😊 5 Things Keeping Me Sane Right Now! 🎶

As I kick off the third week of the school year, I've decided to take a new approach. Balancing a full-time teaching job, running a business, and spending quality time with my family can feel overwhelming. 😅

So this year, I’ve switched up my routine to make life a little easier. Here are the 5 things that are saving my sanity during this busy back-to-school season!

1. Planning a Week at a Time 📅

I know, I know—planning a whole week ahead can seem daunting. Do I always know exactly what I want to do five days from now? Not really. But having a rough plan for the week gives me some peace of mind. My goal is to outline five days of choir rehearsals, along with a list of reminders for students. This year, I've started putting these on agenda slides that I post on the board. It’s a small change, but it makes a big difference in keeping everything organized!

2. Meal Prepping 🍱

If you’re like me, mornings can be a mad dash out the door. My usual strategy was to toss whatever leftovers I had into a container and call it lunch. By Friday, that often meant I was bringing some pretty random food to school—think a cheese stick, raisins, and a four-day-old slice of pizza. 😬 “New Melanie” is now prepping five days’ worth of lunches every Sunday afternoon. This week, I made roasted chicken and veggies over rice. It’s a game changer!

3. No School Saturdays 🚫🎒

I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth repeating because it’s been a total lifesaver. The idea is simple: give yourself at least one day where you don’t think about school at all. For me, Saturday is my day off. No emails, no lesson planning, no school-related thoughts. Just a day to recharge.

4. Move One “Weekend Chore” to a Weeknight 🧺

Weekends often turn into chore marathons—grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning the house, you name it. This year, I’m trying something new. Twice a week, I’m doing a load of laundry on weeknights, and I’m hitting the grocery store right after work on Friday. Yes, I’m tired on Friday afternoons, but I’d rather power through and get it done than spend my precious weekend time on it.

5. Plan a Fun Activity with Friends or Family 🎉

Having something fun on the horizon keeps me motivated—it’s like a little reward. Last weekend, some teacher friends and I had a “Cocktail Sampling Party.” We each brought ingredients for a different mixed drink, sampled each other’s creations, and ordered pizza so no one had to cook. It was super easy and so much fun! If you’re looking for something more family-friendly, you could do a dessert or cookie version of this idea. 🍪

By making these small changes, I’m hoping to keep my sanity intact this school year. What are you doing to stay balanced? Reply and let me know! 😊

Happy Singing!