Save Now, Live Better
Words by Katherine C. Eustaquio
Published in Action & Fitness Magazine (Jan – Feb 2009) issue
These days, re-use, reduce and recycle is the norm. Environmental issues are everyone’s concern and saving the planet is no longer an option. However, with everything that’s going on in your life, do you still have the time to squeeze in a little elbow grease to make this world greener, cleaner, and better?
We go ballistic when we see someone throw away stacks of newspapers on the sidewalk (when they can be sold to recycle shops), yet we fail to see the repercussions of staying glued to the TV for six hours straight.
As we strive to re-use, reduce, and recycle nature's depleting commodities, let us also pay attention to saving and making wise use of three of man's most limited―and perhaps un-recyclable―resources: time, energy, and money.
TIME
According to Donald E. Wetmore, president of The Productivity Institute, a person who works in a “messy” or cluttered workspace spends 1 ½ hours per day looking for misplaced things. Small distractions break one’s momentum, which often leads to sloppiness and work-related stress. Sure, these things can be avoided by staying organized and sharp. But face it, there simply are not enough hours in a day to get everything done and still have time for a dozen other things you have to do outside the office.
Time management is the key to a less stressful life. Ironically, most people don’t have the time to manage their time so they just breeze through everything and, more often than not, causing unnecessary stress. Managing your time isn’t as complex as it looks. If you live by the clock, save yourself from snapping with these helpful tips:
Make a to-do list every day. Use your phone, your bulky organizer or multi-colored Post-It notes. Jot down all the things you need to do for the day and cross out the ones you’ve done as the day progresses. Seeing what you’ve accomplished will lift your spirits and will also keep you right on track.
Have a do-not-disturb-me moment. If you keep on receiving emails every three minutes, either you’re the favorite “it” employee or you’re the most wanted sloppy worker alive. If it disrupts your flow of thoughts, close your email for ten minutes. When you’re done with one task, attack your inbox in one go.
If you can’t multi-task, focus. Do you know why women are so good at multi-tasking? It’s because they have been doing it since the Stone Age―feeding their young, cleaning the house, cooking and who knows what more. While the men do one thing―hunt for food. Women have no problem doing three things at a time while few men can multi-task. If you can’t handle three things at once, focus on one thing first. Save the DVD marathon dreams for life after five.
Stop procrastination. If you put off doing important things, the workload will just get heavier by the moment because of the unnecessary anxiety. Too much time is wasted on procrastination. Know your priorities and start working on them one by one. You’ll be surprised by just how much you’ll be able to accomplish once you get the big fishes out of the way.
ENERGY
When you are tired, you immediately think you’re not getting enough sleep. Truth is, there are many factors why people tire easily―depression, anxiety, loss of sleep, lack of exercise, poor diet and much more. Long term tiredness will eventually tear down your immune system. It may also cause heart disease, constipation, abdominal pain, and other illnesses. Here are a few tips on how to keep your energy level high throughout the day.
Eat breakfast. If you skip breakfast, you tend to get tired easily because your brain and body are running low on fuel. Coffee and sweets can make the blood pumping again but by lunchtime, you’re most likely to overeat and give in to sinful treats. Studies show that eating breakfast helps stabilize blood sugar levels that control your appetite and energy. You can skip lunch and dinner if you want, but not breakfast. If you’re always hurrying off to work in the morning, nibble on something on the way, like a bagel or a fruit.
Talk a walk. Studies have shown that exercise improves energy levels and decrease fatigue. If you feel tired from sitting in front of the computer all day, take a break. Instead of smoking or drinking coffee, take a walk outside for a few minutes to get the blood pumping. Wake up your muscles by stretching your legs and arms. You’ll feel refreshed and energized instantly.
Get enough sleep. These words will continue to ring in our ears until we get it. With far too many distractions, we find it most difficult to sleep early. Sometimes, stress and fatigue make sleep impossible. Relaxing your mind and body before bedtime will help you sleep soundly. Adopt a nighttime ritual (reading a book, listening to soft music etc.) to help you slow down and relax. A good night’s sleep will recharge your body for tomorrow’s challenges.
