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Guest Post by by Beverly Coggins
There are a number of ways to maintain your peak energy level during your work day. Experiment with the following:
- Get organized the night before. By getting your clothes, lunch, and briefcase ready the night before, you’re less likely to be rushed and/or late. A calm and controlled start to your day allows you to focus readily and lucidly when you get to work.
- Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation results in irritability, stress and slow reaction time similar to being drunk, not to mention many other health risks. Your body keeps track of the sleep you’ve lost. Falling asleep when sitting quietly is an indicator that you may be sleep deprived.
- Take breaks! Take those your employer offers or create your own breaks if you are your own boss. Go for a walk, go outside, climb a few flights of stairs – move! Just a few minutes of change refreshes your mind and your body.
- If you are in a noisy area, close your door or wear headphones to reduce sound, if acceptable at your workplace. Go to a quiet location to work, if possible.
- Eat. If you are running low on fuel, you will not be able to function properly. Have a healthy snack during your breaks.
- Drink. Keep yourself hydrated. Coffee from our well-known coffee cafes is three to four times stronger than regular coffee. And if you get a specialty coffee, it’s loaded with sugar. Stop for one on the way to work, and expect your energy to crash in a couple of hours as the caffeine and sugar wear off. Better to have some green tea or water.
Be intentional about maintaining your energy level, and you’ll find your productivity will increase. As your productivity increases maybe your paycheck will too!
Beverly Coggins is an organizing expert, speaker, and author of the 1-2-3 … Get Organized series. She also writes a daily blog on organizing your office, time, and home. Contact information: Bev@1-2-3GetOrganized.com; 330-922-0755.
Mudroom Madness
Is your mudroom, hallway, foyer or entry way making you mad?
Do you constantly trip over everything on the floor?
Is there no space to put anything?
Or has your clutter been like this so long that you just pass by and not really see what your guests see?
image from Pottery Barn
You may just spend minutes coming or going but this brief time can definitely set the tone for the start or end of your working day.
Nothing says welcome like entering into a space where you feel comfortable and can easily store your coat, shoes and outerwear items. Think about your home’s entry and incorporate these ideas to help keep it in top shape and keep you sane:
1. Give each family member a space: limit the amount each person can keep there (number of shoes, bags, etc.). Locker-like cubbies, milk crates or laundry baskets are great and can work well depending on the space. Allow only items that are used frequently and for that season in this area. Have adjustable shelves and hooks to grow with your child. Think about what is reachable for your child when deciding where to hang hooks and put baskets. Square cubbies are great for kids’ extra-curricular supplies and equipment; even shallow cubbies are helpful for stashing things away. Read More→
Calling All Cell Phone Users – Show Proper Etiquette
Don’t be mad at cell phones, it’s not their fault they interrupt your dinners, movies and business meetings. It’s their owners that need to take a quick lesson on how to treat them.
With the advancements of today’s technology it seems like they are showing up everywhere and everyone, young and old, has a cell phone. Many people are confused on when and where are appropriate times for cell phone use. Here are a few courtesy ideas to show others before dialing those digits or answering those vibrations or rings.
If you are in an enclosed area, try to keep your voice down or keep off the phone altogether. Why should the person next to you have to listen to your conversation? Always be aware of your surroundings and consider that others may want some quiet time and find the details of your conversation interrupting.
Get in the habit of checking to see that your phone is turned off, on vibrate or silent mode before going into that sales pitch, classroom, restaurant or theater. Although everyone is aware of this rule, people continue to ignore it. If you forget to turn off your cell and it does ring, turn it off instantly. Act as quickly and discreetly as possible as not to disrupt others. Read More→
The following guest post offers tips for parents looking to help their teens learn study and time management skills;
It’s About Time -Changing Behavior to Improve Student Study Habits
Students live in a world of endless opportunities to learn, socialize, volunteer, work, and travel among a long list of things. Good study skills and time management are key to learning how to balance priorities and opportunities in your life as a student.
With all these options and new found freedom, a student might become dissatisfied with how they are managing their time. Perhaps they have developed a bad habit of procrastinating or maybe they have too many activities on the go. Changing behaviors is a difficult task but following the recommendations below will help any student improve their time management skills.
A student can start by doing a self assessment. Do I skip class? Do I set goals for myself? Am I easily distracted from school work? Own up to your short comings and bad habits. Set goals you would like to achieve this semester, this year and in life. This will help you determine what is most important to you and help set your priorities.
Starting to plan. Plan each day. You can do this the night before or first thing in the morning. Set out what you would like to accomplish today and prioritize the items on your To Do list. The best tool is a day planner. Read More→
