Not everything is about increasing productivity, sometimes we simply need to prioritize our well-being, too. Mental health should be taken care of from the moment we wake up in the morning, but since we move at such a fast pace, it’s often neglected. Experts advise trying to schedule self-care times to prioritize your mental health. “Many times this time is compromised by work demands, obligations, family needs and financial constraints. However, studies show that if we spend time taking care of ourselves, we will have more balance in our lives and greater well-being,” she says. Because of this, we’ve composed a list of habits to help generate productivity and save time during the day.
Evening routine
Expert Alicia Iglesias says in her book Put Your Life In Order, that a good day’s routine starts at night. “To have a good breakfast you don’t have to focus too much on the morning itself. My suggestion is to do a little nighttime routine that won’t take you more than 15 or 20 minutes or less depending on what you do, if you live alone or if you have kids,” she says. It’s important to pick up everything that has been thrown around the house to put it all in place before you go to bed. Put away the dishes, prepare everything you need for the following day, and if you use an agenda or planner, review the tasks you have written down. The main rule is “avoid thinking in the morning. If you want to have a quiet morning, you should let everything run on automatic mode so that the mind slowly wakes up,” adds Iglesias.
Don’t spend too long getting ready
Author Zadie Smith had once said that she had decided not to spend more than 15 minutes in front of the mirror, especially after she noticed her 7-year-old daughter spending a lot of time in front of it. Psychologist Pilar Guerra Escudero says this is a good thing as reducing the time we spend in front of the mirror allows us to be more focused and increase our self-acceptance, because somehow the physical aspect is downgraded to be prioritized in other aspects of our well-being.
Analyze the sequence of things you usually do
“The order of tasks affects the time required to complete them. For example, it takes less time if you put the clothes away after folding them and if you fold them immediately after picking them up, because your mind is focused on what you are doing,” explains Iglesias. This example can be transferred over to other routine tasks that we take more time to do because we believe that by doing many things at once we will get everything done. It is better to do things one at a time, because when the brain multitasks, it shifts its attention from one to another. Psychologist Laura Palomares summarizes it, “As much as I run and want to catch up, it’s better to concentrate now, I am confident that I will tackle the next project at the right time in the best possible way.” He adds, “It’s convenient to slow down when we see ourselves speeding up thinking about what to do next.”
Don’t check your phone in the morning
In addition to the sudden awakening that we may give our brain unnecessarily, if the very first thing we do is check our phones, research has shown that between 15 and 20 minutes can be lost looking at things that are not important. Therefore, checking your phone only when the morning routine is over allows you to save time in the morning and have a little more peace of mind.
Sort to save time
Taking a day to order drawers and other things that are used every day saves a ton of time on a daily basis. “If the items we use frequently are easily accessible, our stress levels automatically decrease,” says Guerra Escudero. Iglesias adds, “Thanks to this you immediately know where anything that comes into the house should be placed, so it’s less difficult for your brain if that place is well thought out than just leaving it anywhere.”
Stretch
Energizing your body after hours of sleeping is important to increase productivity. You can do it in bed, but another alternative, nutritionist Aida Artiles says, is to do it while making coffee in the morning. “While I’m making coffee, which is one of the first things I do when I get up, I do some sun salutations (A and B), some twists (another yoga pose), some backbends, and I’m off,” she says.
French break
Mathilde Thomas, founder of the Caudalie brand, talks in her book The French Beauty Solution about how French women perceive breaks. “We French people have a different attitude to leisure time. We know that stressed, exhausted and frustrated employees are not effective,” he says. For this reason, learning not to do anything during breaks – with no plans or activities in mind – is her best plan for better creativity and productivity the rest of the year. Because of this, taking advantage of weekends and days off to disconnect is another way to save time on a daily basis.
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