5 Ways to Organize Your Fast-Paced Life
At one point or another, we’ve all wished for a little more organization in our lives. Whether it’s work, kids’ soccer games, or just our own personal schedules, our days have a habit of driving us a little crazy. No matter the source of disarray; here’s a few tips for managing the chaos.
Get a planner
Although this is probably the most obvious suggestion, there’s a reason it’s a tried and true tip. Putting your crazy day down on paper helps you feel a little more in control about everything you need to accomplish in 24 hours. Sure, you may have three appointments to make, piles of laundry to do, and groceries to buy all before 5 o’clock, but at least you can feel a little bit proud while you steadily cross each one off your calendar.
Make your bed
Time and time again, research has shown that making one’s bed in the morning makes people feel better about the chaos in other aspects of their lives. When you take just a couple minutes to straighten your blankets and fluff your pillows before you rush out the door to work, it gives you something clean to come back to at the end of the day. So even if the rest of your day looks more like a high school fire drill than a synchronized choreography, you have some evidence that you accomplished at least one thing today.
Give yourself a bedtime
One of the best things about being an adult is staying up all night binge-watching all six seasons of “Lost” whenever you want to. One of the worst things about being an adult is regretting it the next morning as you chug your coffee and wipe the sleep out of your eyes. Setting a bedtime for yourself is not only helpful in maintaining a fast-paced life, it’s also just good for your overall health. It’s really tempting to try and cram as much as you possibly can into a 24-hour period, but you’ll thank us later when you’re not falling asleep during your meeting at work the next day.
Learn to say ‘no’
Take the kids to the park? Sure! Dinner with your parents later? Of course. See a movie with friends tomorrow? Totally! Before you know it, your weekend is jamb-packed with social visits and errands to run. Even if it’s all fun stuff, things tend to lose their shimmer when you’re running around like a mad man trying to fit everyone into your schedule. One of the biggest misconceptions we have is that others will be upset with us if we say we’re too busy. But the truth is, their lives are just as crazy as ours, and people are pretty understanding when you ask to reschedule for a more convenient time. Learning to say “how about next weekend instead?” goes a long way.
Relax
It might seem counter-productive, but scheduling a set time for yourself at least once a week to put away your to-do list (and your phone) and just enjoy some time alone is one of the best things you can do to keep the crazy under control. Pick up a good book, hit the local skatepark, or take the dog for a walk. It puts things into perspective and allows you to let your thoughts take a rest for a while. You’d be surprised the effect just 30 minutes of downtime can do for your body.
Whichever way you decide to implement some organization into your life, keep in mind that even one of these new strategies can be helpful in managing your schedule. You don’t have to take it on all at once; pick something to focus on and start including it in your day.
Credit: Photo by Gabriel Beaudry on Unsplash
- Lifestyle Staff
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