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Get up. Start work. End work. Eat dinner. Get a few things done. Sleep. Rinse and repeat.

Sometimes it can feel like weeks, months, or even years, fly by without feeling like much has happened.

As a time management coach, I help clients make many tasks in life automatic so that they can accomplish more in less time and with less effort. To optimize our efficiency and effectiveness, routine is a necessary part of our lives. The only issue is when you’re so systematized that you’re not fully experiencing the joy and meaning in your life. You’re just checking things off the list. 

But what if there could be some simple, accessible ways to slow down the passage of time and fully engage in your life and savor this summer? I’m here to offer you good news: There are.

With these three simple tricks, you can start to feel like you’re experiencing your days instead of speeding through them.

Savor the Little Things 

Life’s simple, everyday moments can be incredibly satisfying, if you let them. But so often, we’re rushing through an activity or multitasking through it so much so that it simply passes us by.

Researchers encourage mindful attention where you take notice of what’s happening in familiar experiences to sensitize yourself to the joy they offer.   

I’ve found that some small, intentional choices can make a big difference in my life. One ritual that I’ve incorporated when the weather is nice is to sit outside during lunch and eat without doing anything else in particular. This little break to just stop and notice the grass, the trees, the flowers, the birds, and anything else around me helps me to fully experience the beauty of the season.

Another choice that I’ve made is when I hold my daughter at night before bed to keep my phone away from me. It’s not a very long time—just about 10 minutes—before I lay her down in her crib for the night. Although the time is short, I find it’s some of the moments that I stop and appreciate the gift of her precious life the most. She’s growing so quickly, and I don’t want to miss out on enjoying my daughter because I’m doing something else while I’m with her or always trying to head on to the next activity.

How about you? Is there an area where you could stop multitasking and more fully enjoy the precious moments around you?  

To read the other two tips, you can check out my full Fast Company article here: 3 Tips to Getting More Satisfaction Out of Your Routine

About Real Life E

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time management coach and best-selling author who empowers individuals who feel guilty, overwhelmed and frustrated to feel peaceful, confident and accomplished. She helps people struggling with new levels of responsibility after receiving a promotion or becoming a parent, who aren’t meeting expectations at work, or who need better work-life balance to overcome burnout.

Elizabeth was named one of the World’s Top 30 Time Management Professionals by Global Gurus and is a member of Forbes Coaches Council. McGraw Hill published her first book The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: How to Achieve More Success with Less Stress. Harvard Business Review published her second book How to Invest Your Time Like Money. And FaithWords published her third book Divine Time Management. Elizabeth regularly writes time management articles for Harvard Business Review and Fast Company and has appeared on CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox.