Over the past couple of years I have intentionally tried to become more self-sufficient. Doing things myself has meant that I’m constantly in the battle of time vs doing it myself. In this day and age, where just about everything is available at the touch of a button, some people might question the need to do it myself.
But, I’m also one of those weird people that LOVES to plan and organise, sometimes more than the actual activity itself.
The truth is, it’s not always easy, but I know the trade off is the satisfaction and sense of purpose I get form creating it myself rather than having someone else do it for me, and I’m happy with that.
I’m busy. I’m sure you are too. If I don’t make lists and plan my days, I start to feel like I’m running around like a headless chicken, and the world seems to close in around me. I don’t have time for things to fall apart! And that’s why I love batching.
Batching, as the name suggests, is doing a large amount of one thing rather than doing it repeatedly in small amounts. My 3 monthly meal planning system is a form of batching. It means I’m only thinking about what to have for dinner 4 times a year! I love it because if you’re anything like me, having to think about what you’re going to eat for dinner every day is STRESSFUL! It’s thinking I really don’t want to have to do.
Not only does that mean having to think about what I will make for dinner, but then I need to figure out if I have everything I need, and then, if I don’t, I need to find time to go to the supermarket.
And what a mission that is these days!
Batching takes away ALL that stress. Whether you plan and shop for a week, or even a month, it’s thinking you only need to do once. The emotional and mental headspace that you gain from not having to think about that is HUGE.
No matter what the task is, the moment we change to doing something else, our brains have to transition to a new thought process, and if life is a little bit full, or is throwing us a few lemons, it can be quite overwhelming to have to switch to thinking of something new. Sometimes it can make us just shot down completely, and in terms of dinner, that’s when we opt for ‘convenience’ food whether that’s in a packet or takeaways.
Those are the days when having a plan and having the food already available is life-saving! The thinking is already all done and you just need to prepare it.
You might be thinking that just getting a meal plan together for 1 week is hard enough, how is it possible to do one for 3 months?! And although batching is hugely efficient, it can take a while to master the art. Going from doing things in little spurts of time to long stretches is not only a change of mindset, but also requires an adjustment to routines, which takes a bit of practise.
I use batching in a number of different ways during my week, but I didn’t do them all at once. And even the amount of batching i do has increased over time too. For example, I started by meal planning fortnightly, then moved to monthly, and finally 3-monthly.
Here are some of the other ways I use batching now:
I’m sure there are plenty of other ways I could use batching in my life but these are the easiest for me right now.
The most important thing to remember is that batching, organising and routines require consistency and planning. Whatever you put your energy into will grown and become successful, so if you want to start adding some elements of batching into your life to increase your efficienty and get some times back, it’s best to try one thing at a time.
Meal planning is perfect place to start. Getting a meal plan organised for one week with a shopping list to match is a great first step. If you’re already doing that, try two weeks.
For more meal planning, cooking and garden to table inspiration, make sure you’ve signed up to my email list, and join our community over on my page, Siobhan Mundy, #filledtooverflowing.
See you there!