Do you feel rushed all the time? The chances are that you’re not organizing your day correctly and have several habits that are causing you to be unproductive. Here are five essential practices you can follow to lead a calm and productive life.
1. Meditation
Meditation has several health benefits, such as improving sleep, lowering stress, and increasing your feeling of wellbeing and awareness. It is, however, not easy to practice because sitting still is one of the hardest things to do. It may seem easy when you have distractions to engage you, but if you only have to focus on your thoughts, it isn’t easy to do. Some of the best meditation apps will show you the ropes and gradually qualify you into advanced levels. The best thing about these apps is that they provide guided instruction, show you what you do, and stay accountable. Many apps can help you start meditating, such as Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer, Ten Percent Happier, Simple Habit, etc.
2. Fitness
Starting your day with exercise will get your adrenaline flowing and will put you in an excellent state of mind for the day. There are so many great videos on YouTube where fitness instructors share their workout moves and help you get started on the fitness track. If you’re hesitant to go to the gym, don’t worry; several of these exercises can be done from the comfort of your home, without any equipment. If you want to start small, you can make it a habit of going for a walk or run and gradually increase your workout’s rigor. There are apps such as Sweatcoin and Fitbit that will help you track steps taken or calories burned. Other apps have the whole deal, and they can help you track your stats over time, record the intake of your calories and help you change your habits. For example, My Fitness Pal is an app with a massive food database to keep track of your calories.
3. Task Management
A good portion of your morning can be wasted in planning tasks for the day. Why not plan your day using a task management app so that you can hit the ground running? There are several task management apps that you can use. These task management apps will help you improve your productivity. There are many kinds of to-do list apps, some free, some fee-based, but ultimately they all help you finish your tasks on time. Choose a task management app based on the level of assistance you need to keep your life on track. Never forget a thing again by using your favorite app such as Asana, Todoist, etc.
4. Time management
If you’ve ever wondered where your time goes, a time tracking app can help you. Poor time management can lead to increased stress, low self-esteem, poor reputation, and general inefficiency in your life. Whether you’re a student trying to find time to study or a business owner who wants to track how your employees spend their time, there’s a time tracking app for your needs. Some of my favorite ones are RescueTime, Harvest, and Timely. By managing your time well, you’ll have less stress, improve your productivity, and have more time to advance your goals.
5. Distraction blockers
If you have been lost with mindless scrolling on the internet, you know what I mean. The internet comes with more and more distractions. Products are being created to keep you hooked to the product. Wasting time on social media is one of the poor habits that creep on us. To avoid this, use a distraction blocker when you’re getting work done. Several good ones, such as Cold Turkey, Forest, Mindful Browsing, RescueTime, Freedom, etc., can help you block distractions.
6. Journaling
Journaling is known to have several benefits. It helps you develop gratitude and enables you to reflect on your day. You can look back at your journal several years down the line and have a sense of perspective. Journaling helps to boost your creativity. You can use your journal to record your thoughts and ideas. You can set your goals and achieve them. Journaling not only helps to keep your thoughts organized, but it can also organize your life as well. While you can journal with a notebook and pen, apps offer so much more. Apps let you include photos and give you the ability to analyze data, set reminders, search, and so much more. Penzu, Day One are some of my favorite journaling apps.
Final Thoughts
When you make small changes in your habits, you will notice that you are better prepared to face each day, and your quality of life increases. Which habit are you going to start with today?
