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I think it’s accurate to state that most of you reading my blog are juggling jam-packed lives just like I am. I think that’s part of why we all come together in this space. It’s not easy to balance work, family, fitness, healthy eating and taking care of yourself but we’re doing our best…and there’s always room to improve.

Don’t get me wrong, life is a grind sometimes but life shouldn’t feel like a constant grind where you feel like a hamster on a wheel or like a highly-functioning robot. I’ve tried both of those ways of being and they don’t feel very good.

I am always looking for ways that I can streamline my life and I believe it’s super important to be intentional about how you spend your time and energy. If you haven’t read my post on the time evaluation exercise that we do with all of our yoga teacher trainees, you must start there.

It’s my belief that health extends outside of what we are eating and how we are working out. It also extends to how we’re FEELING in our day-to-day lives. Today I wanted to share a few ideas for ways that you can streamline your life so that we can work “smarter and not harder” and free up mental and physical energy for the things that matter.

1. GROCERY DELIVERY

I can’t tell you how many people have shared with me what a game-changer this is, especially the busy moms that I know. Even if you don’t do it all the time, grocery delivery is an awesome option for those weeks that are extra crazy or for when you’re returning home from travel and the fridge is empty.

Over the last couple of years grocery delivery has become more and more accessible and easy to use. Even my grandmother is using InstaCart to have things delivered to her at home. With  seemingly constant upgrades and improvements, who knows how easy it will be to have groceries delivered in the future!

2. HAVE A COMMAND STATION AT HOME

I find it so useful to have one designated spot for all the important things like keys, purses, chargers, etc. It makes for quick exits when you need to get out of the door in a hurry and no “where did I put my keys!?” panics. I don’t claim to be a super organized person in general but this is one place where I do need everything in its place.

While our chargers had a place on the counter, one thing I hated was how cluttered it was becoming. It seemed like we were adding some sort of new device or hookup constantly between iPhones, bluetooth headphones, dog collars, Apple watches and more and it was such a mess.

My friend Jenn has this amazing charging drawer with all the electrical hookups built in. That is my dream! In the meantime, I got this organizer that helps clean up the look of the chargers on the counter and keeps everything nice and tidy.

3. CVS PHARMACY SCRIPTPATH

CVS Pharmacy has a new prescription management system called ScriptPath. It is designed to make it easier for you to locate and understand prescription information and dosing instructions.

This innovative system includes the newly-released Prescription Schedule, which prominently features the your prescription information and includes specifics on when and how much medicine to take, as well as clear refill instructions and personalized notes. 

Also coming in 2018 through ScriptPath is a new Prescription Label which will feature clearer directions, larger text and color-coded icons to signify different times of the day for dosing, as well as a new Prescription Overview that will include easier-to-read dosing and refill information.

ScriptPath Prescription Schedule is available now upon request at all of CVS Pharmacy’s more than 9,700 retail pharmacy locations. I think this is a SUPER helpful new service for anyone that has multiple prescriptions or that deals with managing prescriptions for a family. And given that CVS has acquired all of the Target Pharmacies, it seems like a no-brainer to switch to CVS if you’re at Target as much as most of us seem to be! 🙂 

4. HIRE HELP

A little over a year ago I made the decision to hire someone to clean for us every two weeks and it has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself. Don’t get me wrong, with two golden retrievers and life in general there is still a TON of daily pick-up and cleaning to do but having someone spend 4-5 hours doing the heavy-duty deep clean makes all the difference in the world.

It definitely adds to the monthly expenses but for me this is one that am willing to splurge on or cut in other areas to make happen. It frees up so much time for me to either work or spend the weekends relaxing when I’m not working.

Think about places where you could outsource and free up space/time. Oftentimes, the benefit far outweighs the investment when it comes to your mental sanity.

5. “BLOCKING” YOUR TIME

For a long time I was not strategic about how I scheduled my time. These days I am fiercely protective of “blocking” my schedule for maximum productivity and minimal running around like a crazy person.

I don’t know about you but when I only have an hour here and an hour there to get things done and my day is segmented by meetings, appointments, errands, lunches, etc…I get a whole lot of not much accomplished.

I separate my day out into early morning, mid-morning, lunch and early afternoon, late afternoon and evening. Here are some examples of how I block my day.

• If I teach early morning and evening, I try not to schedule anything between mid-morning and early-afternoon so that I have that solid chunk of time to get work done.
• If I have evening social plans, I typically won’t schedule lunch plans.
• If I don’t teach or have commitments until late afternoon/evening, I might schedule a mid-morning errand or appointment or go for a pre-lunch workout. That way I can get up and work for a few hours, take a break for an hour or two and then I still have a few more solid hours to work before I go out.

This might seem confusing but it’s not. It’s all about being protective and smart over how you schedule your time and making sure that you leave clear blocks that are long enough to actually focus and accomplish something meaningful.

I know this probably isn’t 100% realistic for everyone but even small shifts can make a huge difference.

I hope you’ve found these hacks useful.

I would absolutely love to hear anything you have to share about ways that you’ve streamlined your life and brought more ease and simplicity into your everyday!