How to ease back into Routine After the Summer

By the time it hits mid August I’m ready to ease back into routine.  I’m ready to have a super productive year when Fall hits.

Oh, sure, I still want to enjoy the rest of the summer, but I start feeling the need for some order for everyone in the house. My kids need it too.

You know after Christmas, when everyone is talking about the new year, and they talk about resolutions and goals? People start cleaning up the Christmas stuff and re-organize shelves to make room for the presents they got?

People get tired of the Christmas chaos. As lovely and wonderful as Christmastime is, people start to crave a break from all the fun.

I know. That last line sounds crazy. Who wants a break from fun?

But I noticed, at least in my house, too much fun causes crankiness and tiredness. Hard work gets forgotten, yet there’s so much value in it.

So, I wonder, why after Christmas do we prepare for the new year, but not as much in the summer do we prepare for the new Fall season?

Of course, I know many people do. It just isn’t as popular as the re-centering after Christmas.

Personally, for me I like to break up my year into “terms”. When I think about preparing for the Fall season, I’m looking at it as if I’m preparing for the Fall term which will run September to the end of December.

January-June is the Winter/Spring term. And then we have our two months of Summer.

As you see, I break up my year into uneven terms. That’s just what works for me. But breaking it down into separate chunks means I am not having to commit to something for the full year most of the time. I like this because sometimes something is not working for us as a family and I can change it when the next term rolls around.

Around this time of year is when I start doing a few things to prepare for September so we can hit the ground running and have more chance of being productive this Fall.

Preparation, in my opinion, is a big key to success. Without a plan you don’t really know where you are going or what you are doing. Especially if you are like me and you have mom brain! 🙂

But, let’s be honest. Getting back into the swing of things after an enjoyable, relaxing summer is not always easy.

So, here are some things you may not have thought of to help you prepare for September so that you can ease back into routine the painless way.

HOW TO EASE BACK INTO ROUTINE AFTER SUMMER

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Clean out your freezer and pantry.

There are a few benefits to doing this. First of all, it will help you save money. If you don’t even know what is in your freezer and feel like you have no clue what you can make, you’ll hit the drive thru. Especially in September when you are busy, busy, busy.

The other reason to do this is to make room so you can stock up on things to put in there that you can use for quick dinners for those busy nights. You can also make some baked goods to freeze to help you when those munchkins need their snacks. 🙂

I like to stock up the pantry a bit for the fall and winter because I don’t like going to the grocery store as much in the cold. 🙂

This is also a good time to preserve any food you may have from your garden to stock up your pantry.

Make a schedule.

Start deciding what your schedule is going to look like for the fall season. It doesn’t have to be in cement since things come up, especially in those first few weeks, but having an idea of what you want your schedule to look like helps. I love to use a planner for this kind of thing. If you are looking for a planner, definitely check out my home management planner, along with smaller daily schedule templates in my printable shop.

This is also a good time to decide how much you want on your plate this coming year. We often put too much on our plate because we don’t have a plan, and then we find it difficult to say no. Deciding before the summer ends how much you want to say yes to can really help. This also goes for extra-curriculars for kids.

Put a limit on how many activities you want everyone to do, and then stick with it when sign-up time comes.

And if you haven’t heard it lately, it’s okay to say no. You can’t do everything. Just because you did something last year doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it this year. When we sign up for too much we often end up giving only 10 percent to 10 different activities because we are stretched too thin. It is often better to be able to give 100% to just a few things we’ve signed up for because we can balance it all.

Look over your budget.

Now is a great time to look over your budget and see if anything needs to change. The end of the summer often brings extra expenses. You may have school expenses for your child, extra-curricular expenses, or expenses for yourself if you sign up for any kind of classes or activities. On top of that there may be fall or winter clothing expenses.

You’ll want to add those into your budget if they aren’t already there, and you may find something in your budget isn’t quite working. Re-vamp your budget to make it work for you.

Clean and re-organize your work space.

While work spaces will look different for everyone, chances are you have one no matter what you do. It may not be a separate room – it may be a corner of your kitchen, but now is a good time to re-organize the space you spend time either working from home, homeschooling, crafting, or other projects you love or need to do.

Get it cleaned up and organized so you can be hard at work in that space again for the coming year!

Meal plan.

Meal planning will save your life. You will avoid the drive thru, you will be less stressed because you know what’s for dinner, and you will save money by shopping the sales and making meals around it for your meal plan! Meal planning is super helpful, but especially when we are back into routine.

You can find more about meal planning here.

Adjust your bedtime routine.

Summer days are for late nights, and lazy mornings. But, all good things must come to an end, and that includes a relaxed bedtime schedule.

Start going to bed a little earlier each night and getting up a little earlier each day. This will help you adjust if you do it gradually as opposed to all at once when the summer is over. This is especially helpful for kids who are going back to school.

If you struggle to get up in the morning and want to be more productive, check out Crystal Paine’s Make Over Your Mornings course.  This woman knows how to get things done!  Her courses are very cheap in my opinion as well.

Add in some exercise.

If we want to be productive, moving our bodies will help a lot. Exercise gives us the energy to do what we need to do throughout the day. Make a point this Fall to add some exercise into your routine. It doesn’t have to be anything too time consuming or vigorous. Even a daily 20 minute walk can really go a long way in taking care of your health and helping you feel at your best.

Make time for some fun.

Easing back into routine is a heck of a lot easier if there’s some fun scheduled in there. Make a point to do something fun before your routine begins again. After you get back into the swing of things make sure your schedule allows for some fun every week as well.

This can be as simple as reading a favorite book with a mug of your favorite hot beverage, or connecting with friends, or taking in a local event. Whatever it is, make sure you make time for some fun because if it’s all work and no play you’ll get burnt out very quickly and lack the motivation to be as productive as you can be.

THERE IS JOY IN ROUTINE

I gotta tell ya, I’m excited for the last few weeks of summer and all the fun that is left to be had, but I am equally excited for the Fall. For all things pumpkins, cozy sweaters, leaves of all colors, and of course, routine. Autumn is a favorite season around our house. It’s also when I start baking again after taking a break through the summer since it is just too hot to have the stove on too much. The family definitely looks forward to pies, muffins, and homemade breads again.

What about you? Are you looking forward to a new season and getting back into routine? Leave a comment below and let me know!