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3 Ways a Planner Helps Reduce Your Stress @ AVirtuousWoman.org

How Using a Planner Reduces Stress

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 19:21

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy here.

Planning is a mom’s best friend. There are so many different facets of homemaking, mothering, and being a wife that without a plan it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and hard to remember everything. That’s why I love writing things down in my planner! Today I’m talking about how using a planner reduces stress.

 3 Ways a Planner Helps Reduce Your Stress @ AVirtuousWoman.org

I’ve been using a household notebook off and on for years. In fact, here at A Virtuous Woman, I’ve offered free printable pages for a household notebook for almost two decades! Two decades is a long time!!

What’s even more crazy is that this March I will have been a mom for 30 years – that’s 3 decades. I don’t even know how that is possible! If you are new here, I have five kids of my own and my youngest is now 17 years old. It goes by so fast!!

As a busy mom of five, I needed to wake up every day with a plan. Between being a pastor’s wife, homeschooling five kids, and running A Virtuous Woman, if I didn’t plan for it, it didn’t happen.

Planning is a mom’s best friend. If you do your planning at the beginning of the day or even better – the beginning of the week – that means you don’t have to really think. It’s already been done for you.

So, having said that, today I wanted to talk about why I use a planner (a.k.a. homemaking planner, household notebook, mom life planner).

For instance, I like to plan all of our meals for the week (21 meals) plus snacks. My days are generally very busy. And even when they aren’t all that busy, I find that trying to come up with a healthy meal, that tastes good – fast – is a lot harder an hour before we eat.

That’s why chore lists and menu plans and reminder notes come in so handy. It saves my brain some work. I don’t have to remember everything because it’s written down for me.

But a planner only reduces stress if you actually use it. That’s why it’s important to have a planner that makes you happy, that you enjoy using, and that makes it easy for you to plan.

3 Ways a Planner Reduces Your Stress

#1 You know what expect (most of the time).

When you plan your day and write down everything you need to do and remember, you know what to expect for the day. Obviously, there are days when things don’t go according to plan. And that’s okay!!

But having a plan can help you know what’s happening over the course of the day from the moment you wake up. Planning your day can take as little as five or ten minutes but it saves you so much time and sanity!!

Writing down your to-do list, appointments, and other reminders in your homemaking planner reduces your stress by volumes.

#2 You know what to prioritize.

Not everything on your to-do list is created equal. Some things are just more important than others. When you write everything down in your homemaking planner or household notebook, you can clearly see what you need to prioritize that day. For example:

  • Paying bills is decidedly more important than washing the windows.
  • Making sure your husband’s suit is clean before he preaches on Sabbath is more important than decluttering your nightstand.

#3 You stay on top of household chores.

It’s easy to get behind on household chores if you aren’t doing them regularly and on schedule. However, when you use one of the Purpose 31 Homemaking planners with my proven system for keeping your house tidy, you’ll always know what needs to be done.

Using a planner to help you stay on top of all the things you need to do on any given day as a wife, mother, and homemaker helps reduce your stress and make life easier. You can learn more about the Purpose 31 Homemaking Planners here.

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About Melissa Ringstaff

My name is Melissa Ringstaff and I've been blogging here at A Virtuous Woman since 2001. I'm a pastor's wife and homeschooling mom living in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Southeastern KY. I believe in finding freedom from perfection and living life with purpose and I want to help you do exactly that.

I'm so glad you've stopped by to visit with me. I hope we can be friends!

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This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy here.

