In the fast pace of modern society, finding a consistent life balance proves to be quite a challenge. Maintaining equilibrium in the never-ending juggling act that is staying on top of work commitments, personal responsibilities, and self-care only seems to be priming the psychological landscape of our culture for stress. Especially for those working remotely, the lines between personal and professional activity are easily blurred and often create a bottomless pit for to-do lists that feel impossible to conquer. The rate at which we are expected to produce and share our output leaves us feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, and like we are paling in comparison to others who present as more active.

As disheartening as this reality is, the good news is that an antidote does exist. It’s called preparation. Proactively pursuing healthy, sustainable coping mechanisms is the only way to ensure you’ll be able to strike a balance when the inevitable stresses of daily life try to throw you off track.

With that said, let’s explore some tips I have for you to structure your day successfully for effective time and energy management.

Have a morning routine & perform it religiously

Having a routine you follow every morning helps you make the mental commute from chill to productive, or for those living the WFH life, from home to work vibes. Waking up ten minutes before you have to clock in or hop on a zoom call isn’t ideal. Nobody operates at their full potential while still rubbing the sleep out of their eyes.

Regardless of what time you start your day, make sure you give yourself enough time to wake up and fuel your mind’s engine first. Even on an off day, a solid morning routine provides a starting point for you to return back to, reset, and prepare yourself to launch into whatever’s on your agenda so you’re not rushing into tasks or meetings distracted or discombobulated.

Here are a few things I find helpful to do in the mornings (or whenever I happen to start my day) before even looking at my to-do list. Prioritizing self-care before any tasks, projects, or meetings is essential to my ability to focus on anything I need to work on.

1. Get ready. Take a hot, steamy shower. Put on clothes that make you feel confident and important (aka, get out of your sweats). Apply just a touch of blush or highlight to your cheeks. Or, if you prefer and have time for it, a full beat! When working from home, it’s small gestures like these that draw organic boundaries between how you spend your time.
2. Prayer. For me, spirituality is a top priority and a huge aspect of my life, so prayer is something I return to several times throughout the day – like before each meal – that also helps to ground me in purpose and presence with whatever task is at hand. If you don’t share the same sentiment, you can replace this with a daily gratitude practice instead.
3. Affirmations. I cannot stress the importance of establishing guideposts and pinning them to the top of your mind as often as possible. The most effective way to use guideposts once you have them established is to recite them every morning. After you come up with some affirmations that feel good for you, I recommend recording them via voice memo so you can play them back as often as you need to.
4. Brain dump. More often than not, I wake up with a racing mind. If you suffer from anxiety, depression, or any other mental health condition, it’s likely you do too. Taking even just five minutes to release whatever thoughts are consuming me works wonders for being able to start my workday with a clear mind.
5. Daily review. I don’t usually check emails or texts until I’ve completed all of the above. Then, after reading and responding to any unread messages, I review my calendar and Trello boards to identify what I need to get done.

Schedule self-care breaks into your workday

Self-care activities aren’t only beneficial before you start your day, but equally necessary to revisit in between tasks to restore balance and avoid burnout or overwhelm. Make a deal with yourself that after you complete 1-2 of your most important tasks of the day, you do something that gives your brain a moment of reprieve.

This can look like:

• Going for a short walk. Depending on where you live and what your environmental surroundings are, you might grab a coffee, find a bench or other outdoor area to sit on and enjoy some sun, or simply just get some fresh air.
• Meeting up with a friend for lunch.
• Meditating. Make sure you go into another room or a space that’s separate from where you work to switch up the vibe.

Manage your time effectively

If you’re the kind of person that loses track of time while you’re working, the best way to work little acts of self-care such as the above into your schedule is to track the time you spend on tasks.

You can use a digital app, like Toggl, or something tangible like this productivity cube. Supplementing your natural instincts for self-discipline with tools like these that help you enforce boundaries with your time can make an immeasurable difference in how balanced you feel between work and home life as you move through your day.

Prime your environment for presence

Just like getting out of your sweats helps you pivot into a more intentional mindset of productivity, there are also other ways to prime your workspace to give each task or project your truly undivided attention.

• Listen to something that helps you focus. Sometimes I like to play local news in the background, but more often I’ll throw on some jazz or Lofi beats while I’m working to usher me into focus mode.
• Switch up the scene. Cowork with a friend from a local coffee shop that offers wifi every now and then. Or, when I feel like treating myself, I’ll set up shop at one of my favorite daytime restaurants.

Balancing mental health with productivity requires a lot of intention and proactive preparation.

To set yourself up for optimal success whether completing tasks for work, home, or your personal wellness, you need to structure your day to accommodate everything you have to get done without overloading yourself first.

Take breaks as often as you need to, be proactive about understanding the little things that fill your cup up, and use the tools and resources available to you to draw boundaries with how you manage your time.