This has been a crazy year. Maybe the craziest in our lifetimes. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling like we keep getting tossed back and forth. Time seems to be bouncing from fast forward to pause inside a tumbler rolling down a hill.

Add to that how busy work has gotten (if you’re fortunate to be working) and you may feel like you’re spinning and just want to sit down in peace. You also probably have a long list of deadlines and deliverables staring you in the face.

There is no lasting magic solution out there like the carrot and stick of â€˜inbox zero’, but there are ways to manage the madness a little. The closest I’ve gotten to inbox zero is using Superhuman. It lives up to the name of being the fastest email experience ever made. If you’re using Gmail it will transform your work life and save you countless hours email is taking away from your life.

Try a few of these tips on for size to see if they can a little zen to your days that have a little too much crazy or overwhelm in them.

1. Do Mel Robbins’ 5 Second Rule.  This is my go to practice to quickly shift into a more confident, clear and peaceful mental state. This saves you time by not wasting time stressing over things you can’t control. Check out her video that goes a little deeper into the power of counting down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. 
2. Eat that frog. Make the first thing you each day count by doing what you want to do the least before doing anything else. Similar to the â€˜big rocks first’ concept, this makes sure that you’re productive by getting the impactful tasks done before it feels like there isn’t enough time.
3. Practice saying ‘no’. Supposedly Bill Gates said that when he started to say no to things that weren’t aligned with his core focus that’s when he started to become successful. Bill and I haven’t had lunch together yet, so I haven’t been able to ask if it’s true. Even if it’s a myth, practicing it has helped my productivity and sanity so I’m sharing it with you. Try it for a day or a week to see how it helps you.
4. Take time away from electronics. Red and I both take a #techsabbath on a weekend day. It’s very refreshing (like a mini-vacation) to enjoy time just being with yourself, friends and family in person without distractions. I guarantee you that when you do this you’ll feel better, you won’t miss out anything important, and there will be plenty of distracting things awaiting you when you turn your phone and computer back on. Work to live, don’t live to work.
5. Take care of yourself. No matter how good you are at this now, you can do better. Get 7-8 hours sleep, meditate to start of your day, exercise, eat well, breathe into your stomach instead of your chest. Do the stuff you know you should be doing but think you don’t have time for. Put yourself first so the rest of us can enjoy more time with you because you’ll probably live longer and be happier.