How to Keep Up with Everything and Slow Down

Sharon Moore February 21, 2014

Always in a rush? If you’re like most people, 24 hours are not enough to get all your daily activities done. You are probably surprised to know that it’s Friday already. What?! Yesterday was just Monday and now, it’s the end of the work week? Even though you are excited, you are also anxious and burned out because this coming weekend, you would have to do unfinished tasks in the office, and get your house chores done.

Going slow, doing less – we all dream of this. But in this fast-paced world, it really sounds so impossible. Well, the truth is it’s not. It all starts with efficient time management, plus the following tips and tricks.

Schedule a daily downtime. Read a book or scan a magazine, watch TV, go out for a short walk, play with your dog, or cook a sumptuous meal. Schedule at least 30 minutes to an hour for downtime. That is, a time without your computer turned on or your mobile phone bugging you. Disconnect from everything that is related to your work. If possible, go away from your desk. Downtime doesn’t have to be done only during weekends. When you are well-rested and your mind is recharged, you are more likely to be productive at work.

Organise your to-do list. When making a to-do list, one common mistake of many people is to list down tasks more than what they can actually do in a day. It can be tempting to make a long list but if you don’t get them done, you will just feel more frustrated. Get your to-do list organised. Categorise tasks based on their importance and urgency. If you think there are more things on your to-do list than you can accomplish, locate the key items and disregard the rest, or leave them for another day.

Lean back. Exhausted? Burned out? Lean back! Take a few deep breaths before resuming to your work. This is really an effective, quick strategy to avoid stress. Lean back on your chair and focus your full attention to your body. Locate where the tension is, and through breathing, try to ease it down. Close your eyes. Think of good things, and smile.

Focus on what’s important. It’s hard to do less when you are confronted with a million of things to do. The best thing to do is to make a conscious choice to do less. Focus on what is really important, what really needs to be done, and let go of the rest.

Pay attention. It’s not enough that you do less. You should also pay attention to be mindful of whatever you’re doing at the moment. When you find yourself being bothered by something that has happened or something that might happen, gently bring yourself to the present moment. Focus on the moment. Being mindful is one way to enjoy the moment. This might take some practise but it’s really worth trying.

Breathe. When you find yourself speeding up, pause for a while and take a deep breath. Still stressed? Take a couple more. Really feel the air coming into your body, and feel the stress going out.

Focus on one task at a time. You might think that multi-tasking is the key to get your daily goals done on time. But studies have shown that multi-tasking is less efficient, more complicated, and more stressful. Whenever you feel the urge to switch to other tasks, pause, breathe, and pull yourself back.

Find pleasure in anything. Here’s one trick you should never forget. When you are happy, dealing with just about anything is easier. Whatever you are doing, be fully present, and at the same time – appreciate every aspect of it. For example, when washing the dishes, instead of looking at it as a boring chore, feel the sensations the cool water, the scent of the soap, the suds, and so on. Even the hardest or most boring task can be enjoyable if you look at it that way. By learning to find pleasure in everything you do, keeping up with everything becomes easy.