Life can be busy and hectic at times, and lots of things are out of our control. However, there are things we do have power over that we can do to keep things running smoothly and generally allow us to feel ‘on top’ in life. Here are some examples.
Get ready for work the night before
Most of us start work at an hour that we’d rather be sleeping. Getting up and getting ready and out of the door can be a struggle within itself, so don’t make things harder for yourself. Get your work bag sorted the night before, lay out clean clothes that you can change straight into and have a shower or bath before you go to bed. Make sure you have breakfast items in the kitchen, you could even make sure there’s water in the kettle ready to go. That way you can get up and go with no hassle or fuss, your morning runs smoothly which can be a good start to the rest of your day.
Plan your lunches and dinners
Are you guilty of buying lunch every day while you’re at work, or ordering takeaways when you get home? Convenience food is just that- convenient, however it’s neither healthy or cheap. Cooking for yourself more doesn’t have to be complicated, in many cases just a little pre- planning is all that’s needed. Whip up a batch of pasta or rice salad and divide it into containers for example, pop them in the fridge and you have a tasty, cheap and healthy lunch you can grab for work. Create a menu for each week and when you go grocery shopping you’ll know exactly what you’re buying and what to make. This prevents that scenario we all hate- arriving home after a long day, looking in the cupboards and realizing you’ve no idea what to make and no inspiring ingredients. Lots of simple, healthy and tasty recipes can be found on sites like Pinterest.
Declutter and organize every season
Decluttering really needs to be an ongoing process. When new things are being accumulated all the time, we simply need to ensure we’re clearing out the old and unused to make way for the new and useful. Once a season is a good benchmark, go through your car, your wardrobe, your handbag, your bedroom and get rid of anything that’s no good. You could do an intense declutter once a year, and more frequent cleans in between this of course. But if you spend the time once every few months it allows you to keep on top of things.
Automate your bill paying
Paying bills is no fun but we all have to do it. However, if you’re spending time every week or month phoning up different companies, making manual payments online or over the phone then this is something you can change. Automate your bill paying- first open a separate bank account that’s just for bills, and then set everything to come out of it by direct debit. Each week or month when you get paid, you simply transfer a set amount into this account. Everything else takes care of itself and you only need to make one payment instead of many. There’s no risk of you accidentally spending back onto it since this account is only ever used for bills.
Hire help if you need it
Hiring help might seem like a luxury, but there are so many services you can utilize which don’t cost a fortune and can make your life much more simple. Maybe a maid service a couple of times a week could help you keep on top of the housework, or a laundry service to keep the never ending washing pile from overflowing? It could be dog walkers, babysitters- sometimes you just don’t have the hours in the day to get everything done yourself. Pick your battles, do what you can and if you’re in a position to hire help to tackle what’s left then take advantage of that.
Learn to drive
Admittedly, learning to drive isn’t easy. It takes time and it can be expensive, however, it’s worth seeing it as an investment in yourself. Once you know how to drive, lots of things in your life become much quicker and easier. School runs, getting to work, running errands like shopping and more- you’re no longer at the mercy of public transport. You have more freedom and independence, it could improve your job prospects and make it easier to socialize as you’re able to get to your loved ones. It makes days out with the kids easy and cheap, you can simply pack up a picnic and take a drive to the beach or countryside pretty much free of charge (bar fuel and any parking fees). So much better than being stuck in the house.
Use lists
Set yourself up for success by getting into the habit of writing things down. Everything from appointments to shopping lists to to- do lists, instead of trying to keep everything in your head. When things are written down, you won’t forget and can consult your lists to ensure all of your tasks and commitments for the day are being fulfilled.
Order repeat prescriptions to your home
If you have a chronic or long term condition and rely on regular medication, getting to the doctor or chemists to pick it up can be a bit of a pain. Save yourself the journey by ordering your medicine to your home or even your work, this can be done even for NHS prescriptions. There are lots of online pharmacies that make this a possibility and can save you a lot of time in the long run.
Utilize apps and software
Apps and software are so useful these days. Utilize organisational programs and tools to help you keep your life, schedule, home, bills and medication among other things organised. We’re always close to our smartphones, so keeping tabs on areas of our lives using them makes perfect sense.