I would be lying if I claimed that every minute of my day was productive.
I love watching movies, YouTube, scrolling through Instagram and do not get me started on Pinterest! But all of that does not lead to better, more productive days that move me forward towards my goals.
Now that I am training for #yogateachertraining I am more aware of my time and how I spend it. If I have time to catch up on my favourite YouTuber or Insta Famous account, I should be filling my brain with #yoga knowledge or practicing my #asana's!
I am well aware that taking breaks to clear your mind is needed and great for the mind. I am the Queen of breaks at my daily job! :)
To help myself gain more hours in my day, I make sure that anything that can be prepped or planned in advance is completed.
Meal Prep
When I got serious about my health and fitness, meal prep was my constant. I could depend on it to keep me on track. It helped me take the guessing game out of it and allowed me to stay away from junk. "Hi, I'm Tal and I am a recovering junk - a- holic!"
I now prepare my lunch the night before work. It is a small change that usually only takes a few minutes. Whether I am just pulling my pre-made meals together or packing up what we had for dinner, it is a few more minutes that I get at 6am in the morning.
When the food comes into the house, all prep is done either that day or the next day. All fruit and veggies are prepped and put into their own containers. Any bulk meat has been separated and frozen. If I know I will be having chickpeas for my meat replacement that week, which I do most weeks, than I cook up a few cans so that is ready to go. Any carb that I am incorporating into my meals that week (brown rice or sweet potatoes) are cooked and ready to go. You get the picture! Meal prep is GOLDEN!
Clothing
I pre-plan what I will wear for the next day. I have outfits in my head that are pre-planned, ones that I wear and switch up on the weekly basis. Easy, work ware that is a no fail throw together. Doing this allows me to free up the time I would spend standing in front of my closet, than turning around and picking through my dresser, and back again to the closet. This endless loop I have been struck in a number of times!
Chores
I fill the dishwasher at night, whether it is going to be run or not. But it allows me to come into the kitchen with a clear mind in the morning and I am not having to work around dirty dishes.
Any dirty clothes, kitchen towels or bath towels are thrown into the laundry room. Outta sight, outta mind!
The kettle is filled with water as well as the coffee maker, so that it just has to be turned on.
Set a Timer
Setting a set time to complete something really makes you focus and work on the task at hand. You will be surprised what you can accomplish with a few minutes on the clock counting down.
To Do Lists
I am a list maker. Always have been. There is nothing like making a list and crossing an item or task off that list! It brings accomplishment and pride. But these are not just ordinary lists. There are categories! Set your top priority items at the top descending to your "if I get to it" at the bottom.
With all this extra time in the morning you are probably thinking I get to sleep in. Well you would be right, however, I do not! You see, I do all this prep so that I get extra minutes to myself in the mornings.
Morning #yoga & #meditation even for 15 mins is more than enough time to set myself up for an amazing day. Stretching is so important to me as I sit most of my day in front of a computer.
I am adapting the "no technology the first hour of the day" rule! No checking email, FaceBook or Instagram. I do however text my husband if he is already out of the house :)
This one is super hard to break, which is why I am doing it. I have become so attached to my phone. It literally goes everywhere, I mean everywhere with me. It is never more than a few feet away from me at all times. However, I have acknowledged this and that is why I have started this rule.
I have turned off all notifications on all apps, except text messages. Yup, no more beeps, boops and bings! I will not be a slave to my phone. This has been a huge game changer for me, not only at home but at work as well.
Our brains have been brainwashed to think that every time our phones make a sound that it has to be taken care of right away. Society is always a finger tip away, and we need to get back to what is real. What is meaningful. What is life. (I realize this is ironic as you are reading something that I have typed on my phone and you are probably reading this on your phone now. But I digress!)
With this small change, I know longer find myself mindlessly scrolling. I allow myself time to do this, but it is scheduled in.
So what have I filled my time with when I am not looking at my phone?
I read! Listen to the latest podcast. Play with my fur-kids. Prep-dinner. Hang with my Husband. Anything that will make my night time after work life easier I try to tackle as well. I have washed dishes (the stuff that is too big for the dishwasher), cleaned the house and even done laundry all before heading out the door for my work day.
So where you might ask is all of this coming from? Well, as I return to my teachings and #yogapractice I find myself bringing #yoga back into my everyday. Not just on the mat, but off my mat as well.
Yoga is not an exercise, it is an emotion. A lifestyle. A thought and a movement. One that should be lived out fully, out loud and explored through all facets of life. It is not how flexible you are. If you can bend this way and that. Standing on your head and bending into a pretzel is cool and all, but is not the essence of what yoga is. Mind, Body, Spirit. It is, just being.
Have you or will you adapt any of these tips and tricks to your day to day?
Yoga is YOUR practice, YOUR time, YOUR journey. Let it be what YOU need it to be. Step on your mat and Let it all Go.
Namaste
*Disclaimer: These are my own, personal, honest opinions/practice. This post was not sponsored. YogatationCa purchased all items themselves. YogatationCa is not a certified Yoga Teacher and will not be held liable for any recommendations or information provided. This post is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice, legal advice, or professional services. Therefore, try/practice at your own risk. Always consult your doctor before trying a new exercise.