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Previous Post: «How to Use a To Do List, plus a free printable Weekly To Do List for your This is My Life Planner @ AVirtuousWoman.org #busymoms #proverbs31 How to Use a To-Do List | 7 Tips for Using a To-Do List
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joanna

    February 18, 2014 at 6:31 pm

    Hi ,Melissa:) I love your amazing testimony and all that knowledge God gives you regarding your organization!I'm blessed to be home yet I have circumstances that have really made homemaking the way I did when my kids were young much easier. If you have time to email me I will explain why. .love,Joanna
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      February 21, 2014 at 5:56 pm

      Hi Joanna, Thank you for your sweet words. I'd love to hear your story. Hope you'll visit with me again soon. God bless you!
      Reply
  2. Naomi

    April 14, 2014 at 2:57 pm

    Hi Melissa, I want to purchase your planner download but have a quick question about printing it. How do I make sure I print both sides correctly? Thanks!
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      April 14, 2014 at 8:51 pm

      Hi Naomi! You want to print the EVEN pages first, then flip the stack around and print the ODD pages. Then, it should come out just right. If you have any other questions, just let me know! Thanks so much!
      Reply
  3. Jackie

    December 2, 2014 at 11:26 am

    Hi Melissa! I am very interested in your planner and love reading your emails that I receive so thank you for all the hard work you do! I am a stay at home and I home school my two kids so I think this planner will be a great addition :) I was wondering if we opt to purchase the printable one does it come on cardstock as well and is it possible to send a PDF file to add to it for my prayer request pages can that be added? Thank you for your time! -Jackie
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      January 4, 2015 at 1:17 pm

      Jackie, the pre-printed planner comes printed on beautiful thick 80# paper. It's lovely!
      Reply

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Hi There! My name is Melissa Ringstaff and I believe that being a Proverbs 31 Woman isn't about being perfect. Here at A Virtuous Woman you'll find freedom from perfection and the confidence to live your life with purpose.


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purposenotperfection

Freedom from perfection. 🪁
Live with purpose. ✝️
Proverbs 31 for modern women. 👱‍♀️
Wife + Mama + Homemaker + Kentucky
Life: @melissa.ringstaff

