Do you know the feeling that everything is growing over your head and that you feel like a hamster running in his bike but still can not get out of the way, because things can not be worked off as fast as new mountains become more unfinished Open things up?
I know the feeling and have decided to consistently implement the things that can be changed.
What are these things and what has helped me, you will now learn in my 13 best tips for a relaxed and happy life:
Tip 1: Get up half an hour earlier!
You may wonder now what early wake up should have to do with a relaxed life - I'll explain it to you:
There are people who jump out of bed in the morning when the alarm rings. For me, this was hard to imagine until recently, because I was extremely tired in the morning and hoped with every push of the snooze button that the few extra minutes of sleep would bring the hoped-for recovery. Of course, that was not the case! On the contrary, this delaying tactic only led to time pressure and thus to even more stress.
But what has a surprisingly positive effect on well-being is the peace of the morning when you wake up in front of the rest of your family. So if you have time for yourself, relax in the day starts and not completely exhausted lubricates the school sandwiches. Give it a try, you'll be surprised!
Now, of course, the question arises: how do you manage to get better out of bed in the morning?
The following things helped me to get up earlier in the morning:
- a new mattress (not just any, but a really comfortable one!) + a new pillow
- absolute darkness in the bedroom
- and especially: A sleep analysis app that wakes me up in a light sleep phase within a time frame *.
How tired you feel is related to the sleeping phase you were in at the time of awakening. So if I go to bed at around 11.30 and have a light sleep phase at 6 o'clock, but at 6.30 o'clock just a deep sleep phase, it makes sense to get up half an hour earlier.
If sleep has not been enough at night, "powernaps" are a great way to recharge your batteries in a short time.
But attention: It is important not to sleep for more than 20 minutes, otherwise the body will enter a deep sleep phase and you will wake up tired when you are asleep. To wake up from deep sleep, you can either pick up a key, which then falls out of your hand if you fall too deep to sleep or (that's how I do it):
The Sleep Cycle power nap - A PP * use, plug the phone into the pocket and be woken up before the deep sleep phase. (The app responds to the slightest movements, which in turn provide information about the respective sleep phase).
If you're still tired all the time, it could be vitamin D deficiency . Whether this is so, you can either find out with the doctor or with this set: Vitamin D test *.
Tip 2: Use the 2 minute rule!
Differentiate between tasks that need to be done between tasks that can be completed within 2 minutes and tasks that take more time.
Take care of things that take less than 2 minutes, IMMEDIATELY. Write the other things on a to-do list.
Tasks such as: Transfer an invoice, answer a mail, rinse the coffee cup, etc. can be done very quickly, if you are consistent. If one does not do it, more and more of these unpleasant tasks accumulate and it becomes more and more difficult to fight the PROKRASTINATION (-> this is the technical term for Aufschieberitis).
You think: "Oh, the flowers would have to be poured again?" Then do it now!
Tip 3: Write a to-do list!
It's hard to switch off because there are hundreds of things floating around in your head that you need to do? Take the time and write things down, that will free up the RAM in your head!
When the list is ready: Take at most 3 things per day from this list and do them! (Really only 3, not more!)
Maybe you think now: "Only 3 things? Is not that not enough? "No, that's not it, because when you do 3 things, the chances of actually doing those 3 things are relatively high, which in turn makes you feel good and motivated in the evening start the next day. On the other hand, if the list is too long, it creates stress, which leads to less motivation and shuts down the project.
Tip 4: Think about your friendships!
Are there one-sided relationships that rob you of energy and make you feel worse? Spend your time with people who are important to you and in whose presence you feel happy. Everyone is responsible for HIS happiness SELF.
Tip 5: Entrümple your life!
It is very liberating to part with superfluous ballast that has accumulated over the years. Especially for people who are creative and whose head is dominated by chaotic structures, an external order and structure is very important. It also saves time:
More order -> less search -> less tidying -> more space.
Tips for tidying up: The easiest way is to make yourself a room (eg bathroom) or a closet and completely clear this.
Things are now distributed on 4 stacks:
- Things that you would definitely buy again today (-> these things are coming back to your room / cabinet)
- Things that can get into the trash (-> dispose of immediately)
- Things that can be donated / given away (-> put in a box and deliver as soon as possible)
- Things that you are not sure you can part with (-> these things go down in the basement for 4 weeks and then get scanned again).
Memorabilia, souvenirs, children's works of art etc. can also be easily canceled in digital form (with the iPad you can save photos directly as PDF with the app Tiny Scanner - PDF scanner to scan document, receipt & fax - Appxy * - on request even directly in the Dropbox).
