Let's face itour days are busy, full, and often stressful. How can we possibly find order in this craziness on a daily basis? Here are some (hopefully) helpful tips:

1) Have your day planned ahead of time.
Either the day before, or right before the weekend, take five minutes to organize and plan for your next work day. Clean off your desk, and make a list of tasks that need to get done the following day, preferably in the order of priority.

2) Assign time blocks to each task.
I assign each task its own approximate time block. For example, 'Write blog post, 30 minutes.' This helps me to keep track of how I'm spending my time, as well as to organize the multiple tasks on my plate each day.

3) Limit the number of times you read and answer e-mail.
The temptation is always there to read each e-mail that arrives when it arrivesespecially if you have an alarm set that lets you know each time you get a new one. Try turning off this alarm, and then stick to checking e-mail just three times a daymorning, noon, and late afternoon.

4) Take an occasional break.
This is difficult for me, because I tend to get so wrapped up in what I'm doing that I don't want to stop. I do, however, know the importance of taking breaks, and am training myself to get better at it. Stretch breaks are my favorite since I sit in front of my computer for most of the day. Even just five minutes a few times each day can help both physically and mentally. Set an alarm on your computer for this one'it's definitely a good thing!

5) Have something to look forward to when your work is done for the day.
Maybe you really enjoy reading, and are eager to start that great novel. Maybe you want to simply sit down and read the paper, or play with your children or pets. How about cooking a simple but great meal? Having something that helps to transition you from work mode to relaxation mode is the important thing to remember here.

Taking care of ourselves during these extremely busy times is so important. Keep these tips in mind as you go about your busy day. Your body and mind will thank you for it.