I love my paper planner. I know it’s not for everyone but that’s how I stay on top of bills, appointments, my work, hubby’s work, etc. as far as time management, I make a list of all the things I would like to get done and I START with the thing I hate the most. Oh! And I also make sure that if laundry is on the list, I put laundry in before I start anything so that way it’s working while I’m doing whatever else. I need to practice what I preach on this next tip but having a cleaning schedule is really helpful. Like Sunday, bathrooms, Monday, kitchen, Tuesday, vacuum and dust, Wednesday windows etc. there’s lots of ideas on Pinterest for this type of thing too. You will totally find your stride girl 💕💕💕
I have been where you are and I tried so many thing- writing things down, using my phone, making things more visual, more accessible, reading books, watching YT to find tips etc. etc. But the only thing that worked for me was to just pare down the things I had to do. I start with just wiping my calendar of social things (kind of like when you go on vacation) and I just focused on the things I truly needed to do (work, feed myself, exercise, getting good sleep). Once I reached a point where I felt like I had my feet under myself, I started adding things in again but in a more manageable way. Family is important to you so instead of seeing them twice a week, see them once a week for now. I think there's a huge societal pressure for grinding-hustle culture. "You can have it all! Social life! Work life! Personal life! Crush that Alani Nu, huff a line of coke and you're good to go!" but honestly, there's nothing wrong with slowing down. You get way more enjoyment out of the things you do when there's less. So TL;DR: think less about how you can be more productive and do more and be more, and think about what's really important and bringing the most into your life (and the necessary evils). Marie Kondo your life :)
I think you need to be kind to yourself and really take some time to map out your additional responsibilities now that you're living on your own (with a roommate) as an adult for the first time. The amount of mental energy it takes to make all the decisions about what to eat and when to clean and the groceries is a lot, and you're still getting used to that. It would probably be helpful to make a spreadsheet of all the things you do in a day so that you have a realistic understanding of what your commitments are. Also, I will reiterate that it is super important to have a set routine for work before you can break the routine by working from your bed or a couch. I think you might be going through a very normal setting into real life with your roommate and her dog - I know it's great, but the newness of the situation is wearing off and becoming routine. It's super easy to underestimate the amount of emotional and mental energy it takes to plan meals, cook meals, clean the kitchen, pick up the house, etc. Those were all things you weren't lead on at your parent's house, and it's going to take a bit to acclimate to the new level of responsibilities. So start working in your office for a few weeks to separate your work from the rest of your life. Have an after work routine - I recommend a bike ride or walk for your physical and mental health. Make sure you're being realistic with your habits - if you need to schedule 30 minutes of instagram scrolling in the morning or mid day because you're going to do it anyway, just put it in the mix and plan for it. I don't have any life changing suggestions - just know that it will get easier the more you do it (and by it, I mean life).
We have all been there! And honestly it takes trial and error to figure out what works for you. I tried book planner, to do list, sticky notes, whiteboard, etc. but finally realized that putting everything (work and personal into my work outlook calendar was the best way to keep my monday through friday organgized and then i enjoy using book planner for weekend and night activities. but more important than figuring above i finally got into my groove when i adopted some of the things in the magic of tidying up and atomic habits. i am one of those people who cannot start a big project unless my surroundings is cleaned up and i noticed that my environment would often get messy which would lead to procrastination and the cycle. i realized i had too much 'stuff' so i did a deep declutter years ago and that changed my life. this allowed me to practice atomic habits better (putting away things every day, keeping up with my calendar, having a routine, etc). lastly, i learned how to say no! i am also an introvert and i would say yes to others by sacrificing my alone time. now i treate alone time as an appointment with myself. i would never cancel on my friend that i already had plans with to say yes to another friend. so why would i cancel on myself?!? this change in thinking has been also life changing. oh and about working from home...do you have any option to go into the office sometimes? if so i would go in once in awhile. that helps to stay focused even when you are working from home. and if that's not an option, try scheduling a zoom to check in with a coworker during the hours in the day that you find yourself the most distracted. i have found that i get distracted around 2-3 so i try to schedule meetings around that time. it anchors my day:) goodness i didn't mean to write so much! hope it wasn't too much!!
