Ways to Magically Find More Time In Your Day (Ask Amanda)

In this previous Ask Amanda, I talked about finding balance to do the things I do, but since I’ve been asked more follow up questions, I thought I’d write some more practical tips on the topic. 

People are constantly asking me, it seems, how I find the time to do the things I do. I don’t even claim to do that much. Yes, I teach full time, run Maple Alps as well as Maple and Math, and I make time to do things for myself like be involved in church, small group, and even reading and crocheting, but is that really that much? Maybe. 

Fun side story: when I was in college I had to make a presentation about how to do something. I did my presentation on this exact topic - how to find more time in your day. I’ve been totally into this for years!

Here are a few of the practical steps I use to find the time in my day to do the things I do.

Make a chart

Physically make a chart coloring in how many hours a day that you spend on various activities. My biggest blocks are sleeping and work, of course. You may be surprised to see how much time you have left in your day!

Prioritize your tasks

Once you know how much time you have, prioritize your tasks! Prioritizing tasks is as simple as deciding what three things will move your day the most every day. Long to-do lists tend to overwhelm, and do not tend to get finished. Instead, choose three things to accomplish every day.

Block your days

If you have a more flexible schedule, try blocking your days! I watched this great video on it on Youtube (watch it here), so I won’t say much about it here. Just know it’s fascinating and makes sense! I don’t currently do this, because my job keeps me on a pretty tight schedule most days.

Quit Entertainment

If you watch television or are constantly signed into Netflix or Hulu, you might find that entertainment is taking a large chunk out of your day. Shows can be anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes long, and that can really start eating away at your time! Consider quitting for a week and seeing how productive you can be! Same goes for scrolling social media.

Another helpful thing I’ve found: Bullet Journal-or making a schedule in general

Keeping a schedule of some sort has always been extremely helpful to me. I am one of those persons who thrive with lists and calendars. I like structure. I have always had a planner of some sort, whether it be a dated one, or a bullet journal, and it has helped me stay on task and organize my days well.

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How do you find more time in your day?

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Dealing with COVID Crisis (Ask Amanda)

Question: How are you dealing with the COVID crisis and staying productive?

This is a great question. Sometimes I kind of wonder how I am dealing, myself.

The corona crisis, while I did sort of see it coming gradually, still took me by surprise. Overnight, I found myself first not going into work,then  staying home from everything as businesses started closing and people started wearing masks and gloves to the empty-shelved grocery stores.

Those first few weeks were bizzarre. Everything happened so fast, and decisions had to be made quickly. Events were cancelled. Loss was felt. The fear was high and tension could be cut with a knife.

So back to your question: how am I dealing with this crisis and staying productive?

To be honest, I don’t have as much free time as I was hoping I would have had. Teaching online is no joke, y’all. I feel like I’m staring at a computer screen 8+ hours a day - and honestly, I probably am. That being said, I’m not that mad about having to work from home. 

Here are a few ways I’ve been staying sane over the last two months.

Having a Schedule and a Plan

Having a schedule helps me to stay on track and stay motivated. No regularly staying up late or sleeping in for this gal. 

This may be strange, but I really do need to keep up with my regular meal and habit planning as well. If I don’t, I tend to make poor choices - especially when it comes to food. Having a game plan helps cut down on having to grocery shop and gives peace of mind that I need when entering the kitchen.

Boundaries

As I mentioned earlier, I work a lot more than I used to. Because of this, and because my office is now stationed in my living room most days (I let my husband use our shared office), I need to set hard boundaries. I start work at 9am and finish at 5pm. Not before, and not after. That may seem harsh, considering I’m a teacher, but it’s important for my mental health that work stops at some point, and I can think of something else. 

I feel I can also mention here that one thing I did that I am so happy for was set up a Google Voice number instead of giving out my cell phone. Students would text at all hours if I had done that. I also keep emails off my phone. I need the dissociation of work when I use my personal devices otherwise I get sucked in (I don’t keep the Google app on my phone either - strictly web browser and email).

