5 Strategies for Streamlining Your Workday

Life doesn’t always have to feel like a race against time. You don’t have to feel perpetually rushed. You could have occasional bursts of frantically running from one place to the other, but that should not be the norm. Always playing catch up can adversely affect your mental and physical health.

Let’s say you’re tying the knot soon, or a new product is being launched at work. Yes, those weeks can seem rushed, and for good reason. However, the rest of the year should be more streamlined and relatively calm. With a little planning and discipline, it is possible. Here are a few ways to help you figure it all out.

1. Be on the Same Page

Whether it’s your family at home or your team at work, try to get everyone on the same page. Instead of dozens of emails and texts back and forth, share a scheduling system. This way, you can get a snapshot view of what the others have planned. Whether you use Calendar, Microsoft Calendar, or Google Calendar, put all the swim lessons, soccer practices, and dance recitals in one place.

This way, you already know that Wednesday and Thursday evenings are booked before you make any other plans. You could also assign if mom drives kids to one extracurricular, and dad tackles the other. Allocate colors to each family member so you can see immediately how many orange tasks mom has to do in a day.

Add family vacations as early as possible so that everyone can plan accordingly. If you’re not going anywhere but expecting company, add that to the shared calendar. This can minimize overscheduling and double-booking conflicts. It can help streamline your workday when you already know what’s on the calendar. Some people even add a meal plan to their calendar. This helps with weekly grocery shopping and weekend meal prep. Once everyone knows they’re having lasagna for dinner, it’s one less thing to think about when you get home after a long day.

2. Productivity at Work

Try to complete all your work at the office, or at least during office hours. Stay disciplined even if you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck. This way, you don’t have to bring work home and can be more present for your family. One way to help you be more productive is not to consume social media during work. Unless that’s your primary task at work, disable all X and Instagram notifications on your phone during the day. Once you can end mindless scrolling, you will not believe how much more time you magically have.

Also, learn how to say no. It’s excellent to help coworkers occasionally, but you cannot be a doormat and agree to do their work regularly. Once you set a precedent that this person will agree to do your presentation or take on an extra shift, it just becomes expected from you. That is unfair in the short term and unhealthy in the long run. There might be some hectic times at work, but if you learn to prioritize properly and minimize distractions, you can get over those few tough weeks, too.

3. Try Popular Techniques

If you still feel your to-do list is continually growing and it makes you feel overwhelmed, try the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize those tasks. With this method, you categorize all responsibilities into four categories depending on whether they are time-sensitive (urgent) and truly important. Once you have done this, you can tackle the most critical category: urgent and essential. These are those “fires” that need to be put out. Once those are tackled, you can work through the rest of your responsibilities. As an added bonus, checking off tasks gives an adrenaline rush and can help make you feel more productive and motivated to tackle more items on your list.

Another popular way to help streamline your day is the Pomodoro technique. Set a timer online or on your desk for 25 minutes. Focus on your most important task until the timer is up, and then take a five-minute break. Once you know a break is coming up, you can try to wrap up the most important tasks without distractions. A break can also give your eyes and brain a rest. Drink water, get a quick snack, stretch, walk, or close your eyes for a few minutes before the timer rings again. Try not to go on your phone or another screen during the break.

4. Minimize Meetings

You may be under a manager or in a company with many meetings of which you have no control. Some meetings can get a lot accomplished. However, many employees feel excessive meetings can waste time. Many things can be done over email or a quick phone call. When you need to call for a meeting, ensure there is an agenda and everyone sticks to it. If one person starts going off on a tangent, curb the rambling tactfully and wisely. When there are fewer meetings, they will be more valued than confined to meeting rooms for a large part of the workday.

In addition to having an agenda, time-box your meetings, too. If you’ve scheduled a half-hour meeting, make sure you stick to it. If you’re stuck in a meeting that seems to be never-ending, ask if you can leave when the time is up. That can signal that the scheduled time is up. Others might have other meetings or tasks they need to get back to. It also shows you value your time and can hopefully set a precedent for others.

Some organizations have also seen the value of having brief stand-up meetings. Just reporting on whether tasks have been completed does not require meetings. That is part of the job and can be updated in a project management system. However, when some issue needs to be resolved, or you need feedback on an ad or package design from coworkers, a meeting can be valuable rather than a long thread of emails where the tone and context could be misunderstood.

5. Don’t Forget About Your Health

Checking off your to-do list at work is great, but don’t let it come at the expense of your health. If your job requires you to sit at a desk for most of the day, try to schedule some time for some activity. Whether a quick stroll during lunch break or stretching between video conferencing, don’t get lazy and make a sedentary lifestyle the norm. Some people like using a standing desk or a walking pad under their table to get some movement during the day. Others hit the gym before or after work for racquetball, strength training, or cardio. Just jump up from your desk and zip around your parking lot for 20-30 minutes, and you’ll notice the difference in how you feel pretty quickly.

Choose what kind of activity fits your lifestyle, but don’t make “none” one of your options. Even if it’s a brisk walk around the park while your kids play in the evenings — any kind of activity is better than none. Choose to listen to a scintillating podcast while jogging instead of binge-watching a show with popcorn. Or go ahead and binge-watch and do stretches, or turn on a YouTube exercise on your phone and complete your weight-lifting exercises with free weights. If you feel you have no time for your health, think again. Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. How we use them is up to us.

Try a mix of these strategies to streamline your day. It may take some effort in the beginning. However, you will value the benefits once it becomes part of your lifestyle. Improved mindfulness, being present, and not stressing all the time can be worth the planning and discipline they entail. Once you have these things down pat, your mind, body, and family will thank you.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Thirdman; Pexels