We live in a time where it’s more natural to feel overwhelmed than empowered. Schedules get busier, work demands get higher, and technology has a glue on our phones. They will want to take back their power. They may not know how to do it.
That’s why a planner can genuinely change your life in the most simple ways. With the right strategies, you can manage your stress and start to prioritize self-care using a planner in self self-care, so that’s the first step to relieving some stress.
Let’s talk about the different benefits and how you can use customized undated planners by Erin Condren to kick start your self-care journey.
Benefits of a Planner
There are so many different benefits of using a planner. Many people think that using a planner may add more work for them.
Technically, it is another physical activity on your list. But using one will reduce some of the other tasks that suck up energy and time.
Just like you would map out designing your dream home, you want to map out designing your dream life. Here are some of the instant benefits you can expect from using a calendar that fits your needs and wants.
Dedicated You Time
Does it ever happen if you don’t schedule time with your friends and family? How many times do we talk about how months get away from us? When we finally get together, it’s always, “I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve last seen you.”
The same thing goes for self-care. If you don’t block out time to do it, other things come up, and suddenly, how you plan to spend reading books is dominated by an unexpected task. Treating dedication to yourself like other vital events makes us suddenly happier and healthier.
And don’t you want to spend time making your favorite recipes as the holiday season creeps closer and closer?
Clearing the Brain
One of the most powerful things is being able to empty your brain. Most people don’t know how to do that, so even a simple word jot or brain dump can be powerful. This can have a lot of structure or no structure at all. That’s the best part.
When we start to put in our schedule and a calendar, we don’t have to use so much brain power thinking about what we have to do. Many people describe the feeling of anxiety at night because they’re trying to remember all the things they need to do the next day.
When there is a clear list of dedicated times to each thing, you can go on autopilot and worry about the actual task at hand and present.
Efficiency Rocks
Just like your company allows efficiency, so should you. Your brain can run efficiently by creating a schedule mapped out for your week. But that’s not the only thing that can be efficient when it comes to planning. When you dedicate specific time and have a schedule, it is essential to stick to that.
That means you can’t spend too much time on one particular event or task. It also means you can’t procrastinate, which is why we build in specific self-care time. It keeps you on track with your tasks, and you can get much more done.
Self Reflection
Self-reflection is not an easy thing. It’s like picking up a sport and not having a coach. Coaches can see what we’re doing right or wrong from a distance. Self-reflection allows our subconscious to take over in times when we may not be aware 100 percent of our own actions and patterns.
Self-reflection through journaling offers creative time to get to know yourself. Some of its benefits are closely related to those of meditation. It’s soothing and can empty out the anxiety and stress that’s stored in your body.
You Are In Charge of You
When scheduling and having a planner, you must remind yourself that nobody is in charge of you but you. So, when it comes to scheduling self-care, choose things that you love and that are good for you. This means absolutely nothing at the end of the day for an hour, so do it.
Also, doing absolutely nothing until you get 15 minutes of meditation in the morning, setting yourself up for success requires little thought in planning, but one is in motion; you might not have to think about it again.
One thing is that people are there to be a tool and help you. It’s just you and the paper, even if there is structure to the planner itself. The best part? There is no learning curve. You get to make it what you want.
