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I think it’s accurate to state that most of you reading my blog are juggling jam-packed lives just like I am. I think that’s part of why we all come together in this space. It’s not easy to balance work, family, fitness, healthy eating and taking care of yourself but we’re doing our best…and there’s always room to improve.
Don’t get me wrong, life is a grind sometimes but life shouldn’t feel like a constant grind where you feel like a hamster on a wheel or like a highly-functioning robot. I’ve tried both of those ways of being and they don’t feel very good.
I am always looking for ways that I can streamline my life and I believe it’s super important to be intentional about how you spend your time and energy. If you haven’t read my post on the time evaluation exercise that we do with all of our yoga teacher trainees, you must start there.
It’s my belief that health extends outside of what we are eating and how we are working out. It also extends to how we’re FEELING in our day-to-day lives. Today I wanted to share a few ideas for ways that you can streamline your life so that we can work “smarter and not harder” and free up mental and physical energy for the things that matter.
1. GROCERY DELIVERY
I can’t tell you how many people have shared with me what a game-changer this is, especially the busy moms that I know. Even if you don’t do it all the time, grocery delivery is an awesome option for those weeks that are extra crazy or for when you’re returning home from travel and the fridge is empty.
Over the last couple of years grocery delivery has become more and more accessible and easy to use. Even my grandmother is using InstaCart to have things delivered to her at home. With seemingly constant upgrades and improvements, who knows how easy it will be to have groceries delivered in the future!
2. HAVE A COMMAND STATION AT HOME
I find it so useful to have one designated spot for all the important things like keys, purses, chargers, etc. It makes for quick exits when you need to get out of the door in a hurry and no “where did I put my keys!?” panics. I don’t claim to be a super organized person in general but this is one place where I do need everything in its place.
While our chargers had a place on the counter, one thing I hated was how cluttered it was becoming. It seemed like we were adding some sort of new device or hookup constantly between iPhones, bluetooth headphones, dog collars, Apple watches and more and it was such a mess.
My friend Jenn has this amazing charging drawer with all the electrical hookups built in. That is my dream! In the meantime, I got this organizer that helps clean up the look of the chargers on the counter and keeps everything nice and tidy.
3. CVS PHARMACY SCRIPTPATH
CVS Pharmacy has a new prescription management system called ScriptPath. It is designed to make it easier for you to locate and understand prescription information and dosing instructions.
This innovative system includes the newly-released Prescription Schedule, which prominently features the your prescription information and includes specifics on when and how much medicine to take, as well as clear refill instructions and personalized notes.
Also coming in 2018 through ScriptPath is a new Prescription Label which will feature clearer directions, larger text and color-coded icons to signify different times of the day for dosing, as well as a new Prescription Overview that will include easier-to-read dosing and refill information.
ScriptPath Prescription Schedule is available now upon request at all of CVS Pharmacy’s more than 9,700 retail pharmacy locations. I think this is a SUPER helpful new service for anyone that has multiple prescriptions or that deals with managing prescriptions for a family. And given that CVS has acquired all of the Target Pharmacies, it seems like a no-brainer to switch to CVS if you’re at Target as much as most of us seem to be! 🙂
4. HIRE HELP
A little over a year ago I made the decision to hire someone to clean for us every two weeks and it has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself. Don’t get me wrong, with two golden retrievers and life in general there is still a TON of daily pick-up and cleaning to do but having someone spend 4-5 hours doing the heavy-duty deep clean makes all the difference in the world.
It definitely adds to the monthly expenses but for me this is one that am willing to splurge on or cut in other areas to make happen. It frees up so much time for me to either work or spend the weekends relaxing when I’m not working.
Think about places where you could outsource and free up space/time. Oftentimes, the benefit far outweighs the investment when it comes to your mental sanity.
5. “BLOCKING” YOUR TIME
For a long time I was not strategic about how I scheduled my time. These days I am fiercely protective of “blocking” my schedule for maximum productivity and minimal running around like a crazy person.
I don’t know about you but when I only have an hour here and an hour there to get things done and my day is segmented by meetings, appointments, errands, lunches, etc…I get a whole lot of not much accomplished.
I separate my day out into early morning, mid-morning, lunch and early afternoon, late afternoon and evening. Here are some examples of how I block my day.
- If I teach early morning and evening, I try not to schedule anything between mid-morning and early-afternoon so that I have that solid chunk of time to get work done.
- If I have evening social plans, I typically won’t schedule lunch plans.
