Are wondering how to make life more manageable? Perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed by the stressors of daily life as you juggle kids, work/life balance, and maintaining relationships.
You may have started a business and it is eating up all of your time.
However, it is possible to “get a grip” and learn how to make life more manageable so you can feel less overwhelm and more contentment as you drive through this curvy road we call life.
We all must ask ourselves, “What is the goal?” Yes, you may be wondering what you want out of life and even feel lost at times. As you contemplate how you want to proceed with your life, learn to start asking yourself, what will truly make your life better and add happiness. This will help you learn to make life more manageable and help you prioritize your goals. Here are a few questions to get you started:
Questions to ask when learning how to make life more manageable:
- What is my why?
- What do I want my life to look like in five years? Ten years?
- What makes me the happiest?
- Why do I feel overwhelmed and how can I change this?
- How can I manage my life better?
Use these questions as a guide to help kick-start the life of your dreams. Once you have answered your questions, you can then move on to the use of productivity hacks to help you reach your goals.
What is Productivity and Why is it Important?
Productivity is the measure of efficiency and effectiveness with which an employee, business, or company produces goods or services.
Productivity should be one of everyone’s goals in life. It is not just about how much work you do but also the quality of your work. Productivity means accomplishing more tasks in less time with fewer resources.
A person can be productive at home, at work, or anywhere else. If you have been feeling unproductive or like you cannot seem to accomplish anything, you have come to the right place.
Some people are highly productive because they have developed their own systems for getting things done quickly and easily.
Others may not be as productive because they are struggling to maintain a balance between work and life outside of work, don’t prioritize their goals, or don’t know how to manage their time when they have too many tasks that need to be completed in a short period of time
If you want to make your life more manageable, keep reading…
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How to Make Life More Managable With These 10 Effective Productivity Hacks
Productivity hacks are great for helping individuals to be more productive and complete their tasks efficiently. There are many different productivity hacks out there and it can often be difficult to determine which ones will work for you and your needs.
The following is a list of ten effective productivity hacks that you will want to consider trying to learn how to make life more manageable.
#1 Plan Your Entire Day
Don’t waste any time. Plan your entire day. When you start prioritizing goals and planning out your day, you may realize how much time you are wasting on things that did not help you reach your goals.
Did you know, according to US News, the average adult watches 5.5 hours of television per day? I would say it is reasonable to add a few hours of relaxation watching tv, playing video games, or scrolling social media, but let’s take our lives back.
If there are tasks you want to get done in life, you can limit these activities and create a daily “to-do” list by the hour. The key is to still plan in your relaxing activate too. You will start to see you do have time for exercise, or appointments you didn’t think you had time for before.
Example of day planning
8-8:30 Breakfast
8:30-9 Exercise
9-10 Work project
10-11 Product creation
11-12 Phone calls/appointments
12-12:30 lunch
And continue this throughout the day until you have covered all of your tasks up until you go to bed. I suggest adding some reading time or family game time into your agenda.
#2 Use a Timer
Using a timer is easy and most of us have a timer on our phones. As a former special education teacher, this is a hack I used to teach parents when their children were faced with ADHD. Yet, the fast-paced society we live in has caused many of us to have short attention spans. Therefore, setting a timer to complete a given task will help you focus on just that one thing, even if it seems overwhelming.
For example, I never want to clean out my garage, but I don’t like disorganization. So I set a time for 15 minutes (anyone can do something for 15 minutes) and clean what I can. Usually, I end up spending more time working, but it is the initial timer that gets me going. The key to change is taking action.
Using a timer can help you feel less overwhelmed with a given task and help you start something you have been putting off.
#3 Take Breaks
Taking time out from your arduous tasks can actually help them become easier to complete. Taking regular breaks will ensure that you do not get overwhelmed by the enormity of the task at hand and that you give yourself enough time to refresh before starting back up again.
#4 Put Away Your Phone
Your phone is a distraction. Do you have a paper due at work that you arent’ really feeling? Or perhaps you need to work out today, Many times we use our phone as a distraction or numbing device to put off what we don’t feel like doing at the time. Phones and devices are highly addictive and can easily distract us from a given task that needs to get done. Therefore, putting your phone in a separate room for a certain amount of time will give you the chance to get off social media (can you say time-suck) and get your important tasks done.
#5 Make a Priority List Using the A,B, C Method
Prioritizing goals can help you get the “big stuff” out of the way. You can use the “ABC” Method to help set priorities for the day and accomplish things you have been putting off. So “A” will be your most important task, “B” the next most important, and so on. I suggest only setting up five important tasks. If you do not complete everything, add your last few tasks to the top of your next day’s “ABC” list.
Example:
A – Make doctors appointment
B – Complet work report
C – Organize the kid’s clothing
#6 Give Yourself a Break
As you are planning your day as seen in the hack above, make sure to add in need breaks such as lunch, walking, or relaxing on the couch for a while. After completing your important tasks, you need a break to refresh and refuel. Make sure to eat snacks and drink throughout the day too. Which lead me to…
#7 Eat Well and Nourish Your Body
This lead to the next hack which is eating well and #8 drinking water. If you are eating a lot of processed food, your body could be sending you signals to eat better in the form of digestive problems or stress. Eating well will help you become healthier and feel better every day so you will feel up to completing your important task and making your life more manageable.
Find some healthy foods and keep them handy. Wash fruits and veggies right after bringing them home to make it an easy choice when you are hungry. Buy salad packs so making a salad is easy. Once you start eating better, you will lose that sluggish feeling that was keeping you from being productive..
#8 Drink Water Frequently
Often adults are dehydrated and don’t realize it. Dehydration could be the cause of you snapping at your kids or coworkers. Consider taking water to work with you so you can continue to drink throughout the day. Staying hydrated is an important part of staying productive. When dehydrated we often feel tired or sluggish. We are also often more irritable and unable to handle everyday tasks or issues.
Pro Tip: Avoid sugary sports drinks or soda pop as it will promote sugar cravings and mood drops.
#9 – 25 Minute Rule
Did you know 25 minutes is the optimal time to work on a task or learn something new? After 25 minutes your brain needs a break. So set a time for 25 minutes and take a five-minute break. Then go back and work on your project, You can use this at work or at home to help you stay more productive.
#10 Add Some Fun Into Your Day
What do you like to do for fun? Life should not only work! Make sure to plan some things you enjoy in your day. Take a hike and enjoy the sunshine. Take your kids to the park to play catch. Whatever it is, make sure you plan something into your day that you enjoy doing. Work hard and play harder.
Conclusion: How to make life more manageable by applying these simple little tricks
It is time to take back your life and make your life more manageable. If you have been asking yourself “How do I make life more manageable?” -I hope the simple hacks above provided you with a comprehensive plan to help you get your life back on track and make overwhelm a thing of the past.
Check out my Positive Thinking Journal available now in the printable shop!