Putting tasks off until the last minute can add a tremendous amount of stress to your life, especially if they are important tasks with a specific deadline. And while it’s often hard to get things done in a timely manner, it’s not impossible with a regular routine. Whatever tasks you need to accomplish, it’s important to write them down on a to-do list or use an online project manager to help you stay on track. This can be for your personal or work life, or you can even have separate lists for both.
Put the tasks that are most important at the very top of your list, paying close attention to whether they are actually of the utmost importance or not (it’s easy for us to prioritize the tasks we actually enjoy doing over the ones that truly move the needle in our personal or business lives), and then make your way down the list. Be sure to include due dates, too.
Also avoid scheduling tasks back-to-back, leaving chunks of time in between each one. You can use this time to reset, or to just do something that you enjoy doing. It’s important to feed your soul throughout the day, as that’s an easy and natural way to relieve stress. For example, if you are responsible for more than one project at your job, prioritize the one with the earliest deadline and put it at the top of your to-do list. Break it down into segments throughout your day, allowing time for coffee breaks, and some social interaction.
Writers are notorious for producing more words each day by using what are called “sprints”. This is where they write steadily for 20 minutes, then stop for 5-10 minutes, then repeat. By breaking up their processes so that while they are in a sprint, they are laser-focused on the task at hand while also knowing that a mental and physical break is coming up. This allows them to stay focused while also ensuring they recharge and reset.
The same goes for household chores, too. If you feel overwhelmed by everything that needs to be cleaned and organized around your home, then create a to-do list or download a household printable that makes it easy for you to keep track of your objectives. This will help you keep track of the progress you’ve made so you aren’t feeling overwhelmed. Then work your way down the list to the very last chore that needs to be done.
Remember that when we’re stressed, it often affects how we think and that will reflect in our work.
Quite often, we realize far too late that pushing ourselves beyond our mental capabilities results in not only poor output and quality, but we end up taking longer to do simple tasks because we aren’t giving ourselves a chance to recharge.
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