I have also found that once I do brain dumps -- whether it's on a list pad, in a planner, or on a whiteboard -- my anxiety levels immediately decrease. I always feel overwhelmed with all the stuff, between personal and professional life, and I either think about all the stuff I have to do constantly, or become paralyzed by all of it and do nothing. So I also highly recommend the white board in the home office and creating lists to get the brain dump out. I have a great deal of autonomy in my professional life as well , and I know what my deadlines are. I know that if I use a little flexibility during the week - then I'm going to be spending a little extra time in the evenings or over the weekend to complete my work so that I have a clear head moving into the work week. Remember to give yourself a little grace - it's normal to have ebbs and flows in our lives. Just know you're not alone. The higher up the corporate ladder you move, you'll unfortunately have to make sacrifices in some areas of your life at times. I have faith you'll sort it out! :)
You have so much going on in your life. It’s understandable that sometimes you fall off. I recently bought a dry erase board calendar. It’s cute and has flowers on it and came with little decals for clean day, errands, self care days and a marker. It’s helped me feel more organized because I can see it when I walk by and remind myself of what I need to do. I also rely on my calendars app on my phone, but lately that hasn’t been enough.
I am sorry to hear you are struggling, l think a lot of us are feeling the same way. W@h tips I have is just having a designated work space so when I sit in my “office” that is my focus and when my day is done I leave work there and then go about my day. I don’t work in bed or on the couch because that is my off time space so I don’t think about work. There is nothing wrong with having reminders of projects and appts. When I start to feel overwhelmed and call my self lazy or dumb or whatever negative self talk I have. I think if my family member or friend were to say that about themself what would I say? We clearly are harder on ourselves more than others. If you wouldn’t want someone you love saying things we say to ourselves then maybe we should give ourselves a little grace. You have had a lot of change these last few months you are doing your best. Take care
So sorry you're struggling right now, Megan ❤I feel less stressed in a clean space and love to feel productive, so for me, lists are a huge help! Even just checking off a small task makes me feel good. Also, I have always struggled with work/life balance, and lately I haven't made my job a huge priority of mine. I will always get my work done that I need to, but I haven't been taking on as much as I used to (my company is super stingy with promotions, so the incentive isn't really there for me to do so anymore). It may not work for everyone, but I know my work will always get done, but I'm happier prioritizing other things instead of my day job. Make sure the work gets done, but don't lose yourself in the process. Sending you love!
Honestly, you sound a bit burned out. That sense of disorganization, fatigue, disinterest, is all burnout. I'm feeling very much the same way. I just think that everything has been a little bit extra hard for literal years now and it's getting on top of us all.
I feel you!!! Time slips away and I feel like nothing gets done. Do-lists, priorities, self-kindness and keep it simple. If phone notifications help you then do that. Keep everything in one app and you'll be fine. Personally, I prefer a combination. I have some important stuff on my phone calendar, but I also use a planner because I like writing things down. If you can have 15-20 mins a day for tidying your space, it would help a lot as well. Just don't start trying to make it perfect. Maybe you have a specific day and time for deep cleaning. 🙂 Hope these help a bit!💖
Maybe get yourself ready for the day every work day and treat it as if you're at the office and when you get your lunch break eat lunch and relax. Anything home related leave for when you clock out. That may help you stay focused on what is home related and work related.
I am right there with you right now girlfriend. Reading a lot as an escape from my overwhelming to do list etc. I finally sat down and knocked out 3-4 calls I have been putting off for weeks and it felt so good. Thinking about not letting myself read til I do certain things each day. I dunno. Good luck to us! ❤️
Hey fellow PA girl! I recently started working from home and I find that having a designated work area helps. I do not work from the couch or my bedroom. I have an office that I don't use for anything but work which helps keep work and home separate. I will play the little mind games with myself.... finish these 2 tasks and then take 5 minutes to do the dishes or wipe down the bathroom. By the time I clock out my household chores are done and I have the entire evening free. I am very much an introvert and don't hang out with friends and have very little family. Maybe the evenings you don't spend with family you could divide your time such as hanging with your roommate for a little while but also allow an hour or so to read, do RUclips or whatever you enjoy. Or maybe take one entire evening a week to do odds and ends tasks, then relax with a book before bed. Just throwing some suggestions out there and hope it helps.
Working from home is great but I’ve found that I need to make sure I know it is how support myself. Unless it is an emergency, my dog cuddle time is limited to my breaks and lunchtime. Once my work hours are over, it is family time and hobby time. I have schedule for chores and stick to it. Otherwise I fear losing my job and that would affect the other areas of my life. You are dealing with a new living environment so be a little bit easy on yourself. My advice is to pretend you are in office setting and use your lunchtime to eat and relax. You can enjoy friend/family time after work hours. As for self help books, I don’t read them anymore. They just took more of the time I did not have.
