Making out of the day what we truly want is a challenge for everyone, requiring a blend of habit, discipline, and well-defined routines. We all experience days of top performance, and other days, it’s more like “I’m lucky I made it through” – such is the ebb and flow of human existence.
Yet, the ability to manage time and space to our best lies in cultivating a clear and tranquil mental headspace. Adopting such a mindset makes it possible to allocate time for things that matter to us individually for a lasting sense of well-being. Here are some worthy tips to organize your day, be more productive, and overall – be more happy.
1. Wake Up at a Reasonable Time
If you have the luxury to wake up at a time you like, before 10 a.m. is a must, but 7-8 a.m. is optimal. If you are a nighttime person who gets inspired when the world ceases to exist, and the space for higher thoughts opens up – still, waking up past 10 a.m. can lead to a lingering sense of inertia. It just doesn’t work.
2. Pick a Morning Ritual
Instead of framing it as a routine, think of it as a morning ritual that infuses a sense of tranquility into your day. Each morning, I look forward to making that tea, smelling the sencha and sipping it in silence, stretching and appreciating being here – before the fate of the day knocks.
3. Exercise
A day without exercise is a lost day. I find one hour of stretching, cardio or strength, yoga, dance, or other activities optimal for feeling good in my body. I love variety and like doing it before I start the day with serious desk work to avoid feeling sloppy.
4. Block Time for Work
Simply blocking time for something often takes care of the task itself since getting done with it is often easier than excessive thinking about it.
This approach liberates your headspace of background dreaded shoulds and woulds. If you take the most challenging task early in the day – even better, they say.
I find I require a 15-minute warm-up with lighter tasks first; however, once I’m focused, it’s me and the task at hand and no expectations of the outside world.
5. Multitasking Never Works
No one is good at multitasking; it’s a scientific fact. It is just a fancy name for switching focus from one thing to another while nothing gets accomplished in its fullness. But it will leave you feeling busy and stressed, potentially googling symptoms of ADHD.
6. Breaks Are Great
I find doing the small manual chores especially enjoyable if I do them between demanding brain work. It makes me move a bit and feels way more pleasant than usual. Often, breaks help rejuvenate and reset for a couple of minutes since overheating is not good for your brain, as it isn’t for your laptop.
7. Mindful Distractions
A couple of them here and there won’t harm – seeing the cat on a balcony railing in the building across or colleagues’ quirks can bring a momentary joy. Yet, getting distracted with biased and heavily opinionated people on social media… well, yuck.
8. Embrace Clutter-Free Life
Creating your environment so it feels breezy, purposeful, and optimized will spill into everything else. Your mind, your work, and your life would feel lighter. Yes, it’s human nature to collect stuff, and we all love new toys.
However, I love Marie Kondo’s approach – why waste resources on maintenance of something you aren’t even that into? The same goes for things in the head.
9. Being Expensive With Your Time
Be a curator of your life by creating experiences that enrich your soul. Say nope, hell no, a-a, nah, I’m good to unnecessary drama – family members with extra time on their hands, needy partners, clients, or bosses with unrealistic expectations.
10. Live More
When done with the day’s must-dos, rewards like reading, dancing, calling someone special, and going out to wander aimlessly are vital. I feel emotionally enriched, motivated, and connected when I engage in these, rather than numb if I spend time scrolling online.
11. Innovate and Experiment
Pursuing innovation requires time and risk-taking, but it’s riskier not to innovate and lose the opportunity to make this world a bit more yours.
12. 9PM Screen Curfew
Life should not be a relationship with a screen that gives a biased worldview. Fostering a deeper connection with the real world is more stimulating, where you connect with your humanity through intuitive participation.
13. Pre-Sleep Daydream
Do that if you aren’t a person who falls asleep as soon as they touch the pillow. This simple and enjoyable practice enriches your dreams and spills on your morning, waking you up with zeal and positive energy.
14. One Step at a Time
Taking one small step at a time adds to the grander scheme of things; you only have to enjoy walking. Big results come with compounding little steps; you can’t rush it.
Final Note: Be More Mindful
In essence, mastering time management is just some simple mindfulness. By cleaning up regularly, things in our heads take care of certain things for themselves. Slow down, take one task at a time, and enjoy it thoroughly if you can. Time flies for everyone, but with a mindful life, it can be a pleasant flight with work, personal activities, engagement, and relaxation.
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