How To Organize Your Life To Reduce Overwhelm {Free Daily Planner Page Printable}

When I’m feeling overwhelmed, it’s hard to focus my energy in one area. This leads to procrastination, which makes the overwhelm feel more intense.

Once procrastination kicks in, it feels like I’m pushing myself to get anything done.

Over time, I’ve become aware that overwhelm comes from a feeling of chaos in my mind.

Through out the last few years, I’ve added planners, journals, and notebooks into my life that help organize my thoughts and quiet my mind so I don’t feel so overwhelmed.

By using the items I share in this post on a daily basis, I end each day feeling in control of how I spent my time, and proud of all I’ve accomplished.

There’s been other benefits to the system I’ve put in place, besides lessening overwhelm and feeling more organized. I’ve achieved personal, financial, and business goals because the planners and notebooks keep the goals top of mind.

How To Organize Your Life To Reduce Overwhelm

I’m going sharing with you the planners, journals, and notebooks I use to organize my life and reduce overwhelm so that I stay productive and on top of my goals.

I rely heavily on writing things out the old-fashioned way. I find if I’m using an app or digital product, I become distracted and tend to avoid using it.

Writing things out is the best way for me to empty my brain so I don’t have to retain so much information.

I am not an affiliate for any of the products I mention below. I just really enjoy using them.

What To Use To Lessen Overwhelm So You Can Be Productive

Live Rich Planner

I LOVE paper planners. I have tried so many over the years.

Based on the efficiency of the planner and whether I stick with it, I’ve found the following two planners to be the most helpful in managing my life:

• Jordan Page’s Productivity Planner – this is based off of the time-blocking method
• The Budget Mom – Live Rich Planner

I’m currently using the Live Rich Planner for the 2022 year and loving it.

Here’s the top three reasons I love this planner:

• There’s plenty of extra’s like a shopping list, habit tracker, a housework chore list, and places for weekly and monthly goals.
• I can view my whole week in one spread.
• The day starts at 4am and ends at 10pm.

I wake up every morning feeling in-control of the day because I have a plan in place. This immediately eliminates confusion and wasting time figuring out what I should do.

If you are interested in how I plan my week, check out these two posts:

• Easy Weekly Planning Routine
• How To Plan Your Week for Productivity

Budget by Paycheck Planner

This is another product by The Budget Mom that I’m glad I invested in.

My husband I have met some aggressive financial goals, and it happened because I kept a close eye on every dollar.

This budget planner keeps us on top of our financial goals with the most helpful worksheets. Some of my favorite worksheets are the Paycheck Budget Tracker, Cash Envelope Breakdown with Cash Envelope Teller slips, Membership and Subscription Reminder Worksheet, and Yearly Spending Overview.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed if you have money coming in and you aren’t sure how to allocate it. Or worst, you spend it all without intention and end up not being able to pay your bills.

By using this planner daily, I am on-top of our finances and have no questions or doubts about where our money is going. When a paycheck comes in, there’s a clear plan for where the money will go. 

Paying close attention to our finances stops the overwhelm that can occur when you think about having to pay your bills, or balance your checking account.

Small Notebook

I always have a small notebook with me for random things.

This is the notebook I go to when I’m feeling really overwhelmed and need to create a master to-do list.

I turn to my notebook the minute I realize I’m in procrastinating mode. I’ll list everything that is going on in my mind, then number them in order of importance for that moment. Once the items are on paper, my procrastination fades away and I tackle the first item on my list.

I do all my meal planning and grocery lists in this notebook.

I also use this notebook to track the books I read, and keep a TBR list of books.

I’ve been using a small notebook for over 5 years and it’s always helped get me out of overwhelm and procrastination and into action.

What To Use to Lessen Mind Overwhelm So You Don’t Feel So Stressed

Journal for Future Work

Every morning, I spend a few minutes looking over my goals that I set for myself in the beginning of the year. The goals are written out on paper and folded up in the notebook.

After I review the goals, I spend two minutes writing about one of the goals as if it has happened.

Spending time forcing your brain to think about something as if it has happened, has a crazy way of becoming a reality.

This has happened to me so much in life.

For example, I spent time imagining myself working at a job before I even applied for it. A year later, I was working in the job. I spent time imagining and writing about how I feel at a certain weight, and months later, I’m at that weight. I journaled about being on a vacation that we didn’t have the money for, and now that vacation has happened.

Plus, it’s also fun to write about all the great stuff I want in my life, versus what is currently going wrong.

Notebook for Business Ideas/Notes

As part of my morning routine, I take 10-15 minutes to write about a business idea I have or watch a business training and take notes.

There’re mornings when I feel really defeated or hopeless about blogging and coaching. After spending this small amount of time getting inspired, I feel motivated and committed again.

At times I have spurts of ideas that are taking up space in my brain. Using this notebook to jot the ideas down, and the steps to execute them, helps calm me while guaranteeing my ideas won’t be forgotten.

Angry To Happy Mom Journal

Studying parenting, and specifically the way I parent, is something I try to do every day.

Using The Angry To Happy Mom Journal for 5-10 minutes as part of my morning routine has helped transform the way I parent from a place of overwhelm and anger to a place of confidence and joy.

Journaling in the morning also helps set the tone for how I react to situations with my kids throughout the day.

You can find more information on the Angry To Happy Mom Journal, here.

Use Planners, Journals, and Notebooks To Lessen Overwhelm

Using the various planners, journals and notebooks I’ve shared with you, I’ve reduced overwhelm in my everyday life. When overwhelm isn’t present, I am productive and able to focus on the things that really matter to me.

What will you incorporate in your life today to lessen overwhelm? Do you have a favorite planner or journal that helps you feel organized and in-control? If so, please share in the comments below.

If you found this post helpful, you may also like:

• 5 Tips To Stop Mom Overwhelm
• Simple Productivity Tips To Get More Done As A Mom
• 5 Ways To Avoid Mom Burnout
• The “No Fail” Way to Set Goals and Achieve Them