Nobody handed us a manual when we became adults. And I don’t know about you, but there’s a lot of times where I’m like, wait, I’m supposed to have all the answers? I’m supposed to know what to do? And then you’ll hear something — you’ll pick up some little tip — and you’re like, oh my gosh, why did nobody tell me that? So today, these are 31 cheat codes that every woman should know, because they just help you make your life better. This is Balancing Busy. I’m Leah Remillet. Let’s get into it.

1. Make Your Bed

In a survey of 68,000 people, 71% of bed makers consider themselves happy, while 62% of non-bed-makers admit to being unhappy. You want to be happier? Apparently, just make your bed. People who make their bed are also more likely to exercise, enjoy their jobs, and get better sleep — all from two minutes and fluffing your pillow. For more help on this one, Episode 202: 6 Ridiculously Simple Habits to Boost Productivity is a great next listen. You can get there at 202.BalancingBusyPodcast.com.

2. Watch Your Words

Your words are self-fulfilling prophecies. They become your thoughts, your thoughts become your actions, and your actions become your life. Speak accordingly.

3. Use the 2-Minute Rule

If you can take care of it right now in two minutes or less, don’t put it off. That’s how we create an avalanche of tiny tasks. Get it done, cross it off.

4. Know Your Numbers

Get a full lab panel done. I got my DNA, my blood work with over 120 markers, and my gut test. All of it. The best time to do it is around age 30–40 — basically whatever age you are right now is a great time — because you want to know your labs, your hormones, all of your numbers while you feel great. The “normals” your regular doctor references are population averages. They are not YOUR normal. Knowing what your numbers look like when you feel great tells you exactly what to aim for later. If you need a place to start, iVive.health is amazing.

5. Learn to Say No

This is how we protect our time and our energy. Every time you say yes to something, you are inevitably saying no somewhere else. If you need help with this one, I have an entire episode dedicated to helping the people-pleaser learn to say no. It’s Episode 60 — you can get there at 60.BalancingBusyPodcast.com.

6. The 20-20-20 Rule for Screen Fatigue

Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This eliminates eye strain and the end-of-day headaches that so many people have just accepted as normal. They don’t have to be.

7. Plan Your Day

Spending 10 minutes or less deciding how you want your day to go saves you close to two hours and gives you a 25% improvement in performance and productivity. That’s a 1,200% return on your 10-minute investment. Tell me a better deal — I’ll wait. For more help, Episode 202 is a great one: 202.BalancingBusyPodcast.com.

8. Start Every Day by Giving Your Day to God

I’m going to be totally honest — this should have been number one. Before anything and everything else, get down on your knees, thank God for everything you have — even the hard stuff — and acknowledge that He’s there with you in all of it. Then start your day.

9. Keep a Small Emergency Fund

Life happens. A financial cushion means a bad day doesn’t become a bad month. If you don’t have one yet, start with a goal of $1,000, work up to one full month of income, and eventually three months.

10. Batch Your Tasks

This is my absolute favorite productivity hack. Multitasking costs you six hours of productivity every single week — six hours you don’t get back. Turns out 98% of us are not actually good at multitasking. Batching isn’t just a productivity tip, it’s a getting-your-time-back tip. For ideas, inspiration, and even how to get it wrong, go to 90.BalancingBusyPodcast.com.

11. Mise en Place Your Mornings

You know how when you’re cooking, you do a mise en place — you prep, chop, and measure all your ingredients before you start? We can do that for our day. Set out everything you’ll need the night before. Your morning self will feel like someone left her a gift. And guess what? It was you.

12. Track Your Cycle

Your cycle is not drama — it’s data. Tracking your hormonal patterns, even loosely (I’ll admit I mostly use my watch), is going to help you as we’re all maturing and moving into perimenopause and menopause. More than that, it helps us stop working against our biology and start working with it.

13. Write Things Down

Writing on physical paper activates more areas of the brain connected to language, memory, and visualization than any digital tool can. Your brain is for having ideas, not storing them. Write them down.

14. Choose Faith Over Fear

Every single time. Fear is loud. Faith is a choice. Training yourself to default to trust is a skill that changes everything.

15. Create a Shutdown Ritual for Work

This will do wonders for helping you transition from work to family and truly be fully present. If you need help building one, go to Episode 23: Why You Need an End of Work Routine. I break down my entire routine — how I built it, what’s included, and why. Find it at 23.BalancingBusyPodcast.com.

