How to make time for everything without getting stressed
- I need to re-fill my energy in the afternoon, so after watching one episode of series, I take an afternoon nap.
But you can add 1-2 things from your list if you want to depending on your energy.
- In the evenings I don’t have high energy to work on things that require mental strength or even physical strength, so my evenings are for small tasks that doesn’t require much thinking, some pending tasks, going out for a walk, going out with friends and just spending time with myself.
6. Schedule when you want to do what you want to do
Now that you’ve made a list of what 1-3 tasks you want to do in your mornings, afternoons and evenings, its not just enough to keep it in your mind and simply say,
‘In the morning I will read and exercise’, in the afternoon I will do this and that.
If you simply keep it in your head, 99% chance is you won’t stick with it.
You need to WRITE.IT.DOWN and schedule a specific time for it in your morning, afternoon and evening.
- Want to exercise in the morning? Set a time for it in the morning
- Want to start reading in the evening? Set a time for it in the evening or you can try habit stacking.
Set new habits before and after something you already do.
For example, read every evening after doing something you already do. For example, if you always go out for a walk or out with your friends in the evening, after you walk, make that time for reading.
7. Cut down distraction
- In 2 minutes, you can get into your workout clothes and get ready for a workout.
- In 5 minutes you can do a simple stretch exercise.
- In 10 minutes you can read 3 pages in a book.
- In 10 minutes you can walk 1000 steps.
But we think these 2-5-10-20 minutes are too less time to do anything, and so we open Instagram to check something and there goes a good 20-30 minutes just scrolling.
We get a notification on our phone, tap on it and all of a sudden we’re busy checking out something we don’t even need for another good 20-30 minutes.
These small 5-10-20-30 minutes keep adding up to big numbers, and we end up wasting a ton of time which could be better spent in other things.
If you complain about not finding time for everything you want to do, then you also need to step back and asses the time killers that are unknowingly eating up your time.
Cut down on distraction. Turn off your net. Turn off your notifications on your phone. Here are some more things you can do to cut down distraction.
8. Do one thing at a time
By saying that you need to cut down on distraction I do not mean to say that you shouldn’t ever be distracted.
Distraction is good too as long as it is happening at the right time. It refreshes the mind. Using social media intentionally is fun.
But when you are up with your main task, simply do that one task and don’t let any other thing steal your attention.
If you’re writing, simply write and do nothing else. Multitasking is a myth and leaves us feeling stressed.
If you remember something that needs to be done while you’re up with your main task (as it happens so commonly) note that down in your ‘distraction list’ and come back to it after finishing your task.
A book I would like to mention here is, ‘One Thing’ by Garry Keller. It’s highly recommended if you want to cut down on distraction and bring your focus to your One thing.
9. Utilise your waiting time and commute time
Next, if you still find yourself short of time to get certain things done, perhaps you can utilise your waiting time and your commute times.
You can listen to audiobooks or podcasts easily while travelling, while waiting, while taking a shower, while exercising or while doing other chores that don’t require much of your mental focus.
I keep certain articles and blog posts I want to read ready in my reading list, YouTube videos saved for later, so I can easily find them while waiting some where.
This way you can utilise these times to make time for certain tasks.
10. Make space in between tasks
Lastly, my little advice for you is to try and make space in between your tasks. See each task as a whole and treat them as a whole. Do them slowly and move on to another task holding some space in between.
Don’t do one thing after another restlessly. Hold space. Breathe a little. Slow down, and have fun.
A simple shift of energy helps a lot to get things done without feeling stressed. I have found that its easier to make time for everything when you first let things go.
Here are some posts to help you:
- 8 simple practices to slow things down.
- Go slow if you want to grow
- What happens when you embrace slow growth
Final thoughts on how to make time for everything
So these were my tips on how to make time for everything. I hope you found them helpful.
You can definitely make time for everything, but know that in the process of trying to make time for everything, there will inevitably happen countless errors and too many changes till you can do it all.
To repeat the steps, here they are:
- Shift your mindset to stop waiting for when you will find ‘the time’.
- Make a list of what you want to make time for
- Make a quarterly, monthly, and weekly plan
- Divide your day into mornings, afternoons and evenings
- Manage your energy for the tasks that fit into mornings, afternoons and evenings
- Schedule when you want to do what you want to do
- Cut down distraction
- Do one thing at a time and do it slowly
- Utilise your waiting time and commute time
- Make space in between tasks
So take it slow, and follow these tips.
Don’t go all in, but do it one at a time.
Also, don’t take everything too seriously, but remember to have fun as you go about your to-dos and take everything as a part of your sacred dance.
Thank you!
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