It seems everyone I talk to lately says they are “feeling overwhelmed.” And, given the year we have been experiencing, that is very understandable. As a result, I also hear, “I have a short-term memory,” “I forget to do things,” “I can’t concentrate,” and “I’m so distracted all of the time.”
Now, more than ever, for your mental health and overall well-being, it’s time to automate as much as you can so you can clear your head to focus or rest. Here are ten ways to automate your life and reduce distractions:
- Go paperless with your bills and any other paper mail you can
- Set-up automatic bill payments
- Schedule task reminders and recurring appointments. I use the Microsoft To-Do app for reminders and tasks. You can share lists with others. As a back-up, I also set timers on my phone every day for my meetings.
- Set-up a shared calendar to communicate events with your family and/or co-workers
- Set-up auto-shipments of items your household regularly uses, such as toilet paper, hand soap, dog treats, etc. I use Amazon Subscribe & Save, it reminds me before shipping what is coming, and I can adjust the quantity or skip.
- Order groceries online for pickup or delivery. I do this, and I don’t think I will ever go back to strolling the grocery aisles again. I purchase my fresh produce and meat at the farmer’s market on Sundays.
- Turn off all notifications on your devices.
- Put away anything you don’t use daily.
- Listen to the news or peruse social media for a short amount of time once a day.
- Retreat for 20-30 minutes a day to be in the moment. Maybe do some breathing exercises, meditate, or write what you are feeling grateful for.
What have you automated to make your life less overwhelming? Post in the comments.