You don’t need to tell me you that at any time in your day, all those well laid plans get can thrown out the window and life can get a bit crazy. We’re all so busy these days and it seems to happen more often than not. Here are 8 steps to take when life is crazy at home.

Go with the flow

The best thing to do is forget about what else you’ve got to do and just go with the flow.

Imagine you’re in a boat on wild seas. Know that it will end. Just ride it out.

There is always an end. Just know that it will pass and you’ll have time to refocus on what needs doing. Focus on the most important and urgent thing at hand. The biggest priority is of course the health and safety of yourself or your family members. Focus on that first.

Delegate

If you’re lucky enough to have a partner or older family members at home, delegate other things that need doing.

If you’ve got to run to the hospital or go to an appointment, ask your partner to start dinner, pick up the children from school or their dance class.

Have a village of people around you to call on when you need to. I was lucky when I was a single parent that I had a lot of other women in my circle of friends who would take one child while the other was sick or pick them up from school, which I’m eternally grateful. Don’t be too proud to ask for help. You know you can always offer to return the favour.

Stop and breathe

Realise that this is just a moment and it will end. You’re going to get through this so stop and breathe.

Deep breathing helps you to relax nearly instantly. Even if takes 3 to 5 deep breaths, just stop for that minute or so and you’ll be able to focus more on what needs to be done. Don’t panic.

Practice regular deep breathing techniques and other exercises that will help you be more calm and at ease when these moments do arise.

Once the dust settles

Once it’s all over, take the time to journal about what happened. Write down every detail of what happened. Not only to diarise the event but reaffirm that you can get through anything. That there is always and end to the chaos.

You’ll also be able to look back at these moments and have a little chuckle to yourself about just how chaotic life can be sometimes but you’ll always know that you can get through it. Use the time to enjoy a cup of tea and take out a couple minutes for yourself.

Plan, plan, plan

It’s good to have plans in place but we know that children are so unpredictable. The best way to plan is to have simple, nonrestrictive plans in place so you feel like you’re on top of most of what needs to be done in your day.

Have a simple morning routine of your most basic household chores that take no longer than 15 to 30 minutes.

Clean as you go (CAYG). Put things back after you’ve used them. Declutter and organise as you go.

Live in the moment

Be like a dog and live in the moment. My family are huge dog lovers and when we watch our pet dog Willy, we often laugh at how he has such a wonderful life. He never wants for anything, never plans anything too far in advance (except dinner time) and goes with the flow.

Don’t look too far into the future. Sure, have your appointments and routines. Catch up with friends and visit playgroups and take your kids to after school activities but live more in the moment.

There’s always room for improvement

After one of these moments of chaos occur in your home, besides journalling, it’s always good to review how you might’ve been able to handle it differently.

Look at what worked like older children helping with dinner prep, calling on a friend to help with after school pickup or deciding to have a really easy meal for dinner instead of what was planned. (No one ever died from having a sandwich for dinner.)

Make a mental note or journal about it so you’re better prepared next time.

Take regular time out for self care

And this is the biggest takeaway from this post! Always, always, always take regular time out for self care. You could be in the middle of a crisis and you could be reminding yourself that tomorrow is your day and you’ll have plenty of time for rest and relaxation.

Even if you don’t have enough time or resources with young children at home to take a whole day out, take out 15 minutes or half an hour here and there to put your feet up and do what you want to do. Even if it’s something as simple as having a hot cup of tea and reading a magazine.

This helps you recover and be ready to tackle anything life throws at your in the future.

Always remember that these things happen to anyone. You’re not alone. You’ve shown that you’ve got through it in the past. You can do it again.

8 steps to take when life is crazy at home