Sometimes you have those weeks when you have too many plans or too many things you have to do for work. I also feel like the end of the year is always extremely busy, because we have to plan our Christmas dinners and we have to buy gifts for everyone. And when you are busy, you can feel overwhelmed. Lucky for you, I made a list of things you can do when you have a busy week ahead. These are 7 weeks to stay calm during a busy week. Because it does not feel great to feel stressed all the time and it is also not so great for your (mental) health). And in my experience, these tips do wonders for me.
Ways to stay calm during a busy week
Make a to-do list
If you have a really busy week ahead, the thing that helps me a lot is to plan and make a to-do list. If I write everything down on a piece of paper, Which is good for my mind because I don’t have to remember everything. It is less chaotic in my mind when I write things down. Second, you see exactly what you have to do and you can cross things off your to-do list. Which is also a great feeling.
Get enough sleep
My number one tip is to get enough sleep every single night. If you are busy, you probably want to wake up early to start working again. Well, wrong! I used to have sleeping problems and I got 4 hours of sleep every single night. Sounds like I have a lot of time to work on my dreams, but in reality, I was just too exhausted to work on anything at all. Now I am sleeping a lot better and longer and I get more stuff done in a day. To find out how much sleep you need and go to bed early if you want to wake up early the next day.
Start your day calm and relaxed
You can start your day by waking up and checking your social media, your work e-mail and all of that or you can just start your day slow. When I wake up, I make a hot cup of tea and breakfast. Then I get ready for the day and then I check my phone for messages. And if you are one of those people who like to wake up last-minute and then you have to hurry because you don’t want to be late, stop doing that. Wake up at least 15 minutes earlier and you immediately feel better and more relaxed. This means, you can handle problems a lot better and you are in a better mood.
Take small breaks
Sometimes you are in a great workflow and it is hard to stop working but it is still better to take small breaks now and then. You can use the famous Pomodoro technique. When you use the Pomodoro technique you only have to concentrate for 25 minutes and then you take a 5-minute break. Which is perfect for everyone who gets distracted by their phones easily. I bet you can stop touching your phone for 25 minutes and during your 5-minute break, you can check your socials.
Meditation for when you are feeling stressed
If you are stressed, a cup of tea or coffee might not work for you. But there is still meditation. If you are new to meditation, the beginning might be hard. But you can also just meditate for 5 minutes. Just try to focus on your breathing for 5 minutes. If you get any thoughts, just turn your focus back to your breath. And slowly your heart rate will drop and you will feel more relaxed.
Say no or ask for help
Sometimes it happens that during a busy week someone asks you to do something and sometimes you just have to say no. If you are already stressing about your busy week, you have to say no to new things that are coming up that week. Yes, you might have to let people down but you can’t do everything. Especially not on your own, so if possible ask for help. Maybe someone can help you with something. It might give you room to breathe.
Focus on one thing at a time
Some people think they are being smart in doing two things at a time. But those people don’t know that they are not smart at all. When you focus on one thing at a time, the task gets 100% of your focus. When you do two things at the same time, you divide your focus between the two tasks. This means, it is easier to make mistakes and it takes longer to get things done.
Go outside
You have to take breaks, even during a busy week. So go outside when you are on your break. First of all, it relaxes you. Exercising releases feel-good endorphins. But every time I feel stuck for some reason, I go outside and I come back with a lot of inspiration. I get my best ideas when I am outside or doing something else. And getting some fresh air just feels so good when you spend a lot of time inside your house or your workplace.
Photo by Cathryn Lavery on Unsplash