Buffers: Stamp Out Stress and Protect Your Time

No matter how much you try, do you continually feel crunched by time? Is the next thing on your schedule invariably behind schedule? Do you feel like you’re in a state of catching up on the daily? Does time stress you out or cause anxiety?

Maybe your days feel a bit like the White Rabbit’s…

Even if you have a plan, it may not be quite enough. Nothing in life goes as planned all the time, and taking the time to plan only to watch it unravel can be disheartening. However, adding one key element can help a plan succeed even when the unexpected happens—buffers!

Raising a family with kids that have special needs has long-term challenges that impact the daily functioning of our family life. The unexpected and unpredictable have really put our schedules and plans to the test. The differing cognitive and physical abilities within our family can have a slew of unexpected interruptions, misunderstandings, and drama that can unravel the very best of intentions.

Buffers have created calm in the midst of the chaos. If buffers can pull together a family as unpredictable as mine, allow us to accomplish what is needed, and live with less stress, I’m confident they can serve you well, too!

So, what do I mean by buffers? Simply put, buffers are extra time and space I plan around every task and area of my life and home.

Benefits of Creating Buffers

• They protect your physical schedule, preventing tasks or appointments from running into or overlapping each other.

• They leave room for unplanned circumstances that might arise.

• They allow you to properly (and calmly) switch from one task to another.

• They allow you to give the current task the focus it deserves, so it is done well.

• They free your mind up to live in the moment (not just follow a schedule).

• They reduce your body running on stress hormones, which is always good for overall health and wellness.

• They allow you and your family to find and put away items with ease.

• They leave room for extra items to enter your home without disrupting your organizational systems (i.e. extra groceries for an extended family Thanksgiving dinner).

What does adding buffers look like? These are some ways I plan buffers for our family:

Our Schedule | I make room for the most important, non-negotiable things first and add buffer time (undesignated time) periodically throughout the day. Having this empty time means I don’t have to stress because there is time on the back end to catch up if needed. If the day goes smoothly, I have extra time to accomplish other items or take a breather.

PRO TIP: The younger your children are, the more buffer time I’d recommend adding.

Driving Time | I add extra time for loading/unloading the car and driving. This means I can consistently be on time even if the kids spilled something, had to use the bathroom, traffic piled up, or a long train blocked the road again. I timed how long it takes to load the car and get everyone settled, then added 5-10 extra minutes. This gave me a good idea of how much time is needed regularly.

PRO TIP: If you start getting to places late, take note and begin adding more buffer time to adjust.

Our Spaces | I leave undesignated space in every area of our home. This also applies to each and every storage organizer as well. This breathing room is crucial to making organization last through the changes life brings. A new habit, hobby, diet, project, etc., has room to enter our home; we can try new things and not have our spaces or organizers overflowing!

PRO TIP: If you want to find out more about applying buffers to your space, check out my blog post here.

Ultimately, buffers (both time and space) decrease the demands on you, your time, and your home. I hope this blog gives you some ways you can start adding buffers to your life. Feel free to Jump on over to Facebook and let me know how you're using them and how it's going!