Ways to Make Life More Manageable Less Stressful

In our modern society where we are wired with cell phone, internet, voicemails and everything else. Life is on high speed. Sometimes life seems like a long "to do" list where nothing is every fully accomplished at the end of the day.

There are some ways you can make your life more manageable so that you can have more time to spend doing the things you want to do instead of running errands or returning phone calls.

1.) Group chores together in geographic areas. Figure out where your grocery store, post office, drug store, and dry cleaning are located and see if you spend way too much time driving from one errand to the next. Try to get all the errands done in one area before going to the next area so you don't double back. OR change some of the locations of your errands so they are closer to your house.

2.) Do the same tasks all at the same time. If you have 3 phone calls to return and 10 emails to return. Do all the phone calls in one block of time and then do the emails in another block of time so you are not switching gears over and over again. Make all photocopies at once for several projects if possible. Cut all vegetables for several days of meals and store them in zip locks so you don't have to cut vegetables every night. Plan your meals by week so when shopping at the grocery store you can buy a week's worth of food at one time.

3.) Schedule your life so that you can prioritize your tasks everyday. If you have something important scheduled at every hour during the work day, you will make sure that those tasks are accomplished before starting something that is not a priority. You must schedule break times, exercise time, and lunch time and stick to those times so that you don't skip those important things in life that keep you in balance. This schedule is just a reminder that anything not on that list is not a "must do" for the day and you can wait until tomorrow to finish that task.

4.) Get help - Get some help for some of the things that you need to have done to help your life run smoothly. If you don't have time to clean your house, hire a cleaning service once a week. Order your groceries online to save time driving to the market, picking out the food, and driving it home again. Order birthday and shower gifts online and have them shipped directly to your gift recipient. This way you don't have to take it to the post office or wrap it. Hire a sitter to help you with your kids when you need a little more time to finish work from home.

5.) Just say no - You can let your phone calls go to voice mail if you don't have the time to sit on the phone with your mom or best friend in the afternoon. Say no to parties where you feel only obligation to attend. Only go to the events that you want to go to. If you are feeling stressed about talking to someone on the phone or attending an event, you will probably not be really good company anyway. If your friend asked you for a favor, but you really cannot do it without a lot of inconvenience to your life, just say "sorry I cannot help you this time."

6.) Everything does not have to be perfect all of the time - Sometimes its ok if things are good enough. Making everything perfect places way too much unnecessary stress on your life. Your house does not have to be a show home every day. Your outfit does not need to look like you stepped out of a magazine every day. The dinner you make does not need to look like a chef from the Food Network made it. Do the best that you can and don't beat yourself up about anything you do that is not perfection.

7.) Know your limits - If you cannot do something or do not want to do something. Don't push yourself. That goes for exercise and over scheduling your work or social life. Do the best you can, but don't make yourself sick trying to work out harder than your body can handle. Don't schedule so many things socially on the weekends that you are stressed doing too many things and not enjoying yourself.

8.) Take time for yourself to nourish your body and soul. Do yoga for your body. Watch television or read a book instead of loading the dishwasher. Go out for a treat like a scoop of ice cream and browse through a bookstore just for fun.