxing music on Spotify and just focus on breathing techniques that emphasize an extended exhale.These practices support healthy sleep and help keep my energy levels steady. I find that the more I do these throughout each day, the less stress my watch is telling me I have right before bedtime. When the schedule is crazy, it’s especially important to make time for these things that might seem like the first “nonessential” things to get cut out, but I think that would be a mistake, as they are foundational to ensure I have the energy and fortitude to handle everything else.

4. Focus on Sleep

This is a bit of an add on to the above, but getting enough sleep is critical during chaotic times. If I’m running on fumes, everything else starts to unravel. I’m cranky and don’t have the same optimism about my circumstances that I do when I’ve had a good night’s sleep. Sleep is ALWAYS important to me, but during these times, I take extra care to focus on creating a sleep-friendly environment—dim lights, no screen time right before bed, and sticking to a regular bedtime. It’s essential to support my body’s natural circadian rhythm to recharge properly. I’ve worked on the perfect wind down routine for myself and I don’t allow any skimping on it when I know that my days are going to be extra nutty. This has the added benefit of having something to look forward to during each chaos-filled day. I know that no matter what, I’ll have my wind down routine and bed to work toward and it’s only ever a few hours away.

5. Prioritize Daily Walks

Over the years, a daily walk has become a non-negotiable for me. Whether it’s 15 minutes or an hour, it’s a great way to clear my head and boost my energy. Spending that time outside always re-energizes me and at the end of my walk, I always have more energy, not less. It’s a powerful tool. Of note, today is my 100th day in a row of getting 10k+ steps per day. Just 265 more until my New Year’s Resolution is fulfilled!

I’ve already waxed on about the benefits of walking, but when I’m stressed, this is always the time that I ensure I set aside for myself and if things are SO crazy that I don’t “feel” like doing my walk, I just do it anyway because experience has taught me that there are always huge benefits on the other end and I’ve never regretted going for a walk. I’m sure Waylon appreciates this mindset from me.

6. One Day at a Time

When life feels chaotic, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the bigger picture and think about everything coming up. Instead of trying to plan ahead too far, I focus on getting through each day, or at most, the following day. This “one day at a time” approach helps reduce stress and makes everything feel more manageable. When things are crazy all at once like this, longterm plans usually turn out to be futile anyway, because things can change at the drop of a hat and if I haven’t already got a solid plan in place, I feel less stressed about abandoning it if I need to. By focusing on the day ahead instead of the big picture, I stay grounded. It reduces stress and keeps me from becoming overwhelmed by everything I can’t control.

6. Accept That Not Everything Needs to Be Done

I have a tendency to make a pretty aggressive to do list each day. It’s easy to feel like everything must be checked off the list, but sometimes the best thing is simply letting go. I remind myself that it’s okay if everything isn’t done. This mindset helps me feel less pressured and more at peace with the process. This goes along with the tip about prioritization, but in a more practical way, I just don’t expect that all the items on a “normal” to do list will get done during periods of time when we’re all running around like crazy. I try to save things like “raking the yard” for a to do list on a Saturday with not much else to do.

8. Practice Gratitude

This one is so commonplace in advice from podcasters, bloggers and influencers, I almost left it out, but honestly? It’s ubiquitously recommended for a reason. Gratitude is a game-changer, especially when things feel out of control. It helps me shift focus from stressors to what’s going right. Every day, I write down three things I’m grateful for. This simple practice sharpens my perspective, helping me see opportunities in the midst of chaos.

8. Cut Back on Caffeine and Sugar

This is tough and seems counterintuitive, or at least it did to me for many years. I used to think, “I’m stressed! I need an extra cup of coffee or that little treat! I deserve it!” But it turns out, that just adds more stress on an already overtaxed body. I would never cut coffee out completely (other than when I was pregnant), but I do bring the caffeine content for my daily cups way down by just using fewer beans and a bit more water. I usually have a decent course of adrenaline pushing me around anyway, so the smaller amount of caffeine just means I don’t get wired and my sleep doesn’t suffer. The abstinence from treats is harder, but I’ve learned the hard way that weird deviations from my normal diet present unusual problems (headaches, bouts of sleepiness, stomach pain) that I do not have time to deal with during an already crazed time. I also don’t feel like I’m really enjoying them during those times, so I save them for more celebratory moments instead.

When life feels like it’s spiraling out of control, resetting your routine doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s so easy for me to throw up my hands and say “I’m in survival mode – EFF IT!” But, by prioritizing the basics—rest, movement, and mindfulness—I try to create a foundation of calm and energy that helps me manage even the busiest times. Because all this sounds great in a blog post, but isn’t always the easiest to implement in “real life,” I have to constantly remind myself, it’s about progress, not perfection. We did better this April than last, but I know that as I continue to reflect and audit, I’ll come up with even more tweaks for 2026 that I didn’t think of this year. I promise to share as they come to me.

What do you do to reset when things feel crazy?