(Pixabay)Adult life can be pretty hectic… almost all of the time. However, that doesn’t mean it has to be painfully chaotic. There are in fact ways to minimize the chaos, and make sure your week (and weekends) can run as smoothly as possible. Here are just a few ways to help yourself stay organized, and minimize stress throughout the week.
1. Keep A Planner Or Calendar
Business meetings, doctor appointments, events for your kids. A lot of these things can get lost in the mix if you’re not on top of it all. That is why keeping a planner can help you stay on top of all those daily tasks. Keep tabs on each days events, along with times and any notes that you may need to have handy for that particular meeting or event.
2. Get Things Ready The Night Before
The morning rush can seem like quite a blur, making it easy to forget things you may need for the day ahead. From the moment you get out of bed in the morning, to the moment you step out the door you are more than likely constantly on the go. Avoid the morning rush by getting your things together the night before. Lay out your outfit for the next day, get your lunch together and if you have children, get their things for school together to. This can cause a lot less stress in the morning. Rather than trying to find something to wear, you just have to pick up what you had laid out and get dressed, and instead of putting together a last minute snack or lunch you’ll have your meal already ready to grab and go.
3. Meal Prep
The hustle and bustle of the work week can make it easy for us to pick up unhealthy eating habits. Whether it be because you don’t have time to throw together a meal in the morning, or that you find yourself constantly going out and buying fast food for lunch, these things can hurt our stomachs and our wallets. Prevent falling into this unhealthy slump by prepping your meals for the week during the weekend. Putting together a good meal prep can help you to keep yourself eating healthy, as well as manage your meal portions. However, keep in mind while you’re meal prepping to make sure the food you are preparing is food that will not spoil right away. So once your food is prepared, all you have to do is grab your Tupperware and go!
A personal meal prep favorite in my household is some grilled chicken, rice and green beans.
4. Keep A Bullet Journal
If your job, or even just your everyday life, presents you with a number of daily tasks then you might want to consider keeping a bullet journal. The purpose of a bullet journal is to keep bullet point lists (see the correlation?). Keeping a list of tasks can make it a bit easier to keep track of what needs to get done on any given day, checking off things as you go. Whereas mental lists can easily get jumbled, making it probable that you will forget a thing or two.
5. Wake Up A Bit Earlier
We all know that there just isn’t enough hours in a day. So, rather than trying to cram all that you need to get done in the few hours that you have, give yourself an early start. Have a long list of things to get done? Wake up an hour or so early. Give yourself time to get those tasks done with ease, instead of rushing and increasing the chances of a mistake being made.
6. Take Things With A Grain Of Salt
Don’t feel like you need to finish everything in one swift motion. Sometimes some tasks just take time. Like cleaning the house, for example. Don’t wake up on a Saturday morning with the expectation that you are going to get the entire house clean in one day. Take it one room at a time. If you need to, make a plan. Maybe the jobs can be split into two or three days. This doesn’t just apply to cleaning the house, but any other projects you may be working on. Don’t feel the need to overwork yourself to get things done quickly. Your best work is done with a relaxed mind, and at your own pace.
How do you handle your work week stress? Share any tips you may have in the comments below!