Back to VFR basics.
You only need 3 instruments: speed, altitude and heading.
Look out the window and find a distance from the horizon down to the lower edge of the window and/or dashboard. And when the altimeter is not moving i.e. stable altitude note this distance and make sure your plane is trimmed for that. You RPM should also be stable. Set it where it needs to be and tighten the friction on the throttle.
Apart from said VFR basics, on a turbulent day, climbing a few thousand feet more will completely change the game.
I had to do a 3hr flight at 2500-3000ft in a DA20, just below the turbulent clouds. That’s not a fun day. Fuel burn was maybe 10% worse just because of turbulence, constant updraft and downdraft correction. I’m pretty sure my altitude profile would look just like that.
Climb to 4000ft AGL or even 8000 on top if needed. Things will get orders of magnitude easier for any flight > 30min. Normally 3000ft AGL is the magical limit above which ground based turbulence basically stops.
