3 calendar hacks for less stress
Even if you're retired, your time is valuable and surprisingly scarce. I wrote down these hacks to help you take back more control of your time and your life.
- Come up with a 7-day framework. It helps to have this in writing, even if it's on a napkin. Every day has its own energy and commitments. Once you tap into these, you can make better, more proactive decisions.
Example: I've learned that right after a heavy workout is not the time to think about what I'll have for lunch. So now on days when I strength-train, I make a point of having a meal ready (and not a salad). Obvious? Yes. But also easily overlooked.
Another example: Long ago with my parents' blessing, I designated Wednesdays as my day off from caregiving. Specifically, no phone calls. Now clearly, if there's an emergency, the family knows they can call. (And you'd be surprised how many Wednesdays all hell breaks loose, but I digress.)
You need some recurring time built into your week that is more or less your own. You won't always get it. But when you do, you'll be glad you made it happen. - Leave room for the unexpected. The opposite – packing your day as full as possible – is a recipe for stress, including stress for those around you. Instead, leave room for the unexpected phone call, bathroom break or parking drama.
A friend of mine, who has the highest-stress job of anyone I know, still makes a point of showing up to appointments 15 minutes early. I'm not there yet, but it's a great goal to shoot for. - Use Fridays to land planes, not launch them. Example: Someone asks if you can "grab coffee" this Friday to hear about their new product, project, service, whatever. Say yes, and you're probably going to end up with a folder full of reading material and homework you didn't ask for. Take a pass.
Fridays are prime time for wrapping up loose ends: scheduling or rescheduling that appointment you've been putting off, returning phone calls, or simply celebrating wins from the week just past. If you don't celebrate them, who will?
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“You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.”
—Serena Williams