The 5M Plan

What's the secret to to getting your life organized?

Why do some people just seem so together and having it all?

If you've seen it on any of the social medias - well it's just plain old "fake news". But some people really do seem to know what they're doing and generally having a ball. The key is...

having some goals and focus to your day.

And how do you do this?

First of all, it's generally a good idea to start with the small things of all the daily stuff you've got to do anyway. Sleeping, eating, getting dressed, making sure your doctor's appointment is booked, paying attention to your thoughts so you're not in a bad mood all day etc. etc.

It's also a good idea not to try absolutely everything all at once.

Here's the 5M Plan that I made up for people to support them with the mental wellness some time ago. I use it my self these days and it seems to work. Write in a diary, on a piece of paper, put in your phone, on a calendar, whichever way helps you with these tasks to get to that mental wellness place.

1. Map - what are the tasks you have to do today? Is there a time for all of them? If there's no set time, would it be better for you to do it earlier in the day? Would this help you feel more accomplished?

2. Meals - is it helpful for you to have an idea of dinners for the week? Do you feel you need to lose some weight or think about calorie controlled diets? Would this help you financially? Do you need to monitor all your dietary intake for the day? Start writing it down and see how much you are consuming or if it does help with overspending in the supermarket - you've heard it before, "shop your pantry first".

3. Movement - if fitness is your goal, great. But why not start with a 20 minute walk outside first or a gentle yoga video if the weather isn't great. Can you add a fitness plan just 2-3 times a week? It's important to do things you enjoy. If it's a walk in nature in your lunchbreak - do that. There's no point joining a bootcamp if it's your worst nightmare; you won't stick to it and it won't bring you mental wellness.

4. Mood - this covers a few things. Monitor your mood for the day, how did you feel on waking? What's upsetting you recently? Monitor your sleep - an adult needs around 7-9 hours per night. You might need to incorporate sleep hygiene into your daily routine (separate blog post on that) What's on your mind? Is something bothering you? Do you need to have a difficult conversation? Have you experienced a difficult life situation recently? You might be experiencing adjustment disorder (in the blog too) - it looks like depression but it's not the same thing, however, it's not resolved it can develop into that. Write down your thoughts, do you know how to resolve the issues? What would you do if you had absolutely everything at your disposal?

5. Money - I have no financial advice or expertise whatsoever, but I do know that you should have savings and be working in a job that's not the cause of your sadness. Money is difficult to manage, especially these days. Saving can be so difficult, there's always something. But the empowerment you'll feel just saving a tiny bit each month (remember shop your pantry) and seeing savings grow or paying off debt is one of the best feelings ever.

Thanks for reading, I'll keep this going on my blog with posts for each element.

Email me with your daily planning activities that have supported you and your mental wellness, I'd love to hear from you.

Take care,

Martine