Over the last few months, you’ve probably noticed some major change in your routines, lifestyle, habits, and responsibilities. If you’ve felt a bit off track or lacked direction during this unprecedented crisis, you’re not alone. Following are six ways to get back into a routine – mentally and physically – and organize for a better tomorrow.

Start and End Your Day with Purpose

When life feels unpredictable or you’re going through a difficult time, it’s very easy to lose your motivation to maintain healthy habits. But those little routines can make a big difference in your overall well-being.

A great way to inspire yourself again is to adopt a morning and evening routine that prepares and energizes you. This isn’t something you need to spend hours doing. All it takes is a few minutes to calm your mind, allowing you to identify your specific needs.

Your morning routine might start the night before, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed and clearheaded. There are many ways to re-introduce powerful habits to the start and end of your day that can set you up for success and productivity, even amidst challenging times.

Clear the Clutter

Most people function at their best when they feel organized, because being organized helps us to get things done more efficiently. Clearing clutter will also help to clear your mind. Ask household members for help in decluttering common living areas. Remember: if you don’t love or use something, it’s just taking up valuable space.  

Sharing responsibilities in the home with your partner, kids, or roommate can be extremely effective at getting and staying organized. Make a list of regular chores that need doing and ask household members to commit to selected tasks. Even young children can help by putting their toys away and matching clean socks.

Create and Follow a Schedule

If you’re working from home, designate specific work hours. If you find yourself getting distracted or overwhelmed, take a mental break. Better yet, schedule breaks into your day. Set aside an hour in the morning or schedule a long lunch, or time to run errands or do a workout to clear your head.

Finish off your day with a scheduled activity to signal your workday is over. Hopefully, this is something you look forward to doing like going for a walk, preparing a nice dinner, or spending time on a hobby.

Get Your Finances in Order

One of the largest sources of stress even in the best of times is money stress, which is why it’s important to prioritize managing your money. Consider having a conversation with a financial advisor about your goals and how much money you will need to finance them.

Create a budget that allows for flexibility and enjoyment, but also puts you in the position to reach your intended milestones without feeling strapped financially. There are budgeting apps available that can track your spending to help you make intentional spending decisions.

Prepare for Uncertainty

As you’ve probably come to realize, life will throw you curveballs along your journey and you’ll have to learn to adapt. As much as we plan for the future, sometimes we’re forced to deal with unexpected situations involving family, health, careers, finances, and relationships. While you can’t predict exactly what’s in store for your future, you can prepare financially to allow for a smoother transition during these times.

It’s a good idea to have a conversation with those most important to you and discuss a plan for finances, insurance, and investments to protect them should something happen to you. Take this time to be proactive – maybe explore life insurance policies to protect your assets and provide peace of mind in the knowledge that your loved ones will be taken care of no matter what.

Set New, Short-Term Goals

Uncertainty can make it difficult to make long-term plans. But setting goals for your future is a strategy still highly recommended by professionals. Instead of focusing all of your attention on events that can happen years from now, which might seem unimaginable, consider planning a few months or even weeks down the road.

Begin by setting tangible, short-term goals that are within your reach. These goals don’t have to be groundbreaking, but might help to improve your relationship, your job, your mindset, and attitude. The more intentional goals you set out to achieve and follow through with, the more confidence you’ll have navigating this next chapter of your life.

As you continue to respond to a changing world, focus on the ways in which you can control your happiness and future. By organizing your own life and adapting healthy routines, you can rise above the chaos and reach your goals—even if that path looks a little different than you originally imagined. Stay consistent and focus on all you do have and the future might turn out even better than you pictured.

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The post Adapting Routines to Organize a Better Tomorrow appeared first on Declutter Your Life with Donna Smallin Kuper.