[272] Tiny Tweaks for Busy Fall Routines

September can feel like everything hits at once—earlier mornings, after-school activities, and homework battles. If your routines feel like they’re unraveling before they even start, you’re not alone. In this episode, I’m sharing three small but powerful tweaks you can make to smooth out your fall routines without adding more to your plate. These tiny adjustments can make a big difference in helping you feel grounded instead of burnt out.

Mentioned in this episode:
👉🏽 Get Stuff Done Toolkit

3 Takeaways from this episode:

1. Anchor your mornings with one non-negotiable habit.
2. Create a 10-minute after-school transition routine.
3. Pick one weekly reset habit to keep your week from unraveling.

Links and resources:

• Get Stuff Done Toolkit

Transcript

0:00

Is it just me? Or does September suddenly feel extra busy? Between the school drop offs, after school activities, homework, earlier mornings it all can feel a little bit busy. If your routines feel like they're unraveling before they've even started, you're not alone. Today, I wanna keep it super practical and share three simple tweaks that can make your fall routine smoother without adding more to your plate. These are small adjustments, but they help you feel more grounded and less like you're running on fumes. Hey there. My name is Toni-Ann. I'm the podcast host of The Real Happy Mom podcast. The podcast for busy working moms who need more time and help with achieving their big goals without pulling their hair out. And in this episode, I'm sharing three simple tips to help with your routines this season. Now, I'll be honest, for years I treated September like it was a time to overhaul everything. I try to create brand new schedules, new meal plans, new morning routines, and within a week I was burnt out. But here's what I've learned. Routines don't need a massive overhaul. They just need tiny tweaks. So let's walk through three of them together. Number one, anchor your mornings with one non-negotiable. Habits stick better when they're tied to something you already do. This is called habit anchoring In science. For example, if you're already making coffee every morning, you can anchor a quick next day prep step to that, like filling water bottles or signing school forms. It doesn't have to be fancy. For some moms, the anchor is laying out clothes the night before. For others, it could be starting a day with a glass of water or five quiet minutes before the kids wake up. The key is to pick one thing that makes your morning smoother and commit to it. Number two, create a 10 minute afterschool transition routine. Think of afterschool time like landing an airplane. If the landing is bumpy, everyone feels it, but if it's smooth, the whole evening feels calmer. So instead of chaos when the kids walk in, create a simple 10 minute routine. For example, it could be something like a snack, a quick check-in, like how was your day? And then five to 10 minutes of quiet play or homework. It doesn't need to be strict, it just needs to create consistency so the kids and you know what to expect. And lastly, number three, pick one weekly reset habit. In business companies like to have weekly check-ins to keep projects on track. Families can do the same. Your reset doesn't need to take hours. It could be a 20 minute Sunday prep routine, like getting your clothes ready, prepping meals, planning out your week, those kinds of things. Or it could be a family meeting where everyone shares their schedules, or it could be a quick fridge clean out. So meals don't get overwhelming. The key is to pick one reset habit that keeps your week from unraveling. So to recap, the three tips are anchor your mornings with one non-negotiable. Create a 10 minute after school transition routine. And pick one weekly reset habit. So here's your challenge. Don't try to do all three tweaks this week. Just pick one, whether it's anchoring your morning or setting up the afterschool transition, or choose a weekly reset. Start there, notice how it feels, then layer in more if you're ready. So remember, routines don't have to be complicated to work. Sometimes the smallest shift can make the biggest difference. And if you're craving more tools and structured to help your routines actually stick, check out the Get Stuff Done Toolkit. It's filled with ready to use systems to save you time. Mental energy, especially during busy seasons like this one. The link is in the show notes or you can head on over to real happy mom.com/done. So here's two small tweaks that create big wins this fall. That's it for this episode. Take care, and with lots of love.