Also I have a calendar on my wall and write down appointment or reminders and I have it next to my bathroom so I see it. My bathroom is my room so maybe for you have it by your door to your bedroom so you see it.
At this point I wish we could be bffs go for a coffee and talk for hours about those books, atomic habits and badass habits were 2 of the top books that helped me with my goals, my main is losing weight so far I'm 15 lbs down, hasn't been easy but I learned a lot!!! I also been relying on podcasts.
Here too. I almost missed a doctor appointment today. Because I had it scribbled on a sticky note from a month ago. I never put it in my Google calendar or my expensive planner that is supposed to keep me organized.
Girl you will get back into your grove we have all gone threw this and still are and with the past couple years with all the BS going on in the world hasn't made it better for anyone. U have to get into what works for you get a calendar notebook schedule your stuff most important to least what u need to get done and by when and give your self space time between bigger projects u need a certain amount of down time to recharge and do for you and learn to say NO if it's not something you want to do or don't think it's worth your time or money don't over extend yourself. Girl love love and have fun and balance will come 😘 Also make time for your loved ones wether it's a Sunday dinner shopping whatever once a week you need a support system and they will help you and your mood and you need to spend time with loved ones and live for you cause we are not promised tommarow and money isn't everything and as long as you have enough to live off of and u can put back some for other things in life that are important u don't need to be working 27/7 and trying to do all kinds of brands jobs to pick and chose and learn to say no if u don't want to . Set goals and times threw the day toget done what u need for your real job . Upload when u want and I'm sure all of us will still be here for you.
My sister I pray that God grants you the peace that surpasses all understanding and that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ covers you from the very crown of your head to the soles of your feet. I pray that you are covered in the Armor of God found in Ephesians 6. God bless you and keep and may his face shine upon you and give you PEACE!
I love my paper planner. I know it’s not for everyone but that’s how I stay on top of bills, appointments, my work, hubby’s work, etc. as far as time management, I make a list of all the things I would like to get done and I START with the thing I hate the most. Oh! And I also make sure that if laundry is on the list, I put laundry in before I start anything so that way it’s working while I’m doing whatever else. I need to practice what I preach on this next tip but having a cleaning schedule is really helpful. Like Sunday, bathrooms, Monday, kitchen, Tuesday, vacuum and dust, Wednesday windows etc. there’s lots of ideas on Pinterest for this type of thing too. You will totally find your stride girl 💕💕💕
I have been where you are and I tried so many thing- writing things down, using my phone, making things more visual, more accessible, reading books, watching YT to find tips etc. etc. But the only thing that worked for me was to just pare down the things I had to do. I start with just wiping my calendar of social things (kind of like when you go on vacation) and I just focused on the things I truly needed to do (work, feed myself, exercise, getting good sleep). Once I reached a point where I felt like I had my feet under myself, I started adding things in again but in a more manageable way. Family is important to you so instead of seeing them twice a week, see them once a week for now.
I think there's a huge societal pressure for grinding-hustle culture. "You can have it all! Social life! Work life! Personal life! Crush that Alani Nu, huff a line of coke and you're good to go!" but honestly, there's nothing wrong with slowing down. You get way more enjoyment out of the things you do when there's less.
So TL;DR: think less about how you can be more productive and do more and be more, and think about what's really important and bringing the most into your life (and the necessary evils). Marie Kondo your life :)
Oh and as for the forgetting about meetings and things- set alarms as reminders!
I think you need to be kind to yourself and really take some time to map out your additional responsibilities now that you're living on your own (with a roommate) as an adult for the first time. The amount of mental energy it takes to make all the decisions about what to eat and when to clean and the groceries is a lot, and you're still getting used to that. It would probably be helpful to make a spreadsheet of all the things you do in a day so that you have a realistic understanding of what your commitments are. Also, I will reiterate that it is super important to have a set routine for work before you can break the routine by working from your bed or a couch. I think you might be going through a very normal setting into real life with your roommate and her dog - I know it's great, but the newness of the situation is wearing off and becoming routine. It's super easy to underestimate the amount of emotional and mental energy it takes to plan meals, cook meals, clean the kitchen, pick up the house, etc. Those were all things you weren't lead on at your parent's house, and it's going to take a bit to acclimate to the new level of responsibilities. So start working in your office for a few weeks to separate your work from the rest of your life. Have an after work routine - I recommend a bike ride or walk for your physical and mental health. Make sure you're being realistic with your habits - if you need to schedule 30 minutes of instagram scrolling in the morning or mid day because you're going to do it anyway, just put it in the mix and plan for it. I don't have any life changing suggestions - just know that it will get easier the more you do it (and by it, I mean life).
