How to create a backup plan that works – tips and ideas. If you woke up ill one day, would you be able to sort the kids / your home / your work / yourself? This backup plan will help you do just that – so let’s get started and make EVERY part of your life that bit easier – even if you did fall ill…
Plan A – aaaah – the easy life! – when things are running smoothly and your schedules/routines can pretty much run to plan (life still happens!). It’s a good place to be – but it’s all too easy to get comfortable in the cocoon that you’ve created for yourself.
Something can happen out of the blue – like you getting ill, being hospitalised, needing to leave unexpectedly to help a family member etc…..that can rock that safe world you’re in – and everything goes to ruin.
It’s great when things are going well, but if you haven’t prepared for an emergency, then everything can unfortunately come tumbling down around you all too easily.
Surely then, it’s better to have a back up plan – a ‘plan B’- in place when you are in a good period of life, when you can think of what can be done to make life easier, and when you can have conversations with people you may need to rely on?
Here are 3 areas you will want to consider when thinking about what would happen should an emergency happen to you: –
Backup Plan For The Housework And General Day To Day
#1 – Ask For Help
Get friends or family to help – or get paid help for the short term. My friend lent me her cleaner which was a godsend – one of the best ‘get well soon’ gifts I could have got when I was recovering from an operation a few years ago.
#2 – Give Yourself Some Slack
Things can wait – and you can prioritise – housework can wait most of the time, and having a cleaning schedule for the crucial jobs only means that everything will be at a level that’s still acceptable without going crazy about it all. (the skirting boards can wait!).
A Home File will help with this because everything will be there to draw on. Great for letting someone take over easily.
TIP – Do this at work as well – keep a folder of procedures and schedules so that someone can take over if required – it will get you brownie points AND be a perfect handover when you get a promotion or move on!
Backup Plan For Looking After The Kids
My husband works away, and my extended family are over 1.5hrs away so when it comes to childcare I have always been left to figure it out. That’s good really because I’m not relying on family so if they aren’t available I’ve already got a back up plan in place.
#1 – Sort Out Local Help
Work out who is close by that you trust.
Can you offer friends or neighbours help to them in return for help for you when either of you are in need?
Does the school have any after school facilities that could be called on in an emergency? Get the numbers and have the conversations now before you need it – so you can be ready.
#2 – Ask For Favours
…. and know that you can return that favour when you’re better.
Simply having a chat with people in advance means that you can take away the worry of annoying someone by asking for that favour. It means peace of mind for sure!
#3 – Add Something To Your Purse
My hubby works away a lot, so I am the one that is in charge of picking up my daughter to her various clubs, classes and school.
As such, I often worry what would happen if I didn’t turn up one day because I’d been taken ill. How would I let my daughter know?
SO – I came up with a simple yet really effective little printable that I carry around in my purse at all times. It just has on it that I have people relying on me, and the number of my hubby to call and let him know.
I know that if I were out and about, someone would check my purse for information as to who I was – and so they would see this first and at least get word to the right people asap.
{ GRAB THE FREE PRINTABLE – DO YOU HAVE DEPENDANTS? }
Backup Plan For Work
If you work for yourself at home (like me), or work for someone else – having a plan for being ill is SO useful to alleviating the stress you may feel should you have to not work for a while.
- Create a manual for your job. Have a folder and add in procedures / passwords etc… into it so that someone could take your place if needed, without having to learn it all as they go.
- If possible, work ahead of real time so you have some slack without anyone noticing. This works best if you work for yourself of course, but can be possible in certain other jobs as well. For example, I work on posts and products a month or two in advance, so that if I’m ill, or if there is a school holidays etc…, I don’t have to work, but my readers won’t see a break in what they get from me. This buffer is a fantastic stress free way of working, and I’d highly recommend if you can! (the trick is to always stay ahead and get too comfortable!).
Backup Plan For Actually Being Ill
Yes, you may have thought about everything else (as most women do!) before yourself, but being ready for illness and being able to look after yourself is just as crucial as all the other stuff.
It makes sense to do the following ready, just in case: –
- Make sure your First Aid Kit is well stocked and ready to be used.
- Make a note of all medications that you are on (and the rest of your family) – and keep them handy should anyone else need to know them quickly (such as the hospital, a pharmacist, or a doctor).
- Have some backup supplies of food sorted. Freeze some meals, and some basics (butter, bread), and have some cartons of UHT Milk ready. This means you won’t be stuck for the short term stuff until someone can do a shop for you or you’re better.
Basically – looking after yourself means that you will get better sooner hopefully – so it’s worth taking time to make sure you give yourself the best chance possible.
And that’s it – tips and ideas for creating a backup plan that *should* make falling ill for the short term a LOT easier to handle.
If you’ve thought of things before you need to worry about them, created that all-important backup plan , then you are much more likely to be less stressed, and able to get better and worry less while you are doing so.
It really is a win-win all around!
…. and don’t forget to grab that free printable for your purse – you’ll LOVE the peace of mind it gives!