Calendar Reminders That Never Fail

Staying on top of everything in life can be tough. Whether it’s your job, school, or personal life, it can be hard to figure out how to balance it all. And the more busy you are, the more difficult this can seem.

Luckily, this is another scenario where having a calendar app can save the day. By utilizing calendar reminders, you can improve your efficiency, time management, personal goals, and even your work-life balance. Keep reading for tips on how to yield successful results in life by using calendar reminders.

Time Management

Perhaps the most obvious use of setting a calendar reminder is to keep yourself on task. When your calendar sends you a reminder about an upcoming deadline or event, you can be sure you won’t forget about it. This can keep you focused on your priorities while also allowing you to not have to work so hard to remember everything.

Deadlines

Staying on top of your workload can be much easier by setting up reminders for deadlines. Sure, you can always write this information down on a paper calendar or post-it note, but that can’t send you a notification. Sometimes, “out of sight, out of mind” can be annoyingly true. Setting up a reminder that will ping on your screen is a lot more noticeable.

Especially when it comes to the strict time constraints of deadlines, a notification will help you stay on task. Try setting up multiple notifications throughout the week that remind you of your upcoming deadline. Only having one reminder on the day-of might not allow you enough time in advance to remember to work on that project.

Meetings

Another work-related use for calendar reminders could be for meetings. It’s always a good idea to put a scheduled meeting into your calendar so you don’t forget. But again, this is another work event that you might need time to prepare for. Not every meeting is a simple sit-and-talk situation. Sometimes you’ll need notes or maybe you’re scheduled to make a presentation.

A good strategy for setting up meeting reminders is to have a few different notifications go off. If you have to prepare information, set up a notification a few days in advance. This will remind you to prepare what you need for the meeting. Then, have a couple set for the day-of. Try setting one in the morning that reminds you it’s meeting day. The second one can go off shortly before the meeting’s start time, anywhere from an hour to five minutes before. There’s no way you’ll forget this time!

Focus Time

Want an easy strategy to stay better focused at work? Try blocking time for focus. This involves scheduling a specific amount of time for uninterrupted working on a particular task. You could do anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours, as long as you’re making sure you still get a break. All you need to do is set a reminder that goes off in the beginning, telling you to start. Then set a reminder to go off when your focus time has ended, so you know when to rest.

Blocking focus time can encourage you to stay on task. Working under a mock time constraint can be a great motivator. Tell yourself that you have to get part of a project done within today’s focus time. Then, you’ll be more likely to focus better and stay driven to finish that task. It’s kind of like that rush of motivation and adrenaline you get when taking a timed test. Making yourself work under a set amount of time can be a powerful method of motivation.

Mental and Physical Health

Using your calendar app’s features to manage your work life is probably how it’s most commonly utilized. However, you can take your calendar to the next level to help improve other aspects of your life. Setting reminders to assist you in maintaining your physical and mental health is easy and effective.

Screen Break

Thanks to the technology of the 21st century, working on computers is standard for almost every job. While computers are very useful, getting too much screen time can have harmful effects on your body. This can range anywhere from headaches and vision problems to weight gain and disrupted sleep. If your workday involves you sitting at a computer for hours, you might want to schedule screen breaks.

Set a notification to go off every hour or so that reminds you to take a break from the computer screen. This doesn’t have to be a full-length break, rather a few minutes where you give your eyes a rest. Look around the room, focus your eyes on something far away, and blink to spread around moisture. Regularly taking a small amount of time to do this can make all the difference.

Get Moving

Another unhealthy element of sitting behind a screen all day is the lack of movement your body gets. Even if you use an elevated or “standing” desk, you still are often stationary. The human body needs activity to keep it running smoothly and to ward off unwanted weight gain. Therefore, you should be getting up to move around periodically throughout the workday.

Set reminders to keep your body healthy by taking a turn around the office every couple of hours. When the notification goes off, get to a stopping point and then start moving. A quick walk or stretch can be highly beneficial. You don’t even need more than five minutes to get in some easy exercise. Your body will thank you later.

Hydrate

Your body also desperately needs water for its survival and to function properly. It’s easy to forget to stay hydrated when you’re busy. Luckily, this is another way your calendar reminders can help.

Staying hydrated has so many health benefits, so try to set a notification to drink water every hour or so. You don’t have to chug a whole water bottle, either. Just make sure you’re getting some H2O in you. Having these notifications go off at work will remind you that your health is a priority, no matter how busy you are.

Healthcare Appointments

Going to a healthcare professional is also a key element of making your well-being a priority. Whether it’s an annual check-up or you want to get something looked at, remembering to go to your appointment is vital.

Unfortunately, the busier you are, the easier it is to forget about healthcare appointments. So, make sure you’re using your calendar to schedule reminders for your appointments. This way, you’ll never forget to go to the doctor’s office again. Just make sure the notification goes off early enough for you to travel there and make it on time!

Work/Life Balance

Speaking of your health, having a healthy work/life balance is a crucial part of maintaining your mental well-being. Working too much can lead to unwanted stress that you don’t deserve. Making your personal life more of a priority is important to improve the quality of your life. Therefore, using your calendar to remind you to do this can be extremely beneficial.

Me Time

One way to use reminders to improve your work/life balance is to make “me time” a priority. If you tend to work from home or bring work back with you, finding a stopping point can be difficult. Since the lines are blurred around the start and end time of your workday, remind yourself to finish at a decent hour.

Once the notification goes off to indicate your workday is over, make sure you don’t ignore it. If you need to work a few minutes longer to get to a stopping point, that’s allowed. Just make sure you don’t keep going for an hour or so. You need to respect your personal time and do something for yourself. Pour a glass of wine, watch an episode of your favorite TV show, or read a book. Whatever helps you unwind, that should be your “me time.”

Time for Friends

Of course, you should also prioritize your social life. Humans are social creatures, meaning we need others to thrive. If you’re stuck at work all day, how can you expect to maintain friendships?

Once again, you can use your calendar to help with this. Set a weekly notification to remind yourself to call a friend and check in on them. Spend some time catching up and chatting about anything. Or, schedule to visit them for a meal. Putting in the time to maintain your relationships is all part of a healthy work/life balance.

Put in the Work

Using calendar reminders to stay on task and remember important appointments can only be effective if you put in the effort. Notifications are easily turned off or “snoozed,” so be careful not to fall into this trap. You’ll only be able to yield positive results with your reminders if you do what they tell you. Be sure to keep yourself in line and disciplined, and you’ll start to notice just how much calendar reminders can improve your life.

[Related: Stay Organized With Effective Calendar Reminders]

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Anete Lusina; Pexels; Thank you.