The December busy is always a stressful time for
- Managing work
- Decorating the house
- Planning get-togethers with friends
- Supporting the kids in their final push of the semester
- Holiday Baking
- Holiday Shopping
- Sleep
- Trying to stay healthy, and not eat too many sweets!
I’m sure there is something else I will add to this list
In addition to the here-and-now busy of December, I’m on a mission to begin my planning for the new year, which will be a bit different than it has been in the past. More than coming up with resolutions, which for me, rarely come to fruition, instead this year I’m focusing on a bit of habit changing, which will create the framework for me to follow through on my resolutions.
Typically, when the new year comes, and I have a healthy slate of resolutions, I always feel behind. I’m exhausted from the holiday season, which also includes the twins’ birthday between Christmas and NY Eve, but also Nicole’s birthday, which arrives in January. I exhale once her birthday is behind us, but that exhale comes with exhaustion, and the realization that I’m already halfway through January and I haven’t had time to focus on my resolutions.
This December, I’m dedicating a bit of time to getting ahead of the resolution game. But rather than simply writing down a list of resolutions for the new year, I need to first take a look at how my existing habits are causing me a bit of stress and anxiety, and ask myself . . . What is making me stressful when it comes to getting dinner on the table?
But, before I get to answering that question, I’ll get to a question you may be wondering about: “What’s the difference between a resolution and a habit?”
Well, my resolutions will serve as my commitment to make a positive change (or achieve a goal), while my habits represent those unconscious behaviors that affect my daily routine and affect whether or not I attain my resolutions. In short, habit-changing is exactly what I will focus on for 2024.
The Four Pillars Solution
To change my habits and reduce stress in the kitchen, I look to my own Four Pillars solution to get me back on track. For years, the Family Eats Four Pillars method has served as the framework I needed to empower me to meet my goals as they related to food. It is a process that I re-visit frequently, as my goals and our lives continue to change.
So, back to my own question . . . What is making me stressful when it comes to getting dinner on the table?
And, my answers:
- I haven’t been planning as diligently as I used to;
- Because I want to prepare meals with less meat, I’m struggling to find inspiration in my existing recipes;
- Everyone is eating at a different time;
- I’m driving everyone to and from school, the bus stop, sports practices, etc., that I find myself in the kitchen hungry and tired when I need to whip up a meal.
Now that I’ve identified the causes of my mealtime stress and anxiety, my next step will be to start thinking about what I can do so I don’t get into these situations.
My Solutions, including my plan on how I will follow-through on the solutions:
- Get back into my meal planning routine, and set aside some time the night before I go shopping to figure out meals for the week.
- Take time to find new recipes. I don’t want this to be too time consuming, so I’m planning to start with perusing my existing cookbooks for potential recipes (and, making copies so I have them on hand). I’ll also take 15 minutes every few days for searching online, and also find some new cookbooks, too.
- Our schedule is always changing, so when I’m in the meal planning mode, I will get everyone’s schedule for the week – this will help me decide on which meals to prepare each night. For example, on a night when we are eating at different times, I’ll need a one pot meal that can be easily kept warm and waiting for whenever we each find our way into the kitchen.
- Once I know everyone’s schedule, and figure out when I’ll be ‘on call’ for the driving, I can decide if I’ll prep a meal ahead of time, and just reheat it, or choose a simple 30 minute recipe.
By breaking up the larger problem into these four, smaller tasks, I’m confident that I’ll be ready come January to start my journey of becoming less stressed in the kitchen. And then, once I’m less stressed, I’ll be ready to take on another resolution by changing my habits.
Let me know if you find this quick exercise in habit changing effective for you.
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For those who don’t know me, I launched Family Eats back in 2008 with a focus on helping others ‘reconnect with the food we eat and the family we love.’ At the time, I had four young children – and a desire to prepare healthy, homemade meals for my family, and to enjoy them together around the table. As I struggled with lack of time, energy and inspiration to feed my family of 6, I tooks some time to change my routine, and build habits that have changed my relationship with food. In the process, I created a Four Pillars method.
Fifteen years later, I’ve 2 in college and 2 here at home, yet I’m still following the Four Pillars method — revisiting it time and again as our lives have changed. By following the four pillars, I have been able to reduce my stress, save money, create great traditions, and instill the importance of a healthy relationship with mealtime in my children.
My subscriber-only posts will focus on helping you incorporate the Four Pillars method into your daily life, which will move you closer to attaining your goals as they relate to food — whether it is to cook more from scratch, to save on food costs, reduce food waste, eat healthier — perhaps less meat, and how to gather around the table with your family and friends on a more frequent basis.
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Thank you ~ Laura @Family Eats
