5 tips for staying organized as a working nurse mom

Juggling being a mom and a full-time job can feel like quite the balancing act. These tips are what help me stay organized as a working nurse mom and stay sane during busy workweeks. These are simple, yet effective!

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1. Preparation.

This is easily the most important tip and hence why it makes the top of the list. I start preparing for the following day as soon as I get my kids home from school. Our after-school routine takes as little as 10 minutes. Once they get home, they know to unload their bookbags, take important papers, water bottles and lunchboxes upstairs before they get to take off outside to play. We recently invested in a hall tree and this has helped keep this process organized and efficient.

After dinner and bedtime routine, I wind down with a podcast and clean up the kitchen and living room and give it a good reset before getting in bed at 8:00 pm. Yes, usually 8:00 p.m. if I can most nights. This is allows me time to decompress after a long day of work and homemaking. It ensures I get a good 7.5-8 hours which allows me to show up best for myself and everyone around me.

2. Set expectations and responsibilities.

Children are more capable than we give them credit often times. When given expectations and responsibilities, children thrive. I encourage you to sit down as a family and establish after school expectations. For our family, our kids come in and unpack backpacks and lunches, place water bottles in the sink to be washed, and place any school papers in the organizer in the kitchen. After that, they are free to go outside to play. They are responsible for their bookbags and having the correct items in their bags each day. This system works well for our family.

3. Wake up early.

This was a difficult habit to establish but well worth it. It has been essential for my mental health. It helps me get grounded and my heart posture in order before I begin the day. I usually will read some passages from the bible or something self-development related. My favorite read recently has been “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer. I can’t recommend this book enough.

In addition, I try to take 5 minutes and write my gratitude and review my goals, both short and long term. Sometimes this is only 15 minutes and other times a little bit longer. This is a game changer for my morning routine.

4. Delay caffeine.

For all my coffee and tea drinkers, this one is painful at first. I used to bee line to the coffee maker as soon as my eyes crusted open. But trust me, wait. Just one hour! I got this tip from the Huberman Lab podcast. It has been so helpful for me. Before you roll your eyes to this one, here’s the science to back it up. According to Huberman, “Shortly after waking, our body experiences a spike in cortisol that helps clear adenosine. If you consume caffeine before this spike, its production is disrupted. By waiting to consume caffeine, you’re giving your body enough time to clear out the adenosine in your body, so it doesn’t come back to haunt you once the caffeine wears off. By delaying your caffeine to 90-120 minutes after waking, you set up your system so you get that morning cortisol peak—and then when you ingest your caffeine, not only will you be craving it just a little bit, but you will be drinking that caffeine on an already existing backdrop of increased alertness,” Huberman explains.

5. Implement a calendar system.

I have a magnetic calendar on our fridge where all the important events are listed for school, after school and weekends. I really love this one from amazon. It is cute and customizable to your family. With multiple children, it is impossible to attend all of the activities and events. This helps you prioritize what is most important as a family and stay organized without feeling overwhelmed.

Be sure to comment which tips you felt were most helpful and don’t forget to join my newsletter for more tips on motherhood and homemaking.