Life-simplifying advice

[HuongVuong3]

I'm sure that this question has been asked and answered before but I can't find anything relevant.
I will soon be starting a new role at work, 4 days a week, plus am studying part-time with the OU, which they suggest should take 16 hours a week. So I'm going to be busy.

Does anyone have any tips or advice for how to manage all this, plus cook and eat healthily, get all the other life tasks done, and still have time for rest and sleep! I would also value any suggestions for gadgets etc that I can buy in advance to help.

For context, no children, just me, DH, dog and chickens. DH is out of the house for 12 hours-ish 3 days a week (including his commute) and then WFH 2 days a week. He's a good cook and has said that he will sort and make dinner on those 2 days. He also does a big Costco shop on his way home once a month, so we just need to top up on fresh stuff each week.

Thank you in advance.

What degree is it? Unless it’s engineering or something it’s not going to take 16 hours a week part time.

Watch/listen to lectures on 1.2 speed

Declutter everywhere

Make a meal plan - keep it simple and try to make one dish last two days for something that will reheat on day 2. Batch cook when you have time, eat out or have a takeaway when nobody can cook.
Do a basic shop online in advance, so you can get a slot you want, and then edit the night before. If you don't need anything, you can cancel it.
Have a shared calendar and put everything on it.
Make sure chores are shared fairly, and the basics are covered.
Lower your standards.

Batch cook and freeze meals, buy a robot vacuum cleaner, get into a really good habit of picking up after yourselves and doing small chores as you go along before they build up into massive chores, DH picks up the chores which can be done in quiet intervals (loading and unloading laundry and dishwasher etc) on his WFH days. Beyond that, I think you’re overestimating how much difficulty and stress you’re going to have. Most adults work full time and run a household, with no children to worry about it’s not hard. DH and I are a childfree couple who both work fairly long hours plus have ducks, we have endless free time, frankly!

Thank you all :-)

@CraftyNavySeal It's Environmental Science, and I'm 3 years in out of 6 years in total. I would say that 16 hours a week is probably a fair average depending on if I'm working on an assignment that week or not. I'm doing 2 shorter modules and the advice I've had from former students suggests that they are both relatively heavy in terms of workload, lots of maths and stats etc. I'm really enjoying studying so it's worth it but I just need to be really organised!

1.2 speed seconded or even 1.5

I like the speeded-up lecture advice, and to lower my standards!

Beyond that, I think you’re overestimating how much difficulty and stress you’re going to have. Most adults work full time and run a household, with no children to worry about it’s not hard. DH and I are a childfree couple who both work fairly long hours plus have ducks, we have endless free time, frankly!

This is fair enough but I really struggled earlier this year working full-time and studying which is why I'm going down to 4 days a week. I wasn't stressed as such but just exhausted, plus I want to enjoy studying rather than it being something I have to find time for when I just want to sleep!
Being peri menopausal probably hasn't helped, I'm on HRT now so hopefully that will make a difference.

I'm working and studying - course takes a similar amount of time. No kids left at home, do have pets.

I have some days of the week when I usually do the same easy dinner e.g. salmon, veg, new potatoes.

Always look out clothes the night before. Put a wash on after dinner. Have a routine for regular chores eg clean out pets on same days each week, dust bedroom on same day each week. Routine helps as don't spend time thinking about it.

Assignments- write a bit even when I don't feel like it. Tell myself I'll just do ten minutes ( usually get engrossed and manage a bit more). Do a little bit each evening.

Don't overcommit to social things.

Get a cleaner!

Do your degree work over 2 days a week, each one of 8 hours per day (that's only 9-5)

Exercise in evenings and on your free day

Get food shop delivered on your free day

I don't mean I do the one meal several times a week!

I knew what you meant 😁

I'm also planning to do some batch cooking and fill the freezer with things like curries, pasta sauces, stews etc so some evenings I can just defrost and reheat. It also means I won't always have to think about what we're eating which is sometimes part of the effort.

And having a routine is a good idea. I will have to get DH involved in this too, although he's much more laid back about it all than I am. Which does me good to be around of course!

Declutter, reorganise, get a cleaner, share other bits washing and gardening, lower your standards, batch cook so you have a few standbys in freezer, meal plan, get shopping delivered and have some easy standby meals in, make lists, set reminders in calendar, have a full day off a week etc.