Plan your next vacation. Looking forward to something is a great motivation to get things done with an effortless grace. So call your friends and plan your next getaway. Getting away from the city (or the country) is a wonderful way of recharging your batteries.
MONEY
Did you know that money is one of the top stress inducers in the world? Most people worry more about money than their own relationships, health, and careers. We find it hard to save money because of those flashy goods and services out there. Some of us have already allocated our salaries in our minds before we even lay our hands on our pay slips. Stop dreaming about hitting it big with one shot. Your 100 bucks-a-day savings will give you a gold mine in a year’s time. Here are some tips on how to save yourself from early bankruptcy:
Say “no” to impulse buying. So what if a sale falls on a payday? Malls will never run out of things to put on sale. Stick to your priorities first. Don't buy anything that's not on your list, even if the item is too good to pass up on. But if you lose sleep and can't take it off your mind for the next 24 hours, then save up for it and buy it the next time.
Give your credit cards a rest. Paying with plastic is the most convenient way of shopping―enjoy it now, pay for it later. But it's hard to keep track of your expenses this way and harder to keep yourself away from the malls. Give your babies a rest once in a while and shop the old fashion way―with crisp, fresh-from-the-ATM bills.
Lessen the gourmet coffee indulgence. If you spend an average of P150 for gourmet coffee in a day, that’s P750 in a week’s time. You can buy a good pair of jeans with that amount of money if you put a halt to your expensive caffeine habit for a week. Why not invest in a small coffee maker and brew your own coffee or just settle for plain instant coffee once in a while? Don’t worry, you’re not going to die.
Open a savings account. Did you know that three out of four young professionals don’t have savings accounts regardless of their salary range? Some are comfortable keeping their money in company-issued ATM cards while some still prefer the old fashioned way of saving money, piggy bank style. While there is nothing wrong this habit, having a savings account indicates how much you value your money. It will also give you a sense of security knowing that you have money safely tucked away.
Knowing what takes most of your time, energy and money will help you come up with the best ways on how to deal with them. Limited as they are, how we make use of them directly affects all the things we do. Start saving now and make the most out of your limited resources before you run out of them.
Published in Action & Fitness Magazine (Jan – Feb 2009) issue
These days, re-use, reduce and recycle is the norm. Environmental issues are everyone’s concern and saving the planet is no longer an option. However, with everything that’s going on in your life, do you still have the time to squeeze in a little elbow grease to make this world greener, cleaner, and better?
We go ballistic when we see someone throw away stacks of newspapers on the sidewalk (when they can be sold to recycle shops), yet we fail to see the repercussions of staying glued to the TV for six hours straight.
As we strive to re-use, reduce, and recycle nature's depleting commodities, let us also pay attention to saving and making wise use of three of man's most limited―and perhaps un-recyclable―resources: time, energy, and money.
TIME
According to Donald E. Wetmore, president of The Productivity Institute, a person who works in a “messy” or cluttered workspace spends 1 ½ hours per day looking for misplaced things. Small distractions break one’s momentum, which often leads to sloppiness and work-related stress. Sure, these things can be avoided by staying organized and sharp. But face it, there simply are not enough hours in a day to get everything done and still have time for a dozen other things you have to do outside the office.
Time management is the key to a less stressful life. Ironically, most people don’t have the time to manage their time so they just breeze through everything and, more often than not, causing unnecessary stress. Managing your time isn’t as complex as it looks. If you live by the clock, save yourself from snapping with these helpful tips:
Make a to-do list every day. Use your phone, your bulky organizer or multi-colored Post-It notes. Jot down all the things you need to do for the day and cross out the ones you’ve done as the day progresses. Seeing what you’ve accomplished will lift your spirits and will also keep you right on track.
Have a do-not-disturb-me moment. If you keep on receiving emails every three minutes, either you’re the favorite “it” employee or you’re the most wanted sloppy worker alive. If it disrupts your flow of thoughts, close your email for ten minutes. When you’re done with one task, attack your inbox in one go.
