I Use These 5 Strategies to Keep My Sanity and Health in Perfect Check.

And this makes sure that I do not stress myself to death.

When we think of success, we think that our every step and every action should speak out our dedication and the quality of our work. This is one of the myths we have been keeping in safe custody with us for long. No doubt that our behavior should be aligned with the task at hand but only BROADLY.

Overstaying at a task does not help you get better. It feeds on your mental peace and it delays the happiness and learning awaiting you in your next assignment.

As per the report in Harvard Business Review, too much focus drains our brain of energy, makes us indifferent to people, and puts blinkers on us so we are unaware of our surroundings.

Is it good? No! we cannot perform every task with Perfection.

Instead, we need to focus on the process and the system that we put in place to achieve our goals.

I make a schedule of activities but I do keep a time when nothing is planned.

Unwinding is important. Even machines need downtime. You are a hard worker and you keep planning your day in a way that you get most of it by completing as much as possible. Work is important but so are you and your existence.

I live in the same ecosystem as all of us. I am as busy as everyone around me and I have as many urgent works to do as everyone else has around me. While sitting on a park bench, while commuting to work, at the workplace, and all over, I hear people complaining about their work, their bosses, their partners, and whatnot.

Essentially, they are complaining about their life. But no one has the answer as to who has forced these things on them. Most of them, if not all, never have sat with themselves to ponder upon their life, to think something, and sometimes not to think anything.

While saying this I remember the great words of Pascal.

“All of humanity’s problems, stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” — Blaise Pascal

In all of my schedules and to-do lists, I keep a time slot for doing nothing. When I plan to sit quietly or do whatever pleases me, I drastically reduce one universal complaint “I do not have time for myself.”

Prioritize your work and find time for yourself. The world is not going to end tomorrow; and if so, what you will achieve by ticking your to-do list?

Multitasking is a modern-day curse but is unavoidable too: I break my time.

The human mind cannot work effectively on two tasks simultaneously.

Yes, I know what you are thinking.

You walk while you talk over the phone or with your friend by your side. You can sing while taking a bath. There are a number of other activities that you do simultaneously. But the truth is that our mind is not performing both activities simultaneously. In fact, it is juggling between both of the activities at such a speed that we think it is happening simultaneously.

Some of the routine activities are so regular that the mind is putting one of its parts on autopilot mode while focusing on the other. Walking, bathing and even driving can happen in autopilot mode except when something unexpected happens.

Remember how you get scared and all your bones absorb a chill when someone suddenly comes in front of your car while you are busy talking over a cell phone. This is because someone jumping in front of your car is not preprogrammed in your mind. It disturbs the pattern.

Let us come to the point. How so much we may accept that multitasking is not good, that it hampers productivity, that it is a distraction from quality work, we know that in today’s world, it is unavoidable. Every employer, except when you are in a YOGA School, wants us to multitask.

In order to afford peace of mind in today`s culture I diligently follow the rule of breaking the time. I decide the amount of time I will only be doing one task before switching to the other. This time may vary based on the intensity and quantum of work in hand.

As a general rule, I keep half an hour time for one task before distraction. At the end of this time, I switch to another task that has become urgent in the meantime. And then I revert back to the original work and so on.

Break your time and concentrate on one task during that time. Do not attempt more than one work at a time. Our cognitive capacity does not allow us to do so effectively.

Not all days are the same: I Treat myself fairly on the days of low productivity.

Most days I am able to devote time to my endeavors. Professional or personal but on other days I find myself in between life affairs, responsibilities, and other occasional incapacitation.

My wife wants me to go to the supermarket and buy the stuff for the entire month. It takes the day away. My kid is not well and wanted to rest in my tummy pouch all day like a kangaroo. I am not superhuman, I too catch cold viruses and someday I just do want to hang out with my friends.

I see that when I am not creating value in one part of life, I am counterbalancing the deficit by creating value somewhere else. When I am not working on my dream, I am spending time with my family, taking care of my kids, spending time with myself, or creating memories with my friends.

If you can change your perception for the better, your perception will change your life for best.

Heroes are in the movies; I am an ordinary man and I treat myself like one.

I love myself; I love my family and I care for my future. I get motivated and I get dejected. I get hopeful and I get insecurities. I get answers and I get doubts.

I am a human being and emotions are an essential aspect of my existence. I do not deny them. I accept every state of my mind which only makes me more aware of myself.

I know I may say something that may hurt someone. I know that I can mess up at something and I know that sometimes I may act like a jacka*s.

The acceptance of the above can make you realize that failure is part of life and not the end of it. This will keep you away from the syndrome of heroism.

I have assimilated the truth and so can you, that One can always try again and become a better person than yesterday.

Reality is brutal to accept but acceptance always helps in redirection

When relations, dreams or career fails we take undue time to accept the reality. I did it in the past and dragged a relationship beyond any sign of hope only to accumulate more emotional burden on me for life.

I learned the lesson that ending certain aspiration at the right time are better for your future and for your overall well-being.

Life heals itself and so does your mind. You need to give it some time and remain hopeful. You need not lead yourself to the verge of depression by telling your mind what you have failed at.

Instead, redirect your mind towards what is reaming to be cheerful for and what is that you can dream again and dedicate yourself to achieve.

Summary:

• Finding free time is difficult. You need to plan for it. Spend this time with yourself and enjoy the fruits of silence.
• Multitasking is not desirable but it has become unavoidable. Break your time and concentrate on one task during that time. Try not to attempt more than one work at a time. Our cognitive capacity does not allow us to do so effectively.
• You cannot be at your best, daily. Some days you will be working on your goal and some days you will be doing some other work to take care of your family, to maintain your health, and to maintain your social wellbeing. Enjoy every part of life.
• Treat yourself like a human being, an ordinary man, who can make mistakes in life. Failure is not the end. You can always start again and become a better version of yourself.
• When there is a wall in front of you, redirect yourself. Accepting difficult realities, like failures, in time enables you to take remedial actions for the betterment of your life. Life never ends until you stop breathing.