Planning is the first pillar I like to discuss because it is the foundation of being able to create a life that supports your mental health. Planning is the foundation because you will need to begin to plan when you will fit in the other pillars each day until some of them become automatic. By scheduling when you will be practicing each pillar, you will help yourself become more consistent and consistency is what builds habits.
Plus, planning is a great habit to have both to manage your life, decrease your stress and improve your mental health. Planning is an incredibly helpful habit to create and incorporate into our daily lives that allows us to know what we need to be doing and where we need to direct our energy..
By knowing what you need to be doing and when, will allow you to save your time and energy for our health and wellness. Think about how much time you waste by wondering what you should be doing, or trying to remember where you should go next and then trying to fit in all of your obligations. Planning can help eliminate unnecessary stress that comes from being unprepared.
One thing I have been doing for over thirty years is planning my day and week ahead of time. This allows you to see what is coming up in your life and where you might need some extra support or self-care. Or, where you might need to take a day off to rest and recharge.
Another benefit to planning is that it allows us to create more emotional freedom and save our energy so we can thrive each day.
Now, does planning each day mean you can’t ever be spontaneous or flexible? Absolutely not! In fact, by planning, you will save mental and physical energy that will allow you to increase spontaneity and flexibility without adding any stress. You will instantly be able to see if you can move some obligations around in order to do the last minute activity.
Planning can seem boring and a lot of work, but it is an incredibly helpful tool to support your mental health. The time and energy you save by planning will allow you to focus more on creating the joy you want in your life and will lead you to the emotional freedom you are seeking.
One tip to use when planning your week ahead is to create a list of the activities, obligations, projects, etc. that you need or want to get done in the upcoming week. This is called a brain dump.
Sunday’s are a great day to plan for the week ahead. Set aside 1-2 hours every Sunday to sit down and plan out your week ahead.
Grab a piece of paper and section it into the areas of your life. For example, Family, Self, Work, etc. I would recommend keeping it to four sections at the most. Label each section. Take that paper and do a brain dump of all the items you need to get done this week or all that you want to get done this week. Then place each activity under the corresponding section. When you are finished with Then, schedule these activities into your calendar so you know what you are doing and when you are doing it each day. This will allow you to save energy to put towards yourself and your health.
Finally, each night you’ll want to look at your calendar and then create a list of all you have to do the next day. There may be a few items you need to do that aren’t scheduled on your calendar. Having this “to do” list will add to your peace of mind.
I hope you give planning a try if you aren’t already. Hop on over and join my new FB group, Creating A Life That Supports Your Mental Health, HERE. I’ll be kicking off the group officially on April 1! I will have daily tips, will further discuss how you can create a life that supports your mental health, monthly workshops as well as resources. I hope to see you there.
