As we head into this new year, peace is needed. Here are 5 simple ways to find balance.

Happy New Year friends! Here we are another year full of opportunities and possibilities. Can I be totally honest with you? I felt like I slid into the end of this year and basically “yard sale” the end of it. Exhausted, back aching , happy but not fully at peace. The following 5 simple ways to find balance come from someone who is actively and honestly seeking.

I think we get so caught up in trying to “start over” when the new year rolls around that we set ourselves up for failure.

Let’s change that by starting small.

Make dinner time easier –

This has been a bit of struggle over the last year. To be honest, we ate out much more than I care to admit, I was tired from long days and my son would call from practice starved…it just became the norm.

I purposed this year to get back to cooking most nights and in order to keep this promise to myself, I had to have a plan. What did I do? I turned to freezer batch cooking!

I went back to one of my favorite websites, SavingDinner.com I have loved Leanne’s recipes over the years and she has an incredible mix of weekly menus – there is something for everyone. But for my sanity, I did the 20 for the freezer.

I will tell you, just knowing that I can go grab a meal from the freezer, place it into the fridge the night before, and then throw it in the crockpot or pop it in the oven without the drudgery of “coming up with a last-minute plan” is heavenly.

Just so you know, I will receive no compensation if you choose to use Leanne’s recipes – this is just me sharing what is working for us.

Enact the 15 minute mindset –

A tidy home really makes you breathe a little easier… literally! But how do you keep up with it all – all the time? You carve it into 15-minute time slots. I learned this method 18 plus years ago from a lady who I found back in the dial-up internet days.

Flylady.net is a great website if you just need someone to cheer you on with a simple baby step plan. FLY- finally loving yourself, instead of beating yourself up for not having things “perfect” (perfect is overrated, right?).

Marla has a compelling story that led her to this 15-minute mindset and it’s worth the read. Now learning this proven method and applying it are two different things, falling out of habit happens. Falling back into this habit is pretty easy and so rewarding!

Make your bed –

There is something almost magical that happens to the day when you do this simple task. I love this speech – there is so much wisdom wrapped up in it and I behoove you to watch/listen to it and allow it all to sink in.

Find time for Faith-

Our world is in constant chaos. It will throw the worst of the worst at you. Fear is relentless, its purpose is to render you useless. We must combat this if we are to thrive in the seemingly difficult…but how?

For me, it’s spending time reading the bible and praying. I pray for the many who reach out, I pray for the many who don’t, I pray for my family, friends, clients, my business, and for myself.

Then, I sit in silence and wait. Some of the most beautiful answers come in the silence and sometimes it’s just a chance to breathe deeply and let out the anxiety and pain.

Take care of yourself –

This essential vital intention my friends seems to be the first thing we cut out of the day. I love a good spa day but those are a rare happening BUT I can spend 15 minutes with a cup of tea, a facial mask, or swipe a little color on my toes.

Click here for a few easy recipes for at-home spa time. Light the candle, read a chapter of a favorite book, take the bubble bath – you are worth the time you carve out.

These 5 simple ways to find balance and peace are not resolutions but more of intentions to pursue what helps us be our very best so we can love our families, our friends and the world around us.

Here’s to a wonderful new year!

Keep creating home,