- If I don’t teach or have commitments until late afternoon/evening, I might schedule a mid-morning errand or appointment or go for a pre-lunch workout. That way I can get up and work for a few hours, take a break for an hour or two and then I still have a few more solid hours to work before I go out.
This might seem confusing but it’s not. It’s all about being protective and smart over how you schedule your time and making sure that you leave clear blocks that are long enough to actually focus and accomplish something meaningful.
I know this probably isn’t 100% realistic for everyone but even small shifts can make a huge difference.
I hope you’ve found these hacks useful.
I would absolutely love to hear anything you have to share about ways that you’ve streamlined your life and brought more ease and simplicity into your everyday!
Hi Jen! I first started using grocery delivery when I lived in downtown San Francisco and literally couldn’t handle the tiny grocery stores — I became addicted to it! Now that I live just outside SF, I actually don’t mind getting my groceries, but I hear ya — it saves time. Also, we are in the process of deciding to get some help with cleaning and the year now that we’re in a new home. Time is PRECIOUS — so I agree it’s an important expense. Great post, babe! 🙂
Thank you so much Ashley! I am all about evaluating time v. money and investing in things like delivery and cleaning when it makes sense from a time value standpoint. I’m sure that’s especially important to you now with your little man in your life!
i would love to add some help cleaning. we recently moved into a bigger house and it takes the 2 of us 3-4 hours a week (so 6-8 in total) to clean it well. so it feels like i will never get to the “other” cleaning like organizing closets, cleaning out the pantry, etc. Right now its not in the financial plan and i just dont know how to go about finding the right person. Like do i have to lock up my jewelry ? i dont want to be a jerk but i have heard some bad stories from people. right now i dont know anyone in my area that is using someone, but hopefully some day word-of-mouth i can find someone reliable and reasonably priced.
also i agree with blocking time. if not i feel all over the place.
for me preplanning meals for the week and laying out my clothes and iron ahead of time has really helped save time in the long run. no last minute what to have for dinner or crap gotta go to the store things and no rummaging for an outfit in the morning if i overslept.
To find a housekeeper I would suggest signing up at nextdoor.com, so you can get local suggestions. Yes, I would highly suggest keeping your valuables and important documents (financial, as well as passports, birth cert, etc) locked away or at the very least very well hidden. My husband and I have recently lost some valuables. His watch, wedding band, and wallet got stolen at a yoga studio (yes, so zen). My “something blue” ring that my grandmother gave me for our wedding disappeared inside our house. Extremely disheartening and in my case, it is driving me MAD not knowing what happened to my ring. It is not a ring I wear daily, so I am not exactly sure when it disappeared. We have had several people in our home (repair folks, cleaning folks, dog walker) and while I usually hide my jewelry box, I sometimes forget. It is driving me MAD and I don’t know who to trust. All this to say, don’t let that be you. Yes, lock your stuff away. Even in your own house and at the yoga studio. Ideally a fire-/flood-safe and bolted down safe.
Hi Simone, I’m so sorry to hear that this happened to you. Thanks for sharing your experience and for your insight around having people working in your home.
Hi Tara – I’m so lucky to have a friend clean for me who I’ve known for years so I don’t have to deal with locking away valuables but I’d think that is a good idea if you don’t know the people in your house.
YES YES to pre-planning meals. Such a huge time saver, especially if you only have to do one food shopping trip a week and aren’t constantly running to the store.
I totally agree with blocking your time. I learned that a long time ago. Even if I technically have the same amount of time, if it is spread out all over the day, I feel stressed and all over the place and I don’t get things down. The same amount of time, in blocks, makes me feel less stressed and I am more productive.
Yes, yes, yes! It’s been the most helpful and significant change that I’ve made in time management.
Grocery delivery and hiring a cleaning service have been huge time-savers for us! Our cleaning service only comes once a month, but it makes such a big difference. Not to mention, it prevents arguments about whose turn it is to clean the bathroom. 😉
We get our groceries delivered through Amazon Prime Now, so we’re already paying for it through our Prime membership. (We just tip the driver.) I like to think that it actually saves money because I’m not impulse-buying anything that might look particularly tasty in the store.
I also like to schedule at least one night a week for me to just relax at home. No social plans, no workout, nothing! I can just relax and watch tv while I cook dinner, or it can give me a chance to get caught up on any chores that need to be done around the house. I’m a major introvert, so this recharging time is really important for me.
I totally agree with having nights at home with no plans. As a fellow introvert, I cherish this time to recharge!
I also agree that delivery helps to save money by reducing impulse purchases!