Frequent Breaks

I have definitely been guilty of working straight for hours on end while at home, and by the end of those spurts, not only can I not walk or sit up straight, my creativity and overall sane-ness tends to wane. In order for me to be as productive as possible, I take frequent breaks to move my body or drink water (or refill my tea mug). I talk a little bit more about getting movement during self-isolation in a post here.

Exercise and Being Outdoors

I’ve always loved to exercise, and I really love that I have time to do even more of it now! Not only does fresh air and vigorous movement help my blood flow and productivity, it also adds to my routine. It’s also nice to be able to do it in the morning stress-free since my starting times are a bit more flexible.

Being outside is another fantastic brain break. Sometimes getting outdoors means lugging my reading out to the balcony. Other times, it means getting into the dirt and gardening. Usually, however, it means going on a hike or for a run. Going outside gives me something to look forward to and something to enjoy. I’m so thankful that the weather has been pleasant the past two months!

House Projects

Well, for us, right now this looks like getting some painting done and deep cleaning for summer. Let’s see what else we’ll be able to get done - I’ve been meaning to share some more of our house projects on the blog!

Hobbies

Well, when I can. Work has been crazy busy, but I do make some time for some writing and a lot more reading. I’ve also been working on some hand lettering. I thought about picking up some crocheting projects I set aside once Winter ended, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to do that with the weather being so nice out!

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One thing that I haven’t been doing is taking advantage of online learning that is outside of my profession (inside is plenty enough right now!). Honestly, I can’t bring myself to watch another zoom interview or teaching session because it just feels like work.

What have you been doing during this time of self-isolation?

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Can I Become a Morning Person? (Ask Amanda)

Question: Help! How can I become a morning person? Do you have any tips?

If you have been following Maple Alps for a while both here and on Instagram, you know that I am a morning person. So many of you have asked this question in the Ask Amanda, that I figured I’d best get onto answering it!

A little bit of background before I go into this: I was not always a morning person. In fact, I hated getting up in the mornings because I was not getting enough sleep. I would stay up all hours of the night with thoughts running through my mind on full speed. As a result, my sleep was not restful, and mornings were a drag. I could sleep in for hours if allowed to. I could even sleep through the most dramatic of situations and fall asleep anywhere.

It wasn’t until I was forced to unplug from everything that I finally trained my body to wake up early. Now, I know that sleep is a pretty complicated thing and not everyone is designed to be a “morning person” but here are some things that helped me get a handle on waking up earlier and more refreshed on a regular basis.

Create Routines around Bedtime and Waking Up

Having evening and morning routines can trick your body in profound ways. Waking up at the same time - even during vacations and on the weekend can help! I read somewhere that even if you went to bed late the night before, you should wake up early the next day. I’ve been doing this for years and find that I’m greatly productive in the mornings - especially on the weekend because I’m less stressed about my usual schedule. Eventually, like me, you won’t even bother setting your alarm anymore because your internal clock knows what’s up!

Do Something Positive or Productive

I like to start my day out spending time with Jesus. It sets the tone for my day and helps me be productive later. Once I’ve spent some time meditating on the Word and noting what I’m grateful for, and journaling and praying, I feel more ready to take on my day. In fact, once I started doing this, I began getting up even earlier because I wanted more uninterrupted time to do it. 

Make Your Sleeping Area Your Haven for Relaxation

My parents always told me that I shouldn’t study or read or work in my bed so that my brain would associate my bed with sleep. They must have been talking to some experts about the insomnia I was suffering from. Turns out they were pretty much right (okay, okay, see parents?). While I am guilty of even typing out this post from my bed right now, I have experienced the benefits of making sure my bedroom is a haven for relaxation. Making your room cozy and having your brain associate it with relaxation will make for better sleep. 

Sleep When You’re Tired

Listen to your body at night when it tells you it’s tired and go to bed. If you wait too long, you won’t be tired anymore. Kind of like when you take Melatonin and stay awake too long and force your body up and it’s not effective anymore. No one else? Just me? Okay. 

Try a Smart Alarm

I’ve had little success with smart alarms - alarms that wake you up during a specific frame of your sleep cycle rather than at a specific time of the day - but I know others who have. Doesn’t hurt to try it and see if it wakes you up feeling more refreshed than usual! I’ve also heard of alarms that wake you up with light. 