If you can’t multi-task, focus. Do you know why women are so good at multi-tasking? It’s because they have been doing it since the Stone Age―feeding their young, cleaning the house, cooking and who knows what more. While the men do one thing―hunt for food. Women have no problem doing three things at a time while few men can multi-task. If you can’t handle three things at once, focus on one thing first. Save the DVD marathon dreams for life after five.
Stop procrastination. If you put off doing important things, the workload will just get heavier by the moment because of the unnecessary anxiety. Too much time is wasted on procrastination. Know your priorities and start working on them one by one. You’ll be surprised by just how much you’ll be able to accomplish once you get the big fishes out of the way.
ENERGY
When you are tired, you immediately think you’re not getting enough sleep. Truth is, there are many factors why people tire easily―depression, anxiety, loss of sleep, lack of exercise, poor diet and much more. Long term tiredness will eventually tear down your immune system. It may also cause heart disease, constipation, abdominal pain, and other illnesses. Here are a few tips on how to keep your energy level high throughout the day.
Eat breakfast. If you skip breakfast, you tend to get tired easily because your brain and body are running low on fuel. Coffee and sweets can make the blood pumping again but by lunchtime, you’re most likely to overeat and give in to sinful treats. Studies show that eating breakfast helps stabilize blood sugar levels that control your appetite and energy. You can skip lunch and dinner if you want, but not breakfast. If you’re always hurrying off to work in the morning, nibble on something on the way, like a bagel or a fruit.
Talk a walk. Studies have shown that exercise improves energy levels and decrease fatigue. If you feel tired from sitting in front of the computer all day, take a break. Instead of smoking or drinking coffee, take a walk outside for a few minutes to get the blood pumping. Wake up your muscles by stretching your legs and arms. You’ll feel refreshed and energized instantly.
Get enough sleep. These words will continue to ring in our ears until we get it. With far too many distractions, we find it most difficult to sleep early. Sometimes, stress and fatigue make sleep impossible. Relaxing your mind and body before bedtime will help you sleep soundly. Adopt a nighttime ritual (reading a book, listening to soft music etc.) to help you slow down and relax. A good night’s sleep will recharge your body for tomorrow’s challenges.
Plan your next vacation. Looking forward to something is a great motivation to get things done with an effortless grace. So call your friends and plan your next getaway. Getting away from the city (or the country) is a wonderful way of recharging your batteries.
MONEY
Did you know that money is one of the top stress inducers in the world? Most people worry more about money than their own relationships, health, and careers. We find it hard to save money because of those flashy goods and services out there. Some of us have already allocated our salaries in our minds before we even lay our hands on our pay slips. Stop dreaming about hitting it big with one shot. Your 100 bucks-a-day savings will give you a gold mine in a year’s time. Here are some tips on how to save yourself from early bankruptcy:
Say “no” to impulse buying. So what if a sale falls on a payday? Malls will never run out of things to put on sale. Stick to your priorities first. Don't buy anything that's not on your list, even if the item is too good to pass up on. But if you lose sleep and can't take it off your mind for the next 24 hours, then save up for it and buy it the next time.
Give your credit cards a rest. Paying with plastic is the most convenient way of shopping―enjoy it now, pay for it later. But it's hard to keep track of your expenses this way and harder to keep yourself away from the malls. Give your babies a rest once in a while and shop the old fashion way―with crisp, fresh-from-the-ATM bills.
Lessen the gourmet coffee indulgence. If you spend an average of P150 for gourmet coffee in a day, that’s P750 in a week’s time. You can buy a good pair of jeans with that amount of money if you put a halt to your expensive caffeine habit for a week. Why not invest in a small coffee maker and brew your own coffee or just settle for plain instant coffee once in a while? Don’t worry, you’re not going to die.
Open a savings account. Did you know that three out of four young professionals don’t have savings accounts regardless of their salary range? Some are comfortable keeping their money in company-issued ATM cards while some still prefer the old fashioned way of saving money, piggy bank style. While there is nothing wrong this habit, having a savings account indicates how much you value your money. It will also give you a sense of security knowing that you have money safely tucked away.
Knowing what takes most of your time, energy and money will help you come up with the best ways on how to deal with them. Limited as they are, how we make use of them directly affects all the things we do. Start saving now and make the most out of your limited resources before you run out of them.
