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3 Steps to End Your Day in a Way That Jump Starts Your Morning
DIY Sprocket Solutions
This article has been updated on 3/15/2022 with the article entitled “Still Working From Home? End Your Day with a Jump-Start for Your Morning.”
I work from home. I'm not sure about you, but there's one thing I want to do when I have 30 things on my to do list for the day. Clean. I want to clean the house. Organize everything all around me. Why? To feel organized and in control. On a day that I'm being pulled in 324 different directions, I want a clear mind, clear living room floor, clear windows... you get the point. Does it hack away at my to do list for the day? No. Does it keep me from pulling out all my hair and throwing the computer out the window? So far, yes. So what can you do? What can you do tame the days you know you might have a crazy-stressedout-meltdown-throwyourcomputeroutthewindow-shovechocolateinyourface kind of day? Set yourself up for success -start the day before.
At the end of the day before:
- Tidy Up. I'm not (completely) OCD. I just know that chaos breeds chaos and if you want a quiet and focused day then you should start with a quiet and focused day. Before you leave the office for the day (or before you go to bed at night for you work-at-home-ers), take 15 minutes and straighten up. De clutter and organize your space.
- Check your email and respond to messages. Don't wake up on an already stressful day and get sidetracked by 45231 conversations that don't really matter or you should have responded to 2 days ago. To keep yourself focused, wrap up conversations the day before. Then, when you go in the next morning, don't open your email. Work. Keep focused. If your job requires you to stay plugged in, set specific times throughout the day for you to check your email. Also, set a timer. Every two hours you get 15 minutes to respond to emails. Then, get back on track.
- Make a list by priority. What do you have to get done tomorrow? What needs to get done first? How much time do you have allocated to each task? Is there anything that can be bumped if absolutely necessary? Be sure to make note of that. Then, the next day, cross things off. No really, it's fun I promise. You can throw extra lines in there (like get up to get a cup of coffee) to 1) break up your day and 2) to add simple things to cross off. Seriously. Crossing off is so cathartic. Celebrate your wins!
Honestly, these would be great tips for any day to help with your success -but, I understand that we don't always have time for all this. Sometimes we can anticipate our rough days. When we have one in the future, slowly looming towards us, take a minute to mentally prepare yourself and your space. Set yourself up for success.
Do any of you have go to preparations you do the day before an especially stressful day? Feel free to share below!
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Breanne Bannon
Breanne is a Content Writer, Social Media Marketeer, and Sales Associate for Sprocket Websites.
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