Everyone’s tired after they get home from work. If you’re not tired after working for 8 hours, you’re either insane, or a robot. When you get home after a long day, you don’t want to cook yourself a nice dinner, do the dishes, or anything else for that matter. You want to sit back and relax as soon as you walk in the door. Well, I’m here to tell you… That’s pretty much impossible. But! There are ways that you can make life easier, feel more energetic, and get things done.

1) Exercise

I know, I know. This one seems a little counterintuitive to start off with, but exercise is a sure fire way to have more energy to do what you need to. Whether it’s in the morning or at night, take an hour out of your day at least three times a week to go and do some sort of physical activity. You’ll have more energy, you’ll be more productive at work, and you’ll be ready to tackle all those menial tasks when you get home after a long day.

2) Make Meals in Advance

My fiancée and I have a pretty solid lunch system worked out. Well, sometimes we have a pretty solid lunch system worked out. We pre-package all our lunches for the week over the weekend. We’ve got little packs of Triscuits and trail mix sitting in our pantry, ready to grab and put into our lunch boxes before we head off to work. We even pre-make our salads and keep them in the fridge. This’ll save you loads of time before you go to work, and allow you to get a quality mid-day meal in.

Another great thing to do is pre-make your dinners. We don’t do this often, as often as we should, at least, but making spaghetti sauce in bulk and putting it into the freezer is a great way for you to make your dinners quick and easy. You can do the same with casseroles. Just cook up some veggies when you get home and you’ve got a quality dinner in minutes.

3) Clean in Batches

Don’t just jump into cleaning your entire house or apartment all at once. Cleaning in batches allows you to divide up this sometimes gargantuan task and make it more manageable. One day, dust and clean the kitchen. On the next, vacuum. The day after that, clean your bathroom. When you divide up your most hated activities, they start to become a lot more doable – and sometimes enjoyable.

4) Get a Hobby

Hobbies are the spice of life. When you do something you enjoy, you’re happier, plain and simple. Whether it’s playing guitar, crocheting, playing video games, or reading a book, having a hobby can be a great way to make life easier. Hobbies can be used as incentives to do your daily chores: finish vacuuming? Play your guitar and watch some TV. Finally finish that evil 12-page report at work? Get on your PlayStation and explore a new world. Having a hobby can also reduce stress, so try breaking up your work and doing something you love for a few minutes. It can have a dramatic effect on your mood and brain function.

5) Have Less Stuff

Things. They’re a lot like opinions: we all have them and they all stink. Whether you keep things to fill a void, because they’re sentimental, or just because you don’t know what to do with them, a lot of clutter can bring with it a lot of stress. Try getting rid of some of the things you don’t need or use. Clearing up your living space can help you relax, and it makes cleaning that much easier. You can throw some things in the trash, or you can give them away to people who need them.

6) Don’t Take Life Too Seriously

If you look at your life and think that there’s too much to handle, then I’m not one to judge. What I can tell you is that no matter how bad you have it, there’s always someone who has it worse. Don’t get down on yourself just because you got chewed out at work. Don’t be sad because an instructor got on you about not doing a paper correctly. There’s always going to be another day right after this one, and things will move on. Think about the friends, family, and loved ones that make life enjoyable. Don’t take life too seriously. If you don’t take the time to look around, you might miss it.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but if you start working on one of these things, I guarantee you that you’ll be feeling and living better in no time. Did I leave something off the list? Is there something you do to make your life easier? Let me know in the comments.