Is your to-do list making you feel overwhelmed? This tip will help!
There's never enough time in the day. So many things get piled onto our plates that it feels impossible to get it all done. Taking care of kids/grandkids/pets/spouses, going to work, running errands, cleaning the house, making dinner, doing laundry, maintaining friendships and family relationships, staying up to date with the news, posting/chatting on social media, house maintenance, yard work....the list goes on and on.
From the moment we get up to the moment we fall asleep, we are constantly trying to get it all done and beat the clock.
It's overwhelmingly stressful, and yet society tells us to put on a smile and make it look like we've got it all under control. No pressure.
We think to ourselves "if we just get through this week, next week will be better". It never does. It might be less overwhelming, but there's always too much to do. When we feel constantly overwhelmed, the stress builds. It becomes toxic, and we feel less and less like ourselves. We panic when we are feeling like we won't be ready for work on time because we are squeezing things in before rushing out the door, or when the house isn't clean enough for the company arriving in 10 minutes. It's exhausting and depressing, because life shouldn't be like this. When will it end?
My #1 tip: use a planner
Using a planner will help alleviate that panic. Before you roll your eyes at it, know that when I use my planner, it ALWAYS helps me to feel like I have control over my to-do list. By writing it all down and tentatively scheduling your week, you will take that stress out of your brain and put it on paper. It will free up your mind so that you can focus on other things instead of trying to remember the 15 things you need to accomplish that day.
Here's how to start:
Pick a day of the week that will be designated as your planner day
On that day, write down everything in your planner that have concrete times that absolutely need to get down at that time (example: work hours, appointments, deadlines, etc.). These are the things you CAN'T change.
Grab a different journal or piece of paper and free-write everything that you know you need to get done during that week. Include chores, fun things, things to mail, etc. These are the things that need to get done but don't have specific times.
Begin to add this random list into your planner in a way that makes sense. For example, if you know you are out of groceries and need to go shopping on the way home from work tomorrow, add that to your planner. If there is something else on your list that needs to be done near the grocery store, schedule that into your planner for the same trip so you can save time later in the week.
Keep your planner near you so you can continue to reference it or update it as needed. This will help you to stay motivated and on track.
Be flexible! Life happens and things don't always get done when we schedule them, but that's okay! Simply find a spot in your planner later in the week that you can rewrite it and try again at that time instead.
Here are some tips:
I like to use a planner that lists out the day hourly instead of the kind that has empty blocks for each day. This allows me to visually see where I have free time so that I can add tasks into small chunks of free time or move things around if needed. By seeing the hourly slots filled in or empty, I know when I have free time so that I can try to evenly schedule tasks throughout the week. By doing this, it makes each day way less overwhelming!
I also LOVE to make it fun by color coordinating each category. For example, I write my work hours with an orange pen, appointments or deadlines in red, birthdays/holidays in pink, yoga biz tasks in purple, and fun/miscellaneous tasks in blue. By color coordinating it, I enjoy looking at my week and it helps me to better see the priority of things.
When I am at home, I keep my planner open on the counter with a pen next to it so that I can constantly check to see what task I am supposed to be doing and then I cross off each task as I complete it. By crossing it off as I go, I get rewarded with feeling accomplished. It also visually shows my to-do list getting smaller and smaller, thus motivating me to keep going.
Having a planner will give your life structure
Instead of having an endless task list jumbled up in your head, write it all down! Getting it out of your mind and onto paper will allow your brain to have a break from constantly thinking about how much stuff you need to do. Scheduling those tasks into your planner will allow you to feel like your list is manageable, do-able, and in control. This will bring peace to your life and give you the structure you need to feel less panicked.
Is this helpful? I'd love to know! If you want more tips like this or need help scheduling your day, send me a message on Facebook or Instagram @palmtreeyogawithsara
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