Get Back In The Driver’s Seat- 10 Tips to Manage Your Time, Life & Sanity

 Stress much? Feel like your day to day is often out of your control and you’re just along for the ride? In this time of Covid, Zoom classes & meetings, and the stress of just getting through day to day, the pressures and stress can add up pretty quick. This high octane, crazy train called life can sometimes feel like it’s just fish-hooked you from one task and spun you in two different directions wondering what the heck just happened, all the while facing and endless barrage of news events, tragedies and natural disasters. And needless to say holding onto our ‘Zen’ and positive state of mind proves to be quite the challenge. Work, lack of work, family, friends, virtual events, bills…..the list can go on and on. And on. Relax, you’re doing a great job rocking out life on top of keeping yourself and your family safe. When we initially found ourselves stuck at home, some of us were forced to slow down, enjoy the little things. And some, on the other hand, were thrown head first into the deep end of even more responsibility.

As we all try to find a sense of balance in our new normal, our high-adrenaline and driven selves get caught up in thinking we need to constantly move and cross all those tasks off of our list, when what we really need to do is stop and smell the coffee. Oh the coffee….. you could revel in the smell of it. So revel.

When we find ourselves in that chaos of never ending to-do lists, responsibilities that sometimes start at the break of dawn, and a mind that will not, or cannot slow down, it’s time to redirect our focus, get off of auto-pilot and back into the driver’s seat. So sit down. Relax enough to read through these 10 helpful tips to get back some control in your life and get your Zen back.

1. Start your day off on the right foot-If your crazy day starts first thing in the morning give yourself the gift of waking up a little earlier than everyone else. Try to sneak in a run around the block, maybe sit in the yard with your coffee with nothing but the sound of the birds and the world waking up. Sit in meditation to draw in intention and direction for your day, or do a handful of yoga poses to wake up all of your senses and get into your body and focused for the tasks that lie ahead. Stay unplugged in the am for as long as possible and set a positive, calm & productive vibe for your day.

2. Clear the clutter. Take a look at your workspace, car and home. If these areas are in disarray it can create a sense of chaos and being out of control. Set time aside to keep these areas tidy or recruit family members to help stay organized to keep stress level down. If that task seems too overwhelming, pick just one area to start with and chip away at it day by day, and feel the more organized and calming energy set in around you. 

3. Know your triggers. What stresses you out? Paying your bills, your commute to work? Going into work? When we can identify out triggers we can more easily work through them and offer ourselves a little extra patience and support. When it’s time to pay bills make a cup of tea, diffuse an essential oil or play classical music to soothe your mood. If your commute is a nightmare get a ‘book on tape’ or podcast you’ve been dying to listen to but haven’t had the time, you won’t want to get out of your car when you get to work! And if just going into the office is a source of stress these days, be sure you have everything you need to feel safe and supported in the workplace, and speak up if you don't. Take some mindful pauses and breaths throughout your day, and step away and take time you need to regroup, walk outside on breaks if available. 

4. Clear your calendar. Once and a while-learn to say NO! We often feel obligated to accept every invitation from family and friends, and now a days we want to be sure we are staying connected and taking care of each other. Although our calendars may not be as busy as they used to be, still trust when you know you need some ‘me’ time. Your family and friends will understand, and it’s better to respectfully decline upfront then backing out of it later. Take care of you mental, physical and spiritual health when needed.

5. Reset your mind & body throughout the day. Set mindful alarms on your phone to chime throughout the day. Take this time to check your posture, take some breathing, meditation or stretching breaks. 5 minutes on your breath can be the perfect refresher you need to clear your head and refocus. And if you must get up and get outside, move and disconnect here and there. Your brain will thank you.

6. Stay organized. If your day is stacked with virtual meetings, prepping weekly meals, shopping, cleaning, correspondence and running from here to there take the time to get organized and map out your day or week ahead of time. Set your plan of action and create a mantra for each day of the week depending on what you have coming up. If you have a big presentation at the end of the week set a mantra such as “I am organized. I am confident.” When you have a family trip this weekend with so much to get together set your mantra to “Mother Warrior Goddess” and tackle those challenges with confidence.  You can take on anything!

7. End the day with grace. At the end of your crazy day take a moment before you go to bed to set the same attitude you did to start it. Unplug, offer yourself even 5 minutes to meditate or offer yourself a few yin yoga poses to decompress. If you have a hard time ‘turning it off’ and falling asleep keep a journal by your bed. Jot down everything you were grateful for that day, let the good things take precedence. If you must, take this time to make your list for the next day and get anything down on paper that might keep your wheels turning as you retire for the evening. Rest with ease that you’ve done all you can today and have to clear plan on action for tomorrow. And give your permission to rest.

8. Be kind to yourself. Carve out some time to do something you enjoy throughout the day or week, if only for a short time. Find what feeds your soul and offer yourself that gift for being a domestic, new normal, and corporate bad ass. Buy yourself something you’ve wanted, you deserve it. Read that book, take that online course on cooking, and remember you a the sum of many parts, and you must nourish all aspects to find balance. 

9. To err is human, to forgive is divine. Life is hard enough, we don’t need to add self judgement and defeating thoughts to the mix. If we don’t get to everything or even royally mess things up remember we are all human. Take the time to reboot and reevaluate your plan of action. If your busyness is affecting your relationships with others it may be time to look at your schedule and yourself with a new set of eyes. Take the time to step back and reset your default.
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10. Give thanks to yourself, for all that you do each day. For showing up to take care of yourself and of others.......for all that you have.....and for all that you are. When life gets us down or stressed sometimes all it takes is a little shift in perspective to show us that everything is ok.
 
When life is crazy remember to tune into that peaceful space within yourself. Close your eyes and tune into your breath. Let go of the external world and give soul a peaceful place the dwell. With the right tools you can become the eye of the storm of the chaos around you. The calm center. So take a deep breath in and know, you’ve got this.