There are so many little decisions working moms make for themselves, for their children, for their families and in their careers that add up throughout the day. All these choices can tire out your brain, causing your willpower to fade. It’s called decision fatigue.
Routines can help combat this condition. Here are three routines you might consider to give your brain a break:
- What to eat – Plan your meals. Make lunches and meals ahead of time. Have a rotating set of recipes or themed meal days like “Taco Tuesday.” Have go-to dishes at go-to restaurants to eliminate the stress of perusing menus or searching for places to eat.
- What to wear – Steve Jobs famously wore his signature black turtleneck and jeans, it was his “uniform.” Create a uniform for yourself or a capsule wardrobe. Pick and plan your outfits ahead of time. Do the same for your kids or have them do it for themselves.
- Finances – Money brings with it its own type of stress, so the fewer decisions you have to make on the fly, the better. Create a budget and stick to it. If you get a paycheck, have it be directly deposited into your checking account. Set up scheduled transfers directly from checking to savings, and automatically pay for any service provider that offers it (cable, energy, etc.)