How to Streamline Your Life

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Everyday life can be difficult to manage even during the best of times. If you find yourself overwhelmed and like you are not performing well at work or home, you may need to find ways to streamline your life. There are several things you can do to make your life easier and less stressful.

Reduce Monthly Costs

Stress and finances are often intertwined. If you are worried about money, it seeps into every aspect of your life. Financial woes can make it difficult to sleep, which also affects how you feel during the day. Getting control of your budget and consistently spending less than you make will go a long way in helping you feel control in other areas of your life. If your expenses are high, it can be difficult to make ends meet even if you are earning good money. 

Look for painless ways to lower your monthly expenses. Don’t go on a drastic cost-cutting spree, this will only increase your stress levels. Instead, look at expenses such as your student loans. You can refinance with a private lender to lower your monthly payments. A student loan refinance is a great way to instantly lower your expenses.

Take Control of Your Calendar

If you feel like you are always busy, look at how you are spending your time. Are you over-committing yourself or not taking advantage of free time during your day? Keep a time journal for a few days to see where your time is going. Break the day into 15-minute chunks and write down everything you do each day. After a few days, you should have a better idea of what exactly is going on with your schedule. 

If you are over-committing yourself, breaking the habit can be tough. Remind yourself that you don’t have to say yes to every opportunity, either at work or in your personal life. Before taking on another responsibility, take a minute to honestly consider whether you have the time and energy to complete the task. For personal projects, also take some time to think about whether it is something you want to do or just something you feel obligated to do.

Organize Your Day

It is much quicker and more efficient to complete similar tasks at the same time. So, for example, spend a few minutes going through your emails and answering everything that needs to be answered at the same time. Decide how often you need to check your email, commit to only checking it that many times, and deal with each email immediately. Think about how your day normally goes, and determine when you are most efficient. 

For some people that is first thing in the morning, while others need a few hours to be at their best. Whatever time you feel the sharpest is the time to schedule your most demanding tasks. You will be able to complete them much easier and in less time by doing this. Save administrative or routine tasks that require less mental output for the time of day when you have lower energy levels.

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