Get Up and Out

When that alarm goes off, get up and out of your room ASAP. Go grab a drink of water or take a shower or exercise, but since your brain is going to be associating your warm bed with sleep now, you have to tell it that it’s time to get moving! 

Don’t Stress

Life happens. Don’t stress when you can’t sleep when you want to. From experience, it keeps you up even longer. Don’t stress when you sleep a little later than you wanted to. Even if it makes you late. Life happens, and taking it in stride will make you happier and healthier.

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How do you make early mornings more desirable?

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If you have a question, feel free to leave one below for a future segment of "Ask Amanda!"

Teaching or Blogging?

Question: Do you want to keep teaching or is your goal to make your blog a full time job?

Well, at this time, I definitely don’t see me making blogging a full-time thing. I do love teaching. I’ve always wanted to teach, so as much of a headache as it is sometimes, it really is a dream come true to be able to do so now. 

Because of my husband’s work as a pastor, however, we are prone to move around every few years. In fact, if you’ve been following along on Instagram and if you subscribe to the Good Intentions Guide, you know that we recently made a transition. I have started a new position in this fall teaching middle school math, which really excites me since I do love math!

If in the case there is no school where we move, I would definitely consider switching to blogging full-time if I could or had to. Blogging is a really fun and a great creative outlet for me and I enjoy it (which is probably why I go through the effort to keep Maple Alps running during the school year). If the opportunity arose to blog full-time, I would seriously consider it, though I wouldn’t want my fun hobby to become stressful because of the pressure to make an income... 

I have actually recently begun to extend Maple Alps. Maple and Math will be a branch of Maple Alps launching completely very soon aimed towards intentional teachers!

One thing I try to live by in my life is always making sure that everything I do glorifies God. Whether that be teaching children or serving my blog audience, I want Him to be glorified first and foremost!

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The Crucial Element in a Long Distance Relationship

Question: What was the crucial element that helped your long distance relationship?

I guess quite a few of you must be in long distance relationships, because I get this question quite often. In a globalized world, I suppose dating or even being married long distance is getting more common.

Let’s see…

My husband and I spent 3 years in a long distance relationship before getting engaged. With the Atlantic Ocean between us, it did not always make it easy (or affordable for students - which we were at the time) to spend time with each other in person. We calculated it the other day, and the time spent face-to-face during that time added up to between 7 and 8 months. While that is not a lot, we did talk almost every day.

Modern technology is fantastic for that and allowed us to stay in almost constant communication (as constant as an 8-hour time difference can allow for anyway…). If it wasn’t letter writing and emails, we could text and video chat - something our parents were not able to do in their own long distance relationships!

Did I mention that even our parents did the same crazy thing? Must be genetic.

Anyhow, despite a large time difference, insane cultural differences, and the fact that we were on different continents, it all still somehow worked out.

To answer your question, there were several factors that affected our successful (in my eyes) long distance relationship. I actually wrote a blog post about it a while ago called, “The Three C’s of Long Distance Dating.” You’ll have to visit to find out what those C’s are and to find some really fun ideas for your own long distance relationship.

But really it all boiled down to intentionality.

I know I use that word a lot, and it’s the theme of this entire website, but it really is true.

Intentionality was the one crucial element that helped our long distance relationship. We chose to make it work, which made every element something we intentionally thought about. Before we even started dating, we knew we were in it for the goal of marriage - and if that didn’t happen, that was okay. But we didn’t see the point of even going through such an ordeal without a goal in mind. What good would that have been?

We intentionally talked about core values with each other, but most importantly, we really tried to intentionally keep our relationship a God-centered one.

Practically, we had to be sure we were reaching out to each other and that the limited time we had to talk was used wisely and we were not distracted with other things. I’m not even kidding when I say that we often created agendas as if we were entering a board meeting before talking. That way we didn’t forget what we needed to share or talk about. There were several resources we used and developed to guide our conversations as well.

All of this is not to say that we have stopped being intentional in our relationship now that we are married - not at all! It’s just that intentionality in our relationship looks a tad different now that we are married.

But more on that dynamic in a different post!

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Have you been in/are you in a long distance relationship? What was the crucial element that helped you?

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