Sometimes I get to the late afternoon and feel completely exhausted – I don’t even make it to the end of the day! Some days I feel like I have run from one fun or important thing to the next without stopping for a breath! And by 4pm I’m completely wiped out.
I have learnt that slowing down (which does not come naturally for my Type A personality) is actually the key to making the most of my day. I know I probably should have known this many years ago! It’s one of those lessons the Universe keeps bringing me to, because I just don’t seem to get it.
When I first had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) I could only get one thing done in a day if I was lucky! These days through a lot of hard work, cleaning up my diet, being very strict with my sleep patterns and making sure I stay hydrated I can make it through most days if I pace myself.
But still even now, 15 years after I was first diagnosed with CFS, I need to consciously manage my energy levels. And honestly, this consciousness of slowing down has not necessarily been a bad thing. It has helped me simplify my life to the things which are actually important.
Here’s my top 6 practices to help pace myself during the day and get more done than ever before… these can be helpful in simplifying your life, whether you live with a chronic disease or not. They will help still your mind, focus your activity and bring joy into your life.
1. Plan your Day for Slowing Down
Yes, I know – there are thousands of productivity gurus out there that will tell you the same thing. When you are trying to simplify or slow your life down a little then planning becomes even more important than if you are attempting to be the world’s most productive person.
Planning your day means prioritising what you want and need to do. You could start out with “if I only get one thing done today, what should it be?”.
This can be a difficult question to answer because you may feel torn between the thing someone else expects you to do, the bill that needs to be paid or the thing which gives you joy.
Why not try “what one thing will add value to my life today?”. Indeed the answer may be the same, but see how I am framing it differently?
Don’t think of the task as one you HAVE to do, but of one you want to do that will add value to your life. You will get more energy just from changing the way you think about it.
If paying the bill makes your mind calm and gives you a sense of control then maybe that is your one thing.
If spending 15 minutes reading, either by yourself or with your kids, is the thing that brings you the most joy, then why not start with that?
2. Know your Peak Operating Times
By this I mean, know when you are at your best. When are you most mentally alert, able to achieve things quickly and easily and when do you struggle with tasks?
We all have biological cycles, some of which are approximately 24 hours cycles so our bodies naturally peak and tire more easily.
I know I am best from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, so I schedule my day around being able to achieve the most during that time.
I often get another splurge of interest and energy around early evening through to around 8pm. After that I really don’t want to have to do much problem solving or anything much creative either.
I schedule my key work around my productivity peaks.
3. Change your Task Regularly
Whether you work indoors or outside, mixing up your tasks and changing what you are doing physically will give you more energy throughout the day.
I spend around 4-6 hours at my desk doing administrative tasks, working on the laptop, running my businesses each day.
In between that, I do tasks which require me to stand, walk and stretch. Things such as:
- take and make phone calls standing up or walking around
- walk outside
- potter in the garden and pull a few weeds
- pick produce
- check the chooks
- hang the washing out
- stack or unstack the dishwasher
- cut and set some fruit on the dehydrator
- roast some vegetables ready for freezing – learn how easy it is here
- entertaining the dogs (throwing a ball mainly)
All of these ‘break’ activities help me move in other ways so that I don’t get cramped up at my desk all day. And when I do get to consider my ‘office work’ done for the day, I still have energy to do other things I want to do.
4. Accept that Rest is Good
As a Type A high achiever, it has taken me a long time to accept that rest is good. And taking a rest in the middle of the day is okay too.
While some might say it is self-indulgent or unnecessary, as someone living with chronic fatigue, sometimes I just don’t get an option, and I have to accept that the most important thing I can do is rest.
Resting can take many forms – it could be having a long soak in the bath (add some essential oils to really take it up a notch), sitting or lying down on the lawn outside, meditating to relaxing music, reading something that takes you away from reality, or a mid-afternoon nap.
And most times once I have rested for a while my energy returns and I can focus again on doing something I enjoy or need to do.
5. Take the Long View
Some days you will simply not get much done. Accept it, and don’t beat yourself up about it – my experience is that when I have day of doing very little, the next day I am super productive.
Over the course of several days, I will still get as much done as a I need or want to. And I may even enjoy the moments in between, the quiet times, the reflective moments and the restful hours.
If you plan your weeks out, instead of your days, you can still achieve a lot, all while honouring your need to rest, and do other things. I really like this yearly planner as I can see a month at a time – it still keeps me focused, but takes the pressure of any particular 8 hour slot. And it doesn’t come with a whole lot of prompts or sections that I need to fill in – I can use it however I want to!
And when all is said and done, I don’t think anyone has ever said at a funeral “she got more done than anyone else I have ever known. She finally ticked the last thing off her to-do list.”
Normally they talk about what an interesting life the person led, the care that they had for their families and friends. The to-do list doesn’t get a mention.
6. Master the Art of Doing Nothing
Doing nothing is such a gift! The freedom to sit and watch the birds, listen to the frogs, follow the shadows as they dance across the lawn is one of life’s pure beauties – why shouldn’t you?
Do you remember lying in the grass as a child watching the clouds float overhead and imagining what type of creature it might really be? Why not take some time to do that again?
Our society promises huge rewards for those that hustle and hurry. Social Media is filled with so called gurus promising to help you become the best, the biggest and the most liked.
Honestly how good is it just sitting outside on a beautiful day, among nature at its finest and allowing yourself to just be? I’m not suggesting you do this all the time, but I am encouraging you to do this sometimes!
Why not start with once a week? One day a week take a few minutes to deliberately sit outside and do nothing except simply observe your environment … and breathe … listen to the rhythm of your breath, smell the scent of the flowers in your garden and relax.
What strategies do you have in place to make life enjoyable, doable and pleasant?
After all, isn’t that what it’s all about?
