Are you struggling to have a smooth week or plan TOO MUCH and end up having way too low of energy for the week?

I used to struggle like this too, but this week I am sharing my tips on how spending just one hour every Sunday planning my week has completely changed my life. Let’s get into it!

Each Sunday (sometimes Monday mornings if I had a super busy weekend), I sit down and plan my week. I have a paper planner, an online planner that I share with my betrothed, a weekly meal planner for the refrigerator AND a shared market list using Apple Notes.

Here are the categories I cover while looking at my week-at-glance:

1. What phase of my menstrual cycle (if you aren’t having a period each month please refer to the moon phases ) am I in? *more on this topic coming in the months to follow*

2. Appointments for the week

3. Meal planning

4. Weather

5. Weekly to-do list

What Phase Am I In?

This is purely for energy management. If your hormones are balanced (if you are still having a menstrual cycle) or if you identify with being a female or are in menopause, you can refer to the moon cycles, we have certain superpowers!

I will plan A LOT more when I have higher energy and give myself some room to have more self-care and relaxation during the later half of my phase. The easiest way to figure out your ups and downs is to keep track for a few months to see your own personal patterns, but here are some things that would naturally come to a balanced mensing female.

• Follicular Phase / Spring

  • Your energy is more creative, starting new projects, new ideas, having higher energy

• Ovulation / Full Moon / Summer

  • Your energy is heightened with community, communication and people skills so this a great time to go out with friends, give a speech or enjoy family parties

• Luteal Phase / Fall

  • Detailed oriented, lower physical energy, slowing down, finishing up tasks (think completing projects, cleaning the house, planning for next month)

• Menstruation / New Moon / Winter

  • The lowest energy, reflection on what is and isn’t working, connection to intuition

Appointments For The Week

This is easy, just add in whatever appointments you have for the week to block off time. I block off a day for going to the supermarket and another day for cleaning my house so I don’t get overwhelmed on those days. On the days I clean and go to the supermarket I try not to stress about things like working out, if I have time I have time, if not then that’s okay too, I can only do so much!

I aim to get my “appointments” done during the week if possible so that way I can still keep my weekends free for things like working on my business, seeing friends, and relaxing.

Here are the days I block off:

• Supermarket trip before or after work *depends on the weather that week*

• Laundry day before work to get into the washer and drying and/or after work to fold

• Cleaning day before or after work *depends on the weather that week*

• Appointments with other people (doctor, dentist, hair dresser etc.)

Meal Planning

This has saved me SO MUCH time, money, and energy. Each Sunday I plan out my dinners for the week, my fiance’s lunches for the week which I make myself, and then make a list of what I can have for my own breakfast, lunches and snacks (yes, I plan for foods that support me around my menstrual cycle now too! but more on this will be in my course which you can sign up for alerts above).

Planning like this has made my life so much more organized and we have ZERO WASTE with an empty refrigerator by the end of the week. I don’t buy any extras, we plan which days IF ANY we pick up food or go out for dinner, and everything is SIMPLE.

I have worked for many families nannying who have not meal planned and I have watched SO MUCH food go bad. It REALLY only takes an hour to do this, please save yourself the trouble and take the time.

How I’ve made this even more simple for my family:

• I signed up for Blue Apron 3x a week for a meal with 2 servings for my fiance and I

• I utilize my slow cooker, instant pot and air fryer AT LEAST 2 times a week that way I can throw in a meal before I go to work or use the instant pot or air fryer to cook more quickly after work

• I meal prep every morning to make everything go more quickly for dinner since both him and I get home closer to 630/7pm

  • chopping veggies

  • grating cheese

  • marinating meat for him etc.

• During my hour, I spend time researching or going through cookbooks to get new recipes to keep it fresh for dinners and for lunches (lunches I make the night before for my fiance)

• Then I look at which cycle phase I am in and get breakfast, snacks and lunch ideas with foods that support me during this cycle and write that all down on my meal planning list so its EASY when I am feeling hungry to pick something!

• Finally, I create a shared market list using Apple Notes broken down by category so that I can be efficient at the supermarket. I go to Wegmans or Whole Foods so I have them both mapped out in my head.

Weather

You have to get real with yourself here. I have come to realize that I MUCH MUCH MUCH lower energy on non-sunny days. I don’t care if its 9 degrees here in Massachusetts, I am still getting things done if its sunny outside, BUT if it is rainy or cloudy, I am more likely to need extra rest on these days as I feel so much less motivated.

With this said, each Sunday I take a look at the weather to plan my supermarket trips and cleaning days around the weather because:

1. I have more energy on the days that are nicer

2. I don’t want to get rained on while loading and unloading groceries

3. I have 2 active dogs with a nice big fenced in yard and a doggy door for them to come in and out as they please… meaning if it is rainy one day, I know that that day and the day to follow my house will look like a pig pen and have muddy doggy paw prints all over. So I will plan to vacuum and mop AFTER the weather has cleared up, otherwise within an hour, my house turns into chaos again

4. If it is nice and sunny, those days I would rather to plan to go for a long walk outside then stay inside and work out

Weekly To-Do List

This is probably the most overwhelming thing to do because you will start the week off with a huge list. Writing down all of my hopes and dreams for the week can be extremely overwhelming, disheartening and exhausting BUT its better than writing the same list down day after after, not being able to check everything off and then feeling like you didn’t do shit that day…even though I am sure you did. PLUS this way you can spread out your to-do list over 7 days and be able to achieve 0-2 things each day depending on your appointments.

My appointments for things like grocery shopping, work outs, and cleaning become part of my daily to-accomplish list but aren’t in my weekly-to-do because they HAVE to be done.

Example weekly to do list:

1. Read a book

2. Sunday meal-planning

3. Bring clothing donates to a bin

4. Bring used books to a library

5. Declutter emails

6. Declutter downloads folder etc.

Example daily to do list with going grocery shopping (so I try not to plan too much on this day):

1. Work out

2. Go to Wegmans

3. Kundalini Meditation

4. Meal prep for dinner

5. Make lunches for next day

Flower Essences Allies To Help You Stay Motivated & Alert

Here are a list of a few flower essences that have helped me and my clients get that extra push during the times when you are feeling low-energy, depressed or completely overwhelmed. If this is more of a common battle; lifestyle changes, food changes, herbs and flower essences can help you recover from any imbalance in the body. Something is off, and when something is off it needs more attention so please listen to your body :)

1. Cosmos Flower Essence - Unblocks Inspiration, Love, & Creativity, Communication

2. Gaillardia Flower Essence - Protection, Removes Low Vibe Feelings

3. Indian Strawberry Flower Essence - Silliness, Childlike Joy, Energy

4. Morning Glory Flower Essence - Vitality, Motivation, Alertness

5. Queen Annes Lace Flower Essence - Inner-Strength, Organization Of Energy, Spiritual Abilities

6. Plains Coreopsis Flower Essence - Internal Sunshine, Warmth, Uplifted)

7. Rhododendron Flower Essence - Work/Life Balance, Boundaries, Restoration Of Energy

8. Tansy Flower Essence - Taking Action, Removes Lethargy, Procrastination & Lack Of Energy

9. I Choose Vitality Flower Essence Blend - Higher Energy, Wellbeing & Enthusiasm

I hope this has helped!

Many blessings,

Bianca