We have all been there! And honestly it takes trial and error to figure out what works for you. I tried book planner, to do list, sticky notes, whiteboard, etc. but finally realized that putting everything (work and personal into my work outlook calendar was the best way to keep my monday through friday organgized and then i enjoy using book planner for weekend and night activities.
but more important than figuring above i finally got into my groove when i adopted some of the things in the magic of tidying up and atomic habits. i am one of those people who cannot start a big project unless my surroundings is cleaned up and i noticed that my environment would often get messy which would lead to procrastination and the cycle. i realized i had too much 'stuff' so i did a deep declutter years ago and that changed my life. this allowed me to practice atomic habits better (putting away things every day, keeping up with my calendar, having a routine, etc).
lastly, i learned how to say no! i am also an introvert and i would say yes to others by sacrificing my alone time. now i treate alone time as an appointment with myself. i would never cancel on my friend that i already had plans with to say yes to another friend. so why would i cancel on myself?!? this change in thinking has been also life changing.
oh and about working from home...do you have any option to go into the office sometimes? if so i would go in once in awhile. that helps to stay focused even when you are working from home. and if that's not an option, try scheduling a zoom to check in with a coworker during the hours in the day that you find yourself the most distracted. i have found that i get distracted around 2-3 so i try to schedule meetings around that time. it anchors my day:) goodness i didn't mean to write so much! hope it wasn't too much!!
I have also found that once I do brain dumps -- whether it's on a list pad, in a planner, or on a whiteboard -- my anxiety levels immediately decrease. I always feel overwhelmed with all the stuff, between personal and professional life, and I either think about all the stuff I have to do constantly, or become paralyzed by all of it and do nothing. So I also highly recommend the white board in the home office and creating lists to get the brain dump out. I have a great deal of autonomy in my professional life as well , and I know what my deadlines are. I know that if I use a little flexibility during the week - then I'm going to be spending a little extra time in the evenings or over the weekend to complete my work so that I have a clear head moving into the work week. Remember to give yourself a little grace - it's normal to have ebbs and flows in our lives. Just know you're not alone. The higher up the corporate ladder you move, you'll unfortunately have to make sacrifices in some areas of your life at times. I have faith you'll sort it out! :)
I can relate on ALL of this. Its day to day for me. Its a struggle I think we all go though 💗
You have so much going on in your life. It’s understandable that sometimes you fall off. I recently bought a dry erase board calendar. It’s cute and has flowers on it and came with little decals for clean day, errands, self care days and a marker. It’s helped me feel more organized because I can see it when I walk by and remind myself of what I need to do. I also rely on my calendars app on my phone, but lately that hasn’t been enough.
I am sorry to hear you are struggling, l think a lot of us are feeling the same way. W@h tips I have is just having a designated work space so when I sit in my “office” that is my focus and when my day is done I leave work there and then go about my day. I don’t work in bed or on the couch because that is my off time space so I don’t think about work. There is nothing wrong with having reminders of projects and appts. When I start to feel overwhelmed and call my self lazy or dumb or whatever negative self talk I have. I think if my family member or friend were to say that about themself what would I say? We clearly are harder on ourselves more than others. If you wouldn’t want someone you love saying things we say to ourselves then maybe we should give ourselves a little grace. You have had a lot of change these last few months you are doing your best. Take care
So sorry you're struggling right now, Megan ❤I feel less stressed in a clean space and love to feel productive, so for me, lists are a huge help! Even just checking off a small task makes me feel good. Also, I have always struggled with work/life balance, and lately I haven't made my job a huge priority of mine. I will always get my work done that I need to, but I haven't been taking on as much as I used to (my company is super stingy with promotions, so the incentive isn't really there for me to do so anymore). It may not work for everyone, but I know my work will always get done, but I'm happier prioritizing other things instead of my day job. Make sure the work gets done, but don't lose yourself in the process. Sending you love!
