4 Simple habits to keep you organised in chaos
Last few months has been a testing period for many of us. Many times I have had to shake myself to listen to my own thoughts and to be on track. I found myself to be more tired by doing less and new ideas were hard to come by. For someone who usually have heaps of energy, I found myself wanting to go to bed at 9pm. The mix of the global situation and personal circumstances were overtaking my usual thinking. But I had to take back the control and I have found through trial and error that there are some small daily habits which can make a world of a difference at the end of the week. They keep on route, keep you organised and most importantly I ended up feeling happier and more energetic.
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Rise with the sunrise
I cannot emphasise enough how important this is. Half a way through the lockdown I got myself into this really bad habit of working int to the night until the early hours of the morning and then waking up late the next day only to find that I feel tired. Aldo despite working through the night, at the end of the week, there wasn’t much productivity and I notice the quality of the work could be better. So I realised that it is not the simple total number of hours you put into tour work. It is also the time of the day you put that in. When Ic am out of that habit, forced myself to wake up little earlier each day from 7.30 to 7 am to 6. 30 to 6 am, I notice that even though the easy start on the first few days was a bit challenging, once I got ready for the day, I felt so much better for it already. I had more energy and my sleep quality was a lot higher along with the quality of my work productivity.
Caffeine at the right time
This was a long habit to change and the hardest one of all. I am so used to sipping my coffee in bed, then continue to sip it while I get ready so the idea was that once I am ready, I also fuelled up. But I noticed that energy is very short-lived. I felt tired again at lunchtime and after lunch, all I wanted was to nap. So I told myself that I don’t need a coffee to get up, a very strong ginger and lemon tea will do the trick. It is such a great thing to have on an empty stomach as the first thing in the morning as it improved my skin, suppressed my appetite, and keep my metabolism fired-up all day.
So now I start the day with very strong lemon and ginger tea and if I still want a coffee, I will have one at around midday right after my lunch.
The magic number 8
When doctors say that you need 8 hours of sleep, that is for a very good reason. I am for one someone who has been avoiding that advise for at least for the last 13 years. Work mainly but some other things were always more important than my sleep. But then all of a sudden you are faced with the symptoms of burnout and you ask the question why. So for the last few weeks, I have made sure to have my 8 hours of beauty sleep and told myself that anything that couldn't happen today, can happen tomorrow. And the results are quite astonishing. Going to bed at 10 pm and waking up at 6 am is the best lifestyle habit I have developed. IT had made my mind so clear, especially in the mornings and I am able to concentrate a lot more. It is a fact that it takes 90 days for a habit to develop, so doing this in the first 3 months is a task, but after that, it comes with ease and you are happier for it.
You can hear a pin drop
Have you ever wondered how many things that you listen to day in and day out, consciously and subconsciously? Starting from the sound of alarms, people's voices, music, outside noises... we hardly get that moment of quietness. So, this is my time, for me, this is a period of utter quietness and calm. I always take this after work at 9 pm to 9.30 pm, 30 mins of no phone, sitting still in the bath with a candlelit on my own. In the beginning, you might have the urge to go grab your phone or think this is a bit too quiet. But 2 -3 days later, I absolutely love it! Sometimes I really look forward to that 30 mins so much because I know how much I can reflect, think and be in my own mind in that time with no interruptions. It is some form of meditation as I mostly don't think about anything but perhaps concentrate on my breathing and just be. I find it the most peaceful way to end the day and start the next day with a brighter mind!