Melissa Ringstaff
Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just because there was a pandemic. Our family has faced many trying times in the past but 2020 gave us some doozies.  I’m looking forward to a new year. The beginning of the new year always feels like a fresh start to me. It feels like HOPE.  But the truth is, whatever heartaches and hardships you and I were facing on Dec. 31 will most likely still be there on Jan. 1.  That’s why it’s hard to keep New Years resolutions. It’s easy to feel motivated for a few days or a couple weeks until we realize life hasn’t really changed and things are still hard.  But if we want to see real change it takes hard work and real effort. It takes showing up every day - even when it’s hard.  Whether that means working on your fractured relationships or setting healthy boundaries or cultivating self disciple... whatever that hard thing is that you need to work on ... it will only get better if you work on it.  We aren’t promised an easy life. But we are promised an “Ever Present Help in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1  *
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#faithblogger #faithfulness #faithandfamily #bibleverseaday #christianbloggers #dailyverses #christianlife #jesuscalling #shereadstruth#proverbs31women #proverbs31life #10virtues #daughteroftheking #jesuslovesme #womenoffaith #faithquotes #proverbs31
We’re coming into the new year with all the same We’re coming into the new year with all the same problems we had in the last year. And that’s okay! Life doesn’t have to be perfect to still be amazing. Perfectionism is a joy stealer. Let’s determine to enjoy life right now in all its messiness.  I believe you can find freedom from perfection and the confidence to live your life with purpose. #purposenotperfection  #christian #Jesus #love #quotes #quoteslife #quotestoliveby #godisgood #votd #lifequotes #inspirationalquotes #life #motivationalquotes #inspiration #bible #bb #bestoftheday #happiness #wordofgod
🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. 🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. It’s a ministry to your family and all who enter your home.  But I want you to know: You don’t have to be perfect. ❤️  There’s a fine line between teaching your children to be neat and insisting on perfection. No one can meet that kind of standard and it can be detrimental to the emotional health of your family.  What we want for our homes is to provide a space that is neat and clean enough that your family and friends feel comfortable and well loved.  There is freedom in accepting the fact that you’re not perfect. Not to make excuses for slovenliness - but to give yourself grace.  It’s when we recognize our weakness that we find ourselves reaching out to Jesus to receive the power that comes only from him. As homemakers, when we can find grace for the moment when we accept His Gift.  “But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. Ezra 9:8  Let His Grace wash over you, cleanse your weary heart. Homemaking isn’t about creating a perfect space. It’s about creating a home where loved ones feel cared for and nurtured. 
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking #wearethehomemakers
❤️Your attitude about homemaking matters.⠀
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A homemaker by definition is someone who manages and makes a home. 🏠⠀
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But, anyone can clean and organize a home. ⠀
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☑️ Homemaking is about more than checking off the items on your to do list.⠀
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Learning how to be a homemaker means you learn how to make your home feel like haven of peace and love. You seek out ways to make your home feel inviting. You work at it.⠀
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There is no easy button for homemaking. There are easier, more efficient ways to do chores, but the chores still have to be done. If you live in a house, you will create the need for the house to be tidied every day and cleaned on a regular basis.⠀
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Having the right attitude about homemaking is the first step in learning how to be a homemaker.⠀
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The good news is, even if you’ve been struggling with your homemaking, you can always go to God and ask Him for help. ⠀
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He sees the unseen work of your hands. And He loves you very, very much. He wants to help you succeed. ⠀
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking  #youngwife #housewife
🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regu 🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regular time with Jesus every day, you’re not alone. Lots of busy Christian women struggle to find time for a daily prayer and devotion time. ⠀
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But I still want to encourage you to start your day with God! ⠀
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⏰ If it’s hard to spend 30 minutes in the morning for a quiet time, I want you to remember you can still begin your day with God – even if that means saying a short prayer before your feet hit the floor in the morning.⠀
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✝️ I also want to encourage you to memorize this verse:⠀
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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.⠀
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 📖⠀
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In the morning you can recite this verse and say a prayer. It doesn’t have to take a long time. Although – if you do have time – you will be greatly blessed by spending more time in prayer and devotion.⠀
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📌 Free Printable Morning Prayer Prompts on the blog today: https://avirtuouswoman.org/morning-prayer-prompts/  #linkinbio ⠀
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#faithblogger #faithfulness #faithandfamily #bibleverseaday #christianbloggers #dailyverses #christianlife #jesuscalling #shereadstruth #Christ #Church #Christian #Jesus #Jesuslover #JesusChrist #JesusisLord #CreatorGod #Devotional #verseoftheday #Love #Faith #biblestudy #God #dailydevotional
🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be inte 🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be intentional with how I plan our days. I love any opportunity to create a good memories at home for my family and guests. ⠀⠀
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📌 If you're looking to make this holiday season really special, you need to be intentional. Goodness knows 2020 has had a lot of ups and downs. And maybe you feel like it's been mostly downs. ⠀⠀
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🎄 But the holiday season is a chance to focus on celebrating the life we have right now. Things don't need to be perfect for us to celebrate life right now!!⠀⠀
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☑️ Inside the pages of my Purpose 31 holiday planner, you'll find 8 weeks of planning and cleaning all laid out for you. Recipe pages, journaling pages, and more - 120 pages total. ⠀⠀
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✏️ The Purpose 31 Holiday Planner is by far one of the most popular resource I produce each year. ⠀⠀
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Thousands of women have downloaded it over the last four years I've offered it.⠀⠀
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So, even though it's early still, you can go ahead and downlaod it. Print it out and then set it up so you're ready to go.⠀⠀
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I usually take my holiday planner down to Office Depot and have them spiral bind it with a plastic cover for about $5.00. This year, though, I just bought a new 3 ring binder at Walmart, printed off extra cover pages to slip in the clear sleeve, and created a binder with it. ⠀⠀
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📌📌📌 If you use the planner this year, be sure to share and tag me in your photos! ❤️⠀  Download: https://avirtuouswoman.org/holiday-planner/ #linkinbio
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking #christmas #holidayplanning #planningaddict #plannercommunity #freeprintables #thanksgiving #christmastree  #plannerobsessed
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