How To Manage Being Very Busy

Most weeks, my schedule is pretty packed. I’m never at a lost for items to add to my to-do list, and my planner never goes untouched. If I’m being honest, I’m still working to find  the right work/life balance.

But one thing I have gotten much better at is managing life as a busy gal, which can be hard to do.

A large part of this has to do with taking control of the routines in my life: waking up early consistently, knowing my most productive hours to get daunting tasks done, and knowing when to schedule a rest day. Having a few things each morning and evening remain constant are super helpful when the middle portion of my day is always shifting.

Here are some tips to keep moving through your days without (completely) losing your sanity.

Ditch the guilt.

Guilt a busy schedule seem to come hand in hand. Guilt for having to put certain tasks before others, or not having time to spend with others (who usually don’t understand why you’re so busy to begin with). Carrying around a bunch of guilt doesn’t make you any less busy, and may cause you to spend more time trying to get through your commitments. Celebrate that you have so many great things happening, and remember your big and little wins.

Prioritize Disconnecting.

I have the “what if I just turned off my email address and didn’t tell anyone” thought about twice each weekday, and once on the weekends. When you’re running on little sleep and lots of coffee, the sound of another notification on your phone can drive you over the edge. Even if you only have five minutes, take some time to put the phone down, step away from the inbox and breathe. When your mind is constantly jumping from one task to the next, it’s impossible to focus.

Create effective to-do lists.

My number one tip to manage being busy is to avoid making yourself even more busy than you have to be. I do this by making effective to-do lists the first time. Be sure that you’re creating a guide for things to get done, and not just a wish list for productivity.

Accept that you can’t do it all.

I have an issue where I feel that my ideas or plans have hidden expiration dates. So I try to fit a bunch of things into a shot span of time –writing and launching an ecourse, blogging, school, work and then some. It’s important to be realistic with the time that you have, and accept that some months aren’t going to allow you to do everything you’d like.

Balance Your Yeses with No’s.

Saying yes can sometimes be so much easier than saying no, but can kill you in the long run. Just because you have an hour or two free doesn’t mean you have to give that space to anyone who asks for your time. Always be sure to balance your yeses and no’s, it is more than okay to say no.

Ask for help.

This tip is usually the hardest to execute for someone like me. Whether I like admitting it or not, I can be quite the control freak, and delegating tasks to someone else is a struggle for me. But it’s important than whenever you can, you ask for the help that you need to avoid overwhelming yourself.

For all of my other hustlers and movers out there, how to you manage being incredibly busy without losing it? I’d love to hear your tips, too!