I finally broke my bad habit. For years, at the end of the week, I would set my work bag on the dining room chair and it would stay there all weekend until the next time I went back to the hospital. I’m a nurse and no matter if I worked at the bedside or in an office role, my habit of dropping my work bag front and center in our house persisted. 

What used to be in my bag

The thought of unpacking and then having to repack it all the next day was too overwhelming, probably because it was full of “stuff”:

• A laptop and charger that I would constantly bring home to catch up on work but would never open
• Miscellaneous notes, post its, trash
• Pens, pens, and more pens… and yet, i never seemed to have enough to get me through a shift… IYKYK
• Highlighters, Permanent Markers, and more pens
• Hair ties, hair clips, bobby pins
• Gum, snacks, lunch, water bottle
• Chapstick, touch up makeup
• Badge, wallet
• Pumping supplies, and even these were excessive!
  • Spectra pump & flanges, plastic bag, mason jar & storage bottle, cooler bag for milk. 
  • Extra medela pump parts & flanges in case I wanted to use the Medela Symphony pump at work. More milk storage bottles to keep in my desk in case I left others at home.

The list went on and on, so when I arrived home, what was the point of unpacking? I chose to stare at the clutter of my work bag on the dining room table every day and allow that unopened laptop and to-do list to add to my mental load. 

Fast forward to getting ready to return to work after the birth of my son. It was going to be my second experience pumping at work as a full-time nurse and I knew I did not want to stare at my bag full of clutter on my days off and some changes were required.

First step…. I needed to have an honest chat with myself. I had to admit that every time I brought work home to catch up on, my laptop remained closed and my notes remained un-reviewed in my bag. In fact, the only effect of bringing that work home was a constant reminder that I had too much on my plate, that I was failing, that I wasn’t able to “get it all done.” It distracted me from spending time with my family and guess what… all that work was STILL waiting for me on Monday morning. 

I now carry 50% less inventory to work

I had just ordered new backpacks for the kids and decided to repurpose the diaper bag as my new pumping bag. It was the perfect time to start fresh and decrease my inventory by over 50%! Here’s my current list:  

• Spectra Pump & Flanges –  little bulky but so reliable and I trust in the output I get with each session. Karrie Locher’s Blog is an amazing resource for tips and reviews. 
• Ceres Chill – the G.O.A.T. for on -the-go milk storage. I use the pitcher method throughout my day and can now avoid juggling all the spare storage bottles and jars.
• Wet/Dry Bag – machine washable, and no more plastic bags wasted daily
  • Iris & Ella – love the cute pattern on this one and the larger size
  • Sarah Wells – also a small business with great reviews on quality
  • Dapple Wipes – I use the fridge hack at work to avoid washing pump parts after every session, but I love to have these on hand for a quick pump wipe down when needed
• Badge, Wallet
• Small clutch of personal items (extra contact solution, gum, chapstick, hair ties)
• Lunch

I’m realizing over and over again that the key to organization is decluttering. It is not more compartments or a bigger bag. 

Since returning to work after the birth of my son, I’ve been able to consistently put away my work bag at the end of every shift and quickly pack it the next time I need to go to work because I have HIGHLY simplified the contents. No more office supplies or technology to cart back and forth and minimal pumping supplies.

I’ve also set boundaries for myself and stopped bringing home work. My focus when I am at home needs to be on my spouse, my children, my home, not on the papers and laptop staring at me. I don’t need any reminders of how behind I feel. We can only do so much, and I would rather pour myself in 100% to work when I am there, and 100% to home when I am there. 

So what has a decluttered work bag given me? 

• Less clutter on our dining room table
• More efficiency when packing up in the morning
• No longer forgetting my pumping supplies because I can easily see the contents of my bag
• More mental capacity to give back to myself and my family

Simplifying my work bag has given me peace of mind and encouraged me to be where my feet are, to focus on my family when I am at home. I’ll say it again… the key to organization is decluttering.

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