16. Drink Water First Thing

Hydration is the cheapest energy hack there is. And to really make every sip count, I squeeze one full lemon into my morning water and add a pinch of Redmond Real Salt. Here’s why: the lemon gives you vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, and it helps your body absorb both food and water throughout the rest of the day. I swear it’s the reason I never get sick. The salt adds electrolytes that support fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction. By adding lemon and salt, you’ve turned your plain glass of water into a powerhouse electrolyte drink — no food coloring, no weird additives.

17. Automate Bills and Savings

This may be the one thing every financial expert agrees on. Automating eliminates late fees and grows wealth quietly in the background. Otherwise we all keep thinking “I’ll get to it,” and then decades go by. Slow and steady really does win this race. Set it, forget it, and thank yourself later.

18. Smile Often

It changes your mood before it changes your circumstances. And it changes other people’s moods too.

19. Break Big Tasks Into Smaller Steps

Whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed, that’s usually the signal — the task is too big. Break it down. You don’t have to finish it today. You just have to start.

20. Limit Screen Time Before Bed

We all know this one, but so few of us are actually doing it. Your sleep quality is directly tied to what you feed your brain in the last hour of the day. Skip the screens. Skip the blue light.

21. Schedule Social Time

A Harvard study tracked people for over 80 years and found the single biggest predictor of happiness and long-term health was not wealth, fame, or achievement — it was the quality of their relationships. Make them a scheduled priority. If you want help creating a great habit of dating your spouse, go to 180.BalancingBusyPodcast.com.

22. Consistency and Moderation Beat Every Fad

Every fad diet, exercise strategy, hack, and longevity must — consistency and moderation will beat them every time. There is no silver bullet. Just keep hydrating, eating real clean food, and moving your body. That’s the secret.

23. Use Alarms and Reminders

Your brain is not a filing cabinet — stop treating it like one. If you forget things often, use reminders. Set alarms. Give yourself that gift.

24. Wake Up Early

Research from Harvard Medical School found that morning people report higher levels of happiness, proactivity, and life satisfaction. This is one of those life hacks where none of us want to do it — unless you’ve already been converted. And if you have, then you know it’s worth its weight in gold.

25. Use the 15-Minute Reset

When the house is starting to look a little behind, call out “reset.” Set a timer for 15 minutes and tell everybody they have to help. And by the way — if they’re not fully helping, you reset that timer for another 15 minutes. It’s amazing how that compounds when everybody is in.

26. Get Dressed

Coco Chanel said, “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress. Dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” She also said, “Dress like you’re going to meet your worst enemy today.” And science backs her up. People who intentionally get dressed report feeling more productive by 52%, more decisive by 59%, and more authoritative by 78% compared to those who don’t put time or effort into what they wear. How you dress is not vanity — it’s strategy. If you need help knowing where to start, go to 187.BalancingBusyPodcast.com — The Closet Confidence Reset.

27. Listen More Than You Speak

You learn more, connect deeper, and almost never regret it. I have had plenty of times I’ve regretted opening my mouth too soon. I should have just kept it shut and listened.

28. End Your Day with Gratitude

This is perfect because you can replace screen time in that last hour with gratitude journaling. People who keep a gratitude practice sleep an average of 30 minutes more per night, wake up feeling more refreshed, and have an easier time staying awake during the day — all from writing down what you’re thankful for. That is the cheapest habit on the planet. For more, go to 185.BalancingBusyPodcast.com: How to Be 30% Happier as a Busy Midlife Mom.

29. Mute Notifications

According to research from UC Irvine, every single distraction costs you an average of 23 minutes to fully refocus. Now, you might be thinking “that’s not happening to me” — but it is distracting us, and it does take time to get back in the zone. Think about when you’re having an important conversation with your kids or a friend, and suddenly your watch buzzes. Or you’re trying to get work done and your phone rings. Turn distractions off. Your brain doesn’t care if you’re running a business, a household, or just running carpool. Every single ping is stealing your ability to be present. For more help, go to 177.BalancingBusyPodcast.com: How to Be More Productive During the Day Even If You’re Home with Kids.

30. Your Purse Is Not a Junk Drawer

If it takes you more than 10 seconds to find your keys, you either need to downsize your purse, get some little pouches, or grab an organizer. It is time to make some changes.

31. You Are Not the Only One Who Can Load the Dishwasher Correctly

Delegate and let it go. Done by someone else is better than perfectly done by you every single time.

That’s it — 31 cheat codes. I want to know what you would add or which one you especially loved. You can leave a message in the show notes, post on your stories and tag me, or send me an email. Would you add something? If so, what is it? What’s the cheat code we need to add to the list?

By the time you’re listening, I am in Hawaii for spring break. I am so excited. I hope you are having an amazing week and finding some of your own sunshine. I’ve got 31 ways to help you do it. I’ll see you next week.

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