Be Less Busy: 20 Things to Cut from Your Busy Parenting Schedule

Life is busy. Add children into the mix, and life is crazy busy. Sometimes during that busy life we crave a little more sanity, a little less to do. But recognizing what we can cut out of our schedule is tough. When we’re in the thick of busyness, it all feels essential. So, if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed with your busy life, here are 20 ideas of what you can cut out of your schedule. Hopefully this list is helpful and gets you brainstorming so you can feel a little less busy and a little more peace in your life.

3 Tips for Lightening Your Schedule

Before we get to the good stuff, there are a few principles that will make this list even more helpful for you.

First, remember that time adds up. So, if you eliminate something that saves only ten minutes a day, recognize that is over an hour per week! What could you do with that extra hour per week? For starters you would feel less busy.

Be willing to make small changes, realizing that small trickles overtime create giant canyons.

Second, sometimes saving time requires an investment of time. I am a big fan of routines. Routines that are aligned with our personal priorities can transform our lives.

Some studies say about 40% of what we do day to day is because of habit. Conscious routines can ensure that those habits will result in the life we actually want.

Additionally, routines save a lot of time. However, routines take time to set-up. Some people never get to the sweet spot because they’re not willing to invest up front. Have faith that routines really will save you time and be willing to invest a little time now in order to save a lot of time going forward.

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Third, experiment. There might be something on this list that you believe is essential. And it might be for you. However, you can know for sure if you’re willing to experiment.

I love what I call the “Two Week Rule.” There’s a philosophy behind it, but the basic idea is that we can do anything for two weeks. So, if I’m contemplating a life change, I sincerely try it out for two weeks. Afterward, I evaluate how it worked out and if the change would be worth the effort.

Experiment with eliminating different things from your schedule, and see how life feels without them.

20 Things to Eliminate to Be Less Busy

1. Grocery Shopping
   • I personally like the human connection of going in a grocery store, but many of my friends love grocery delivery. Many services are free or very low cost now. Try Walmart, Amazon, Peapod, instacart, or google “grocery delivery near me.”
2. Social Media Browsing
   • Facebook and other social media can be time suckers. Set a timer, go on with a purpose, put off social media until other necessary tasks are completed, or eliminate it completely for a day or week. It’s amazing how much time can be reclaimed.
   • Related: One Social Media Tip that Will Help Parents Live Their Best Lives
3. Wasted Time doing Nothing
   • You know those small chunks of 10-15 minutes throughout the day that fall between activities? It’s a common time to pull out the phone or dawdle and really get nothing done. Instead, make a plan for those short spurts. Brainstorm tasks that could be completed in short times, such as answering an email or looking through kids’ school papers. Use those few minutes to consciously connect with one of your children or another person. Alternately, sit down and enjoy relaxing without feeling too busy.
4. Staring in the Fridge
   • Stop staring in the fridge and wasting time wondering what’s for dinner. Set-up and follow-through with a meal plan. Bonus, meal planning can also save money and cut down on wasted food.
   • Related: Organize Your Life- Meal Planning
5. Some Extracurricular Activities
   • Nobody can do everything, so let’s not make our kids feel like they should be. Be realistic about what each child and the family as a whole can handle when it comes to signing up for extracurricular activities. Dropping even one activity can save a lot of time.
6. Daily Shower
   • Don’t get all grossed out. Daily showering is much more of a cultural norm than a necessity, according to most dermatologists. While working out or living in a hot and humid environment can necessitate a daily shower, many people can shower less often.
7. TV or Movies
   • Watching a show can be relaxing, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all that needs to be done, eliminate videos and other entertainment for a while. Similarly, it is less productive to watch a show while working than it is to give one task full attention. While you might reintroduce shows later, you also might find that life goes on pretty well without them.
8. Some Volunteering
   • Volunteering in our schools and communities is a good thing. However, if we are feeling overwhelmed, we don’t have to be the Team Mom, the Room Mom, and the Cub Scout Mom.
9. Looking for Missing Items
   • Take the time to eliminate clutter and get organized.
   • Related: Organize Your Life- 3 Steps to Declutter and Organize
10. Getting Ready for the Day and Make-Up
    • I’m not saying to let ourselves go and wear pajamas all day every day (although if you do, no judging here because I definitely have pajama days), but consider how you can minimize the time spent getting ready. Take a shorter shower. Don’t blow dry your hair. Simplify your make-up routine.
11. Matching Socks
    • Get socks that are all the same color and style. Alternately, wear mismatched socks.
12. Driving to the Gym
    • Exercise is a great use of time for us and our families. Cut-out the time driving to the gym by exercising at home.
    • Related: 10 Exercise Hacks for Busy Moms: How to Get Fit in Less Time
13. Scraping Crusty Dishes
    • Rinse and take care of dishes as soon as you’re done with them. The task has to be done either way, so save time by doing it when the dishes are fresh.
14. Business Extras
    • If you’re working, think about what gives you the greatest return on investment. Prioritize your work tasks so that you can spend your time where it does the most good. If the less important items don’t happen, that won’t be a problem. Also, consider delegating some tasks.
15. Shopping
    • Minimize what you buy. If new clothes aren’t a necessity right now, skip that shopping trip. Wait and combine shopping needs, so you make as few trips as possible. Again, consider shopping online for essentials like toilet paper.
16. Cleaning a Disaster of a House
    • This isn’t elimination as much as an opportunity to save time. Save time with the essential cleaning task by preventing messes, cleaning as you go, and teaching kids how to be legitimate helpers around the house. Practice speed cleaning or using those small chunks of often wasted time to complete a cleaning task.
    • Related: The Five E’s of Teaching Kids to Work
17. Spam Email
    • Take 20 minutes to unsubscribe from email lists that are no longer serving you.
18. The Perfect Post
    • While it’s fun to share on social media, it can take a lot of time to snap all the pictures required to get one perfect one. Try posting less frequently or less perfectly.
19. Some Outings
    • It’s wonderful to get out of the house, especially if you stay home with kids or work from home. However, realize that every day does not have to be filled with the best field trip ever. Combine a quick trip to the park with shopping. Avoid the hassle of packing up, and simply go for a walk.
20. Late Bedtimes
    • Start dinner sooner, set a new routine to finish homework earlier, and get the kids to bed on time. Earlier bedtimes help everyone get their needed sleep, allow parents to have an evening, and help the next morning start smoothly and on time.
    • Related: Best Bedtime Routine for Kids (5 Steps to an Easier Bedtime)

Check the Essentials

At the end of the day, we’re going to feel satisfied if we’ve done the most important tasks for the day, even if that means we haven’t done everything. Decide for yourself what really matters most. Put those things first in your day. For me, those essentials include daily connection with the Divine, reasonable exercise, and people.

Harvard has conducted the longest-running study about adult happiness. Robert Waldinger, a director of the study, has said, “The clearest message we get from this 75-year study is this: good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”

Make sure that people are coming first in life.

Think about why you do what you do. Is it from habit, expectation, or fear of failure? Clarify your priorities, and consciously choose to spend your time in ways that align with those priorities.

Eliminate whatever else you need to in order to feel less busy and conquer overwhelm. Practice saying no. Remember, nobody can do it all. There are seasons in life. Maybe some of your eliminated things are for a different season. Trust that whatever doesn’t get done will work out or is not that important after all.

What else have you eliminated from your life to save time and be less busy? Please share in the comments.

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