Earlier this month I took a plunge into the unknown and started a new job, at a new company, in a new role, in an actual office. With a personal history of change aversion, I knew I’d need to put some practical things in place to make sure I didn’t feel drowning in newness. (Also, my mum was a Brownie growing up and has often dished out their ‘be prepared’ mantra – thanks mum.)

In case they are helpful for any changes coming your way – these are the things that have kept me sane: 

Overnight oats

I know this isn’t a tool, but  – the best things start with food. A few years ago I completed a Finding Mastery course (do recommend!), which talked about four pillars of recovery; a key one of those being to eat and hydrate well, to set yourself up for success.

I’ve always had a penchant for cereal, but lately have been very aware that it’s full of sugar and doesn’t actually fill me up. Overnight oats are a much healthier alternative, and prepping them the night before menas one less thing to worry about first thing in the morning. There are loads of recipes out there but I use these ones from FitOn. My favourite is Banana Bread flavour – yum. 

Todoist

An ex colleague who shall remain nameless has been trying to get me onto Todoist for the longest time. Now that I’ve finally been using it in earnest I’m not sure I’d go back to life without it. 

With a new working schedule, a toddler, and a new routine of working in an office rather than from home, there’s a lot more I have to be on top of, to make sure everyone gets where they need to go, with all the stuff they need. I use Todoist to keep track of all those little jobs (Have I prepped the nursery bag? Is the car seat in the right car?!) so that my mind doesn’t have to cope with remembering it all. Also, it’s really easy to set up recurring tasks just by typing them in plain English; ‘every Monday at 8am’ which I find much easier than having to select via a calendar dropdown. 

Affirmations 

Part of my new commuting ritual is to have a quick read of work-related affirmations before I leave my car. There are loads of free apps available which either give you a set of standard affirmations, or let you create your own. The one I use is My Affirmations. The affirmations I’ve created help me to remind myself that I am an asset and can make valuable contributions. This is especially important for me in these early days, as I won’t be delivering the value that I’m used to while I get to grips with things, so I knew my confidence would take a hit. Using the affirmations app is definitely helping me to feel strong, and keep imposter syndrome at bay. 

Teams status message  

I’m currently working pretty non-standard hours due to childcare arrangements. I appreciate this can be a bit confusing for my new colleagues to figure out when I’m coming or going. Luckily, Microsoft Teams allows you to set a status message, which will show in chat and channels when people message or @mention me. I’ve used that to let people know when to expect me online, which will help people know when to expect a response from me. 

Find out how to set your status message here.

Microsoft Planner 

Microsoft Planner is like an old friend to me and I’m so glad to be using it again in earnest. With an overwhelm of new information coming my way, Planner has made it so much easier to zone in on focus areas and pin down what the next actions are. I can also track my progress and set myself deadlines. As it’s linked to the rest of my 365 account, I can look at Planner boards without having to leave Teams, and I also get handy email reminders about upcoming task deadlines, so I’ll have no excuses for falling off track. 

These are the top 5 things that have helped me feel in control and set up for success when making a pretty major life change, but on reflection, I could have put them in place at any point to make my day-to-day life a bit easier. Maybe there aren’t any big changes coming your way to spur you into action, but if you think some of these tools might help you, then check them out! I’d love to hear questions or comments about them.