When Life Gets Real: Navigating Your Family's “Busy Season”
Has your family ever been through a “Busy Season”? I'm talking about the kind where your usually high-functioning self has so much on the plate that things start dropping and you need to reprioritize.
Maybe you had a health challenge, welcomed a new baby, joined a startup accelerator, went back to school, or are caring for an aging parent. (All real scenarios we’ve had the good fortune to support clients through.)
Maybe it's just summer break combined with work deadlines and you're wondering how you're supposed to balance it all. (How is this the same month kids get out of school for summer break?!?)
Even if you aren’t in a Busy Season, new research from 2024 shows that mothers take on 71% of household mental load tasks, including planning, scheduling, and organizing.
My husband just had a (relatively simple) orthopedic surgery that makes it so he can't drive for a few weeks. So I too was recently planning for a Busy Season (all pickup and drop off and meals and running up and down the stairs for forgotten socks are on me!). Now, we're no strangers to this in our house. We've done a few surgery recoveries together and also welcomed a baby (now preschooler), and here's what I've learned works best for us:
When the going gets tough, the tough simplify and get organized.
Here are a few of our real-world, time-tested strategies that make the Busy Season easier. Maybe they can help you too.
A Quick Reality Check
Full disclosure: Even with these practical simplifying strategies, you may absolutely FEEL the stress you carry in your body. Try these things, but also have a great mental health therapist in your corner and schedule regular massage therapy sessions. We are here for you! And did you know? We manage our energy and take great care of ourselves—so your stress? It's never TOO much for us.
1. Simplify Meals (Because You Still Need to Eat)
Set up a meal train. We had one when our son was born. Family and friends loved being able to help and it was a great way to connect with our community. You can easily set this up online at the Meal Train website.
Sign up for grocery delivery. This time around, I have a 4-year-old who loves to hang with me while I cook, so I'm getting grocery delivery. Less after school grocery runs, more after school play time.
Hire a family chef. Postpartum and during a past surgery, we had a chef stock big meals for the fridge and freezer. When my son was 2, supervising him during Sunday meal prep wasn't happening—those pre-made meals saved us. Check out the Family Chef and Meal Prep section of our resources page for some great local offerings.
2. Make a Menu (And Repeat It Forever)
Here's a secret: Your family WILL NOT notice if you serve the same thing every week. You can ask AI for ideas or you can just set a schedule for yourself. If cooking is your happy place but you are in a Busy Season, swap one of these night for “New Recipe Night” and keep yourself having fun in the kitchen by indulging in a longer or more challenging recipe once a week.
One weekly sample menu:
Monday - Salad
Tuesday - Tacos
Wednesday - Pasta
Thursday - Burgers
Friday - Pizza
Saturday - Takeout
Sunday - Oven roast
This kind of menu provides structure so your brain can work less while also leaving room for flexibility or preferences. Switch up burger night between hamburgers, veggie burgers, and salmon burgers or make pasta with veggies, pasta with red sauce, and pasta with pesto. All of a sudden you have nearly a month of meals with very little extra brain strain.
Remember: Peanut butter sandwiches or cereal for dinner are legit options. I’m not judging a fool proof option your kids will eat (and can maybe even make for themselves).
3. Wear a Uniform (Decision Fatigue Is Real)
My dear friend is always in a white t-shirt and jeans. She sometimes talks about wanting to spend more time on her clothes and be more creative with her outfits. But do you know how she spends her time? Raising three kids, holding down a job, caring for aging parents, and pursuing a master's degree in her passion. Sooooo, seems like she has her priorities in order and her hands full.
The easiest way to implement the uniform strategy without cleaning out your closet completely?
Pick an outfit formula and repeat it. Save your decision-making energy for things that matter.
For me, this looks like wearing the same things to work (have you seen my overalls in 4 colors…) and depending on the season sometimes I put together a “uniform” for different categories of event. One outfit each for hiking, date night, dinner with friends, BBQ, etc.
When my husband sees jeans, a black sweater, and sandals he can guess it’s date night (and my babysitter probably thinks I only own one outfit 🤣).
4. Pack Lunch Ahead
Do it the night before or on Sunday for the whole week (does anyone really do this? If so, tell me how!).
This one is, admittedly, more aspirational for me. Whenever there are leftovers I pack those up for my own lunch the next day - often tossing them onto a bed of lettuce or grains for a “bowl”.
If you can make this work for you, right after dinner while still in "kitchen mode," pack lunches.
Takes 10 minutes, saves 20 minutes of morning stress.
In our households version we have a white board on the fridge with lunch ideas that we have in the fridge (sandwich, fruit, veggies, etc) that week so I can prep lunch even if I haven’t had my cup of coffee yet.
5. Have What You Need by the Door
The day I put a key hook by the door changed my life. (The tracker on my keys for when I forget to hang my keys? Day two of life-changing.)
If you are someone who is rushing for last minute things before leaving the house, create a launch pad:
Key hooks
Basket for wallets/sunglasses
Hooks for bags and coats
Spot for outgoing items
The rule: Put things away immediately when you walk in. 5 seconds now or 5 minutes of searching later. Or, be like me, and put a tracker on things juuuuuust in case. When I walk in with hands full and a tired and hungry kid I absolutely forget to take the keys out of my pocket. Also, am I old for just having keys at all anymore??!?
When we start a new routine (aka new school or new summer camp) I put the list of what we need to bring each day by the door until we all get the hang of it. I even use brightly colored sticky notes on the door for days when I need to bring something unusual that I might forget.
6. Set "Laundry Days" Every Week
I know some of you will say, “Every day is laundry day, that’s how we keep up!” and I know some minimalists who keep only a small amount of clothing and do throw in a small load daily. Our house has only 3 people so I pick one day of the week (sometimes two if it’s a sweaty/muddy/sports season). And that's it. I don't think about laundry on other days. When my son was little I spent so many days thinking that I’d get to the laundry. And at the end of the day I would realize I never started the load. Ugh. Instead of beating myself up about tasks not done, I changed the plan. I stopped thinking every day was maaaaybe laundry day. Now I only do laundry on certain days and my brain (and family) can know what to expect.
Why this works: It's routine, not a decision. Everyone knows when clean clothes will appear and that if something isn’t clean then you just have to wait!
7. Schedule Your Chill Time (Or It Won't Happen)
Put "rest" on your calendar like an appointment. During busy seasons, rest doesn't just happen—you protect it.
And if you need childcare to get a moment alone or with a friend then all the more reason to plan ahead.
And yes, taking a moment alone is a perfectly acceptable reason to ask your family for help or to call a babysitter.
Your chill time might be:
Reading
Walking alone
Exercising with out kids
Coffee shop with no agenda
A bath
Getting a massage
Literally sitting and staring at the wall
When someone asks you to do something during that time, you're busy. Because you are—taking care of yourself.
The Bottom Line: Give Yourself Grace
The goal isn't perfection—it's reducing friction so you have energy for what matters.
Remember:
Simplifying isn't giving up—it's being strategic
Your family will survive simpler routines
It's okay to ask for help
It's okay to lower standards temporarily
Take care of yourself with compassion
And when stress ends up in your body (because it will), we're here. Book that massage. Maybe we haven’t been through the exact same moment as you, but we are parents and people. We’ve been through stressful seasons. We've got you. 💕
