When life gets busier, it can be hard to stay on top of things. With the extra jobs comes a lot of stress and some people don’t know how to cope with the increase and so certain parts of their life start to fall apart. It may be as simple as their living space becoming more cluttered or more serious such as not meeting deadlines. However, it doesn’t have to be that way and making small changes to your routine can make a difference. You will end up feeling more in control of your life and not as overwhelmed. Take a look at our tips and see which ones can help you stay organized.
Always Make Lists
Whether you have a planner or just some sticky-notes, always make sure you are writing down the things you need to do. To-do lists are an easy way to lay out your day and show you what tasks need doing. Some people like to get the most important or hardest ones out of the way first so the rest of their day is easier to get through. Other people like to have multiple lists such as ones for their groceries, urgent tasks and household ones, which can be spread out over a few days. It helps to stop you stressing by having to remember all those things to do and instead you can focus on getting them done.
Keep an Eye on the Time
The problem most people make is filling their day with too many things to do and not having enough time to complete them all. Working this way will only lead to more stress as you panic about getting things done, which can cause you to do things wrong. If you have a big task to do, why not try separating it out into smaller, more manageable chunks? That way, you aren’t trying to cram everything into a small slot of time.
Don’t Work Outside of Business Hours
A sure-fire way to burn out quickly is by working too much. Something that is happening more often is people deciding to work outside of their normal work hours. There seems to be this idea that to succeed you have to give all your spare time to something, but this isn’t true. When people work the whole time, they forget to enjoy themselves and that isn’t good for anyone’s wellbeing. Instead, stick to set hours where you will work and complete the task, before switching off for the evening. You will find that you can do all the things you enjoy and still complete your tasks without feeling stressed.
Dedicate Tasks to Certain Days
If you are someone who likes knowing what the week will hold for them instead of going day-by-day, then why not allocate certain tasks to particular days. Before your week starts work out a plan of action to help maximize your time and ensure the most important tasks are completed early on in the week when you are refreshed after the weekend. By the time Friday rolls around, you will be feeling more tired and not in the right mindset to complete difficult tasks. When you have an organized schedule, it can help you to stay focused and not feel as if you are losing your mind.
Don’t Always Say Yes
When people are asked to do something, the majority of the time they will say yes as they don’t want to disappoint. However, if you know that you have a full schedule and couldn’t possibly fit in an extra task, learn to say no. People would rather be told straight away than be disappointed later on that a deadline wasn’t met or the work wasn’t completed to a good enough standard. This is why it is important to be aware of what your workload is like so that if an extra task does come up, you can be sure if you can or can’t complete it.
Life is too short to be constantly stressed and with these tips, you should be able to organize your life easier.