How do you motivate yourself?

[ImFree2doasiwant]

I'm in a but of a rut. Single parent, 2 young primary DC. Work. Animals. An old house. Also a couple of medical issues both of which have fatigue as a symptom.

I'm a bit over weight. Im trying to declutter. Make life simpler. Get housework done (easier with less clutter) lose weight. Eat healthily give the DC a varied diet. . Be organised.

As they're no longer babies, they don't go to bed so early. I dobt have so much time child free to get on with stuff. Last night I decided I'd do half an hour after they went to bed. I didn't, I had a bath, abd also went to bed. Today they're at their dad's so I'm really trying to crack on but it's just overwhelming and I can't do it all in 1 day a week.

Any tips for weekday evening motivation? . The first one is stop mindless phone gazing.

I'm assuming the motivated people aren't browsing mumsnet.

😄
Re the decluttering, I would suggest you look up Marie Kondo. She has a book that is really easy & quick to read too. It takes some effort to do thoroughly but we'll worth it. Good luck.

Similar situation to you but one child and no pets. I use a version of the pomodoro technique. I give myself a short time to do some tasks and then I take a break. Sometimes I'll get so into the task that I'll spend longer time doing it.

Break what you need to do into smaller tasks. Allow yourself time to rest and have a cup of tea or watch some telly. Then go 'right, advert breaks on so I'll get the laundry on and grab a cuppa. While kettle is on I'll do some washing up '. I find that helps to motivate me and makes me feel less overwhelmed.

OP - no suggestions. Just to say I’m exactly the same - and pretty much identical situation!

I did have a period where I was really good at eating healthily - not too much carbs and lots of vegetables and fish etc - and I did feel a bit more energised. Problem is it does also take effort and I be fallen off the healthy eating again again!

Thanks, I know its just life, as a single parent really. Adding animals into the mix really really doesnt help, but they came first. (2 ponies, both old but one ancient).

I followed the TOMM method for a whole and it did help, I just can't seem to focus on more than one thing at a time. I've got on pretty well today although no one else would notice if they saw the house!

Me too! Doing really well with eating but no motivation to exercise! I need to get up early and exercise so no one else in the house can see me but I love sleep and love my bed!

@cheeseisthebest I've given up on exercise atm, I'm pretty active with the animals, buy I just can't get up before the DC. I mean, I could, but I soon as I open one eye, they wake up too.

Break your tasks into ten minute bursts. Youn can always manage to keep going for ten minutes - if you get into it - great. if you don't - well you're ten minutes closer to getting it done.

It also helps to add tasks to something that is already a habit. So if you already have a cup of tea first thing - add ten minutes exercise as your next task.

Reward and praise yourself for sticking to a routine! Monitor progress.

Don't give up just because it all goes pear shaped one day (week!) Just start again.

Little and often. You'll never motivate yourself to clean/declutter a full room, so break it down and force yourself to do, say, a book-case today, etc. Far easier to motivate yourself to do something small/short. When you've done a few small things, it'll encourage you to carry on.

Thanks, little and often is a good idea, of course I know this! Just need to put it into practice.

I've been decluttering for over a year, with a LOT of effort, on and off. It's endless though with toys, outgrown clothes, and one child that can't let go of the tiniest plastic bit of tat.

I really need to invest in some storage solutions/furniture but am particularly poor atm. That doesn't help. Being poor also doesn't help when it comes to getting rid of stuff.

Hi OP, just wanted to express some solidarity :-)

Not quite in your situation as I have my DP who helps out a lot but I really struggle with things like exercise routine, children's bedtime routine, self care, tidying and cleaning. The house is cluttered and I'm forever behind with things that need doing.

I feel like like there are NEVER enough hours in the day..! One of the only things that I found helps me is micro-tasking. So, have 15 mins spare - I'll hoover and tidy one of the bedrooms, OR a quick burst of exercise, OR sort out the laundry OR meal prep for later so I'm not running behind. You get the idea. I tell myself that a short burst is better than nothing and all the effort adds up. It works for me as any bigger and lengthier tasks overwhelm me. And it's easier to find that 15 min slot in a day, rather than an hour..

Hope you'll manage to find a system that works for you. Motivation IS hard and you're doing it all on your own. Take care xx

I really struggle with some of the things you mention.

I've tried to establish little routines to help. So Tuesday I always do a towel wash,Friday is school uniform, etc.
Timers help me a lot. Even five minutes can make a big difference to a room.

Also I think of rooms in waves (got this off a YouTube called "clean my space" and how to clean a room). Basically, wave one is gather rubbish, wave two tidy, three is clean surfaces. This is how I start to clean if I'm doing a big tidy up.

Also if I feel overwhelmed, I just pick three things and do those. Are your kids old enough to help? My two just do the dishwasher and feed pets but it is a big help.

The Marie kondo book is worth a read as mentioned above. But even just pick one drawer in the kitchen and clear that. Set a ten minute timer,be ruthless,wipe it out and onlymput back what you really need.

My house is still a mess.

@BoneWithTheWind It's so hard to do it all to a reasonable level. I have been pretty good with my skincare, but hopeless with food. Good with decluttering, hopeless with actual housework. You're right though, short bursts are the way forward. I was amazed when doing TOMM, just how much I could get done in 30 minutes.

I could do with about a month off work really