Minimalism is a great tool to prepare for maternity leave! In this post, I’m sharing how minimalism is helping me prepare for maternity leave and everything I’m doing to enjoy this life-changing experience.
Maternity leave is more than preparing a business or your job for when you’re away.
Preparing for maternity leave is about setting yourself up for success once the baby arrives so that you can focus on what’s most important – the new baby in your life.
5 Ways Minimalism is Helping Me Prepare for Maternity Leave
1 // Decluttering what isn’t essential for maternity leave
Of course, I’m starting with decluttering, because that makes it easier to do everything else to prepare for maternity leave.
Nesting mode has felt more like a squirrel preparing for winter. I keep gathering baby things, but every now and then I get a wild hair to declutter something.
The first thing I plan to declutter is my entire home.
Starting with physically removing things we don’t need allows me to feel like I can bring things into my home that we need for the baby.
I’ve not used a specific checklist or method to do this, but I have paid attention to spots that make me feel cluttered.
For example, we have grocery bags stuffed away in a closet that has been driving me nuts, so I decided to fold them all up nicely to help them fit better in the space. I decluttered a few bags and created more space in the closet for a neater organization.
Right now, it isn’t about giving all of my energy to decluttering my home at once but rather making sure I’m paying attention to every area of my home and taking action when I need to.
I’ve been able to declutter undergarments, my car, some of the pantry, and my office.
By the time Baby Girl arrives, I will make sure I’ve touched everything in my home, but I’m pacing myself.
Related Post: How to Start Decluttering When Overwhelmed & Where to Start
The second thing I’m decluttering is my digital space.
It’s just nice to have a decluttered digital space. Folders are all organized, the Downloads folder is clear, and most importantly, no sales emails are coming to the Inbox.
I don’t sign up for a lot of emails, but recently I have to save money on baby items. My plan is to unsubscribe from any sales emails once I have everything I need. I can always resubscribe if I change my mind.
The third thing I’m decluttering is paid subscriptions.
Luckily, I don’t have many of these. There are only a few that I know I won’t use during my maternity leave, so saving that money will be great!
I also have a couple of subscriptions that I plan to delay instead of completely declutter because I’m locked in at a low price. Canceling them wouldn’t make sense when it would cost me more to restart them in a few months.
Related Post: 39 Ways to Cut Expenses from Your Budget
2 // Simplifying systems and things that need to be done during maternity leave
Simplifying systems to prepare for maternity leave is actually a pretty important step in my process.
As I go through each day, I’m wondering what I can simplify to help me be more present during my maternity leave.
Here’s how minimalism is helping me prepare for maternity leave by simplifying these systems:
Automating bill payments
I use automation for most of my bills, but a few haven’t been set up until now. Just getting this off my list has lifted a weight off my shoulders.
Planning my business around my time off
There’s a lot to do to prepare my business for maternity leave, so I got an early start on it.
If you didn’t know, I also have a client-based business and run this website. Both have completely different systems that need to be established for me to take time off.
For my client-based business, I am communicating my plan and preparing work for my clients. I’m also setting up a Waitlist system to help potential clients who come through during my maternity leave.
For this website, I’m planning email content and a few other things to help it run smoothly while I’m off.
Lastly, I’m setting up out-of-office auto-responders for all email addresses.
3 // Remaining present as I prepare for maternity leave
Even though this is my first time preparing for maternity leave, one thing I know is very important to avoid is procrastination.
While I may not do something every single day to prepare for maternity leave, I try to remain present and aware that time before Baby Girl arrives is finite.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know this hasn’t been an easy pregnancy, so I do what I can when possible. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished thus far and hope to continue getting things done.
The key to remaining present while preparing for maternity leave for me is to clean and organize as I go.
With all the baby things entering our home, I’ve made it my mission to keep my home clean and organized.
My nursery is set up, drawers are organized, and my closet holds everything that isn’t ready for a home just yet [such as the car seat and stroller].
I tidy my bedroom and bathroom daily, try to wash one load of laundry a day or every other day, and the husband maintains the dishes since he’s been the cook while I’ve been pregnant [HG really takes the fun out of food].
Related Post: Minimalist Cleaning Routine to Maintain a Tidy Home
Another thing I’m trying to do is save as much money as I can.
Babies need a lot of things when you’re a first-time mom. Even though I’ve kept it minimal, shopped secondhand, borrowed things from family, and am having a baby shower soon, there are still several expenses.
While I haven’t been able to put back as much money as I wanted, I have saved a lot of money on the things I’ve had to purchase, which helps a lot!
Lastly, to stay present as I prepare for maternity leave, I’ve kept our tax records up to date.
I’m the family bookkeeper. Maintaining our records has been a big priority of mine because catching up on an entire year of bookkeeping is a pain.
My goal is to have it up to date when Baby Girl arrives so if I’m unable to maintain it for the rest of the year, at least there won’t be as much to do.
4 // Planning ahead
I’m sure this comes as no surprise to anyone, but planning ahead is a great way to utilize minimalism while preparing for maternity leave!
It basically sums up everything I’ve shared thus far, but there are two things I’m doing specifically when it comes to planning ahead:
- Preparing freezer meals
- Stocking up on essentials
Both of these will bring a lot of ease postpartum, which I’m excited about!
I’m not one to plan with freezer meals, but I know this will be a big exception because the last thing I’ll want to do is cook or even ponder what I could make to eat.
I’ve seen a lot of great options that are easy to prepare, so I’m excited to give them a try.
When it comes to stocking up on essentials, I’m referring to toilet paper, pantry staples, and anything else we may need in the first three months.
I know there will be grocery order pick-ups in that time, but I don’t want to fret over things like toilet paper. Fresh foods and baby things we need are another story.
5 // Rest and relaxation
Probably the most important way I could use minimalism as I prepare for maternity leave is to rest and relax a bit.
Stressing over all the things I want to accomplish before Baby Girl gets here is not a part of the plan.
We’ve recently built a back porch onto our home, and every evening my husband and I spend at least 30 minutes just sitting and looking at our backyard. It’s honestly my favorite part of the day.
Some other things I’m doing for rest include:
- Sleeping as much as I need to for Baby Girl
- Playing with my animals
- Watching a movie or show with the husband
- Soak in an Epsom salt bath
- Go for a walk
Again, it isn’t about spending every bit of my time preparing for maternity leave, which is why I find using the principles of minimalism so helpful.
It’s about being excited for what is to come and planning on making it the best adventure yet!
Related Post: Mental Cleanse Challenge: It’s Time for a Mental Health Cleanse
Final thoughts
Preparing for maternity leave is a bit of a process. Luckily, I have found using minimalism as a tool to guide me has helped me keep focus on what’s most important and allowed me to let go of the rest.
I’d love to know how you prepared for maternity leave. What things made a difference in your maternity leave experience? Let me know below in the comments!
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