Honestly, you sound a bit burned out. That sense of disorganization, fatigue, disinterest, is all burnout. I'm feeling very much the same way. I just think that everything has been a little bit extra hard for literal years now and it's getting on top of us all.
I use my Google calendar for appointments. Then use my planner for daily tasks and checklists
I feel you!!! Time slips away and I feel like nothing gets done. Do-lists, priorities, self-kindness and keep it simple. If phone notifications help you then do that. Keep everything in one app and you'll be fine. Personally, I prefer a combination. I have some important stuff on my phone calendar, but I also use a planner because I like writing things down. If you can have 15-20 mins a day for tidying your space, it would help a lot as well. Just don't start trying to make it perfect. Maybe you have a specific day and time for deep cleaning. 🙂 Hope these help a bit!💖
Maybe get yourself ready for the day every work day and treat it as if you're at the office and when you get your lunch break eat lunch and relax. Anything home related leave for when you clock out. That may help you stay focused on what is home related and work related.
I am right there with you right now girlfriend. Reading a lot as an escape from my overwhelming to do list etc. I finally sat down and knocked out 3-4 calls I have been putting off for weeks and it felt so good. Thinking about not letting myself read til I do certain things each day. I dunno. Good luck to us! ❤️
Hello Meg, you are doing a great job. Try not to be so hard on yourself. X
Hey fellow PA girl! I recently started working from home and I find that having a designated work area helps. I do not work from the couch or my bedroom. I have an office that I don't use for anything but work which helps keep work and home separate. I will play the little mind games with myself.... finish these 2 tasks and then take 5 minutes to do the dishes or wipe down the bathroom. By the time I clock out my household chores are done and I have the entire evening free. I am very much an introvert and don't hang out with friends and have very little family. Maybe the evenings you don't spend with family you could divide your time such as hanging with your roommate for a little while but also allow an hour or so to read, do RUclips or whatever you enjoy. Or maybe take one entire evening a week to do odds and ends tasks, then relax with a book before bed. Just throwing some suggestions out there and hope it helps.
Working from home is great but I’ve found that I need to make sure I know it is how support myself. Unless it is an emergency, my dog cuddle time is limited to my breaks and lunchtime. Once my work hours are over, it is family time and hobby time. I have schedule for chores and stick to it. Otherwise I fear losing my job and that would affect the other areas of my life. You are dealing with a new living environment so be a little bit easy on yourself. My advice is to pretend you are in office setting and use your lunchtime to eat and relax. You can enjoy friend/family time after work hours. As for self help books, I don’t read them anymore. They just took more of the time I did not have.
Also I have a calendar on my wall and write down appointment or reminders and I have it next to my bathroom so I see it. My bathroom is my room so maybe for you have it by your door to your bedroom so you see it.
At this point I wish we could be bffs go for a coffee and talk for hours about those books, atomic habits and badass habits were 2 of the top books that helped me with my goals, my main is losing weight so far I'm 15 lbs down, hasn't been easy but I learned a lot!!! I also been relying on podcasts.
Here too. I almost missed a doctor appointment today. Because I had it scribbled on a sticky note from a month ago. I never put it in my Google calendar or my expensive planner that is supposed to keep me organized.
Girl you will get back into your grove we have all gone threw this and still are and with the past couple years with all the BS going on in the world hasn't made it better for anyone. U have to get into what works for you get a calendar notebook schedule your stuff most important to least what u need to get done and by when and give your self space time between bigger projects u need a certain amount of down time to recharge and do for you and learn to say NO if it's not something you want to do or don't think it's worth your time or money don't over extend yourself. Girl love love and have fun and balance will come 😘
Also make time for your loved ones wether it's a Sunday dinner shopping whatever once a week you need a support system and they will help you and your mood and you need to spend time with loved ones and live for you cause we are not promised tommarow and money isn't everything and as long as you have enough to live off of and u can put back some for other things in life that are important u don't need to be working 27/7 and trying to do all kinds of brands jobs to pick and chose and learn to say no if u don't want to . Set goals and times threw the day toget done what u need for your real job . Upload when u want and I'm sure all of us will still be here for you.
Working at home is bad for time management too much home distraction
My sister I pray that God grants you the peace that surpasses all understanding and that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ covers you from the very crown of your head to the soles of your feet. I pray that you are covered in the Armor of God found in Ephesians 6. God bless you and keep and may his face shine upon you and give you PEACE!