If you want to get more involved with the subject of order, I can recommend the book Magic Cleaning: How to properly clean up your life * .
Tip 6: Use the calendar function of your smartphone!
Instead of entering appointments at home in the calendar, I ALWAYS insert ALL appointments IMMEDIATELY in my smartphone (I use the free standard calendar on my iPhone and am very satisfied with it).
The advantage: I know on the road at any time, when who has which appointments and must not always look at home on the calendar to vote appointments. In addition, my iPhone reminds me of important dates, so I do not have to constantly think about which important dates I can not forget in any case, also creates new capacity.
To be on the safe side (loss of the smartphone, etc.), you can synchronize the calendar with Google by the way. This also has the advantage that you can use the calendar together with other family members - so everyone is always well informed and there are no accidental "double dates".
Tip 7: Take your regular break!
Regular time-outs are important! If the body has to do more over a longer period of time than it can afford, it pulls the emergency brake (even without warning signals) - and then it can be too late!
Therefore: Take care of yourself and include time-outs in your calendar as an IMPORTANT appointment that can not be moved!
Especially good is yoga, to really switch off and come to rest. So far, I've only tested it in an online gym, but I'm so excited that I'll be attending a yoga school soon.
Tip 8: Be careful (-> no multitasking!)
If you do 1000 things at the same time to be even more effective and not miss anything, you end up missing everything because you are not experiencing anything properly!
Tip 9: Learn to say no!
An important (maybe even the most important) point, because anyone who does not learn to say NO at some point inevitably falls by the wayside. If it's hard for you to say no, try it again and again, it will get easier with each passing and feels better every time! 🙂
Tip 10: Eat healthier!
Your body is made up of 100 trillion cells - each one of which is a small powerhouse that needs energy to function properly. The more healthy things you eat, the better your cells are taken care of - and you can see and feel this : healthy skin cells radiate, cells in the muscles make them grow, well-supplied cells in the blood ensure a good immune system.
Incidentally, it is not the vitamins that are particularly healthy, but the phytochemicals that are found mainly in raw fruits and vegetables. These are so small that they can enter the cells and influence them positively.
Since fruit also contains a lot of fructose, it makes sense to eat as many vegetables as possible.
Incidentally, foods that contain "unhealthy additives" are reversed: these substances can invade the cells and damage them, causing them to mutate and, at best, die off and, at worst, become cancer cells.
Also good to know: Every single cell is protected by a cell membrane, which consists of lipids (ie fats). To protect the cells, one should take as high enough quality fats (eg nuts, linseed oil, ...). You do not have to be afraid of calories: fats make you full and happy - the actual fatteners are light products, additives and stress - the things that disturb the natural satiety of the body.
Considering that each cell is mainly water, it becomes clear how important it is to drink enough.
Tip 11: Create a weekly menu / shopping plan!
Use this list to answer the daily question "What am I cooking today"! So you not only save time, but also a lot of money. You can find a free form here, for example .
Tip 12: Write a bucket list!
What are your dreams? What did you always want to do? What would you like to be able to do? Many people do not worry about this topic until they are faced with a bad diagnosis and time is running out ... but why?
Write the things that are really important to you on a list and do not lose sight of them . Some things may be crazy, but why not do something crazy? At the end of life, one supposedly regrets the things that one did not do 😉
Tip 13: Do not worry!
The power of thought is great: Positive thoughts release endorphins, make you happy and healthy. By contrast, negative thoughts cause excessive production of stress hormones, which in turn can not only damage cells but also unbalance the entire body (including metabolism). Our "stone-age body" thinks then that he is in a dangerous situation and must create fat deposits for bad times or more food to provide energy for a spontaneous fight against a mammoth (the evening rather with Netflix on the couch ends, the evolution unfortunately did not foresee).
You are plagued by negative thoughts? Then remind yourself that there is really no reason to get angry!
If you can change something: Change it! If not, it's not worth getting angry about - because if you can not change it anyway, there's no way but to accept it and make the best of it. Anything else would be a waste of your valuable life and in the long run only makes you unhappy.
Incidentally, worrying about things that could EVER happen IN THE FUTURE is completely superfluous!
Either they do not happen, then you have nothing to worry about, or they happen, then you can start looking for solutions. So long: Enjoy your life! 🙂
So, these were my 13 tips for a more relaxed and peaceful life. Did I forget a point? What do you all mean? I look forward to your comments!