I don’t know about you, but I am always on the lookout for any tip, trick or help that can make my day to day life much easier and today, I have compiled a Top 10 list of Habits that I have learned which really do help me to have an easier life!

• Always carry a pen and notebook.  You never know when you may have an idea or thought that could be useful.  It could be an idea for a meal to cook, a present to buy, an item to add to a shopping list, something you need to do, whenever you think of something, it is always a good idea to write it down.
• Always go shopping with a list.  Shopping with a list is a definite for me, I can focus on what I need, only buying the essentials which in turn leads to saving money by not buying anything unnecessary and saves me time and energy!  My brain does not need to do all the thinking and remembering and decision making and my shopping experiences are a lot less stressful.
• Always prepare your lunch the evening before, especially when you are working or have daytime commitments.  This simple act can free up some of your precious morning time and is one less thing to have to think about when getting ready.
• Always plan your outfit the night before.  This is another simple habit to get into, you can assess your outfit and make sure it is clean and tidy, you have time to iron it if needed or make a repair.  There is nothing worse than putting on an outfit to find that the hem has come down or a button is missing and then having to rush around to fix it or find something else suitable to wear in the morning.
• Always have a plan and know what your agenda for the day is.  This tip has probably been the most useful and life-changing for me.  Even on my days off, I like to have a plan of what I am going to do with my time and helps me to remain productive and tick things off my list.  I like to plan my day the night before so I am prepared and know what I will have to do the following day.
• Always prioritise.  It doesn’t matter if you have few tasks or many, prioritising can help you to get the important or hardest, or most time-consuming things done and out of the way first.  Prioritising and working your way down the list can help to free up headspace that would otherwise be consumed with worry and thinking about other tasks rather than the task in front of you.  However you prioritise is up to you, there is no right or wrong way but it does help!
• Practice Mindfulness.  I have been practising mindfulness for a few years now, and while I may not sit for an hour, clear my head and meditate, I find that smaller bursts of around 5 minutes, in a hectic day can really help to sharpen my mind and help me to concentrate.  If you have never tried mindfulness before there are lots of apps that can help you, Calm is one of my favourites!
• Always aim to be 5 minutes early.  I received this little tip from my Careers  Advisor in school and it has really stuck with me.  I hate to be late, there is so much stress and worry created by being late, worry about letting people down, that people are waiting for you, the rushing to get there, all sorts of negative things.  Being early means that you have time to sit and breathe, practice some mindfulness and arrive in a calm manner.  It also means that if there are hold-ups along your journey then you have time to make adjustments to your plans and still be punctual.
• Know when you are most productive and utilise it in your day to day life.  I am most productive from mid-morning to the mid-afternoon so I try to plan the bulk of my work at that time.  I prioritise the biggest chunk of my to-do list for that time, concentrating on the smaller tasks in the morning and the ones that take up the most of my time for between 11am and 2pm.  Knowing when you are most productive means you can schedule and prioritise better, you are less likely to procrastinate and knowing and utilising your productivity to its best gives you a sense of positivity.
• Always schedule breaks.  It doesn’t matter how busy you are, breaks are essential as they can help us to decompress after one activity and clear out head before making a start on the next.  A break can be as simple as making a coffee or going for a short walk.  This break makes it easier to transition from one thing to another and is essential in my life.

What little habits do you have that make your life easier?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and tips in the comments!