Ugh, it is the end of the week again, and what a nightmare it has been! Does that sound familiar?

Sometimes at the end of the week, we might be thinking of ways we can improve the following week and then the week after that… Suddenly, it’s been 52 weeks and a whole year from our Gregorian calendar has been and gone. Just be thankful that we are not following the Mayan calendar; you would have to plan three times because it consists of three different calendars!

To keep it simple, we have put together a few tips and tricks which might just help you get started with planning your week.

• Brain dumps and mind maps
  Firstly grab a nu: notebook or any piece of paper and something to write with, and just write! That’s right, anything that comes into your mind, write it down. Any important commitments, any worries, thoughts, or ideas. If that doesn’t appeal to you, mind maps are also excellent to get your brain flowing.
  
  
  
  
• Long-term goals
  These are important, yes, but it is wise to note that the future is not as imminent as the present. When planning the week ahead, it is a good idea to have long-term goals already written down somewhere. You may gain some insight in how you can contribute to these by completing some smaller tasks that week which contribute to your long-term goals.
  
  
• Work smarter, not harder
  In the event of a fixed appointment or task such as a dental appointment, these should be written down first. The reason it is crucial to keep on writing these dates down, is really just so that we don’t forget. According to a well-known bit of psychology, ‘cognitive load theory’; humans just cannot keep all their thoughts and commitments in their brains. According to the theory, having uncertainty and being too vague with what needs to be done can lead to nothing being accomplished in time. Which in turn, will make things feel even more stressful.
  
  
  
  
• Downtime and Self-Care
  Woah, before you fill in the blanks with all the mundane tasks for work or university, it is vital that downtime or your definition of self-care is planned into your week. This includes time to sleep, eat, relax, or socialise with family and friends. If you struggle with created a self-care routine, might we suggest mindfulness! As mentioned above, being present has been proven to show tremendous benefits for our mental health. A study in 2016 showed that mindfulness techniques could prevent over 20% of likelihood for individual relapses to their menta health difficulties.
  If you are not sure where to start, give the nu: notebook mindfulness journal a try!