Late-Start

Hi, I’m Cindy, and I am an organizational and productivity nerd! It started in my early twenties, around the time I was first getting treated for my diagnosis. I had appointments to get to for therapy, medication to manage, and groups that I was recommended to attend. I had to find a way to manage my disorder, my schedule, and my time. I was –and still am– the kind of person who won’t be satisfied just watching TV. I need to do things, to learn, and to experience life; it’s a large part of my recovery, as is managing my time to do those things. Here’s how I manage my time, energy, and mental health in three distinct ways.

Bullet journaling: It gets stuff in my head out in a customizable way, plus it’s easy to navigate once you get used to it. You can customize it with various trackers so you get all the data you need for psychiatry appointments, and if you’re like me, all data makes you happy! I also have a section where I list my wins so it’s more of a journaling type of journal. For the basics of bullet journaling, watch the video “How to Bullet Journal” by Ryder Carrol, the creator of the bullet journal.

To-do lists are for short tasks that I can stack up as one project and goals that I can reach. I’ve been tracking my progress with Todoist–it’s an app for my phone and a website where I can input the tasks that need to be done and cross them off various lists. This is good for me because I can feel productive, and it gives me proof of all the things I’ve finished.

Calendar blocking is where I carve out time in my schedule to do all the things, including rest and recharge. For me, a typical Morning looks like this: I get up at 6, shower & get ready by 7 and then I check my email, look over my to-do list, and by 7:30 I journal. it’s best to be generous with the time you allocate to yourself. too little and the system doesn’t work, however too much time gives you a less productive schedule. the goal is to be mindful.

These are the productivity systems that I use to help me manage my time, schedule, and mental health. You can do things in your own way using your own schedule, but if this interests you then you might want to use this as a template.