Colour-Code Your Week: An NHS Every Mind Matters Method for Balancing Chores, Tasks and Things You Enjoy

Some weeks fill up with chores and obligations until nothing enjoyable is left in them, and others slide the other way, with the necessary jobs quietly avoided. NHS Every Mind Matters, the NHS’s public mental wellbeing service for England, offers a simple planning method for this: colour-code the week so that routine tasks, necessary tasks and enjoyable activities are all visible at once. This guide summarises that method and the related NHS advice on planning small things to look forward to. It is general wellbeing information, not medical advice. The NHS material is aimed partly at people whose mood is low, so anyone whose low mood or lack of motivation persists should speak to a GP.

Why the balance matters

The NHS’s page on tackling a to-do list starts from an ordinary observation: life is made up of activities we have to do and activities we choose to do for enjoyment. It says avoiding tasks can feel like a relief at first, but over time it can make a low mood harder to shift. Its four steps are meant to help people take on a to-do list, build more structure into their lives and find a better balance. The same NHS service lists doing something for yourself among its seven top tips for mental wellbeing, describing it as enjoying a favourite hobby, learning something new or simply taking time to relax.

Step 1: find your avoidance areas

The NHS says it may not be obvious which tasks or activities we avoid. Its suggestion is to note, over the course of one week, anything you delay starting or avoid entirely, plus anything you used to do but have stopped. Then look for themes. The examples it gives are a tendency to put off housework and chores, or being fine with routine and necessary tasks but turning down opportunities to do something fun.

Step 2: colour-code your week

The NHS says it is really important to have a balance between routine, necessary and enjoyable activities, but that we do not always notice how much time each type takes. It suggests planning the week in advance using three colours:

• Routine: things done on a regular basis, such as cooking, cleaning and washing.
• Necessary: things you must do to avoid negative consequences, such as paying bills.
• Enjoyable: things done for fun, such as hobbies or socialising.

The aim is to have enough of all three colours on the plan, using the avoidance list to see where more of the neglected type can fit. Ideas for the enjoyable colour elsewhere on this site include reading for relaxation and trying something new.

Step 3: tackle avoidance, matched to the task type

The NHS says the reason for avoiding something depends on the type of activity, and gives different tools for each.

Routine tasks. Three ideas are listed. Visual reminders left in specific places, such as a note on the fridge door to do the food shop. The “just 5 minutes” technique: set a timer, start, and see how you feel when it ends, since you may find the energy to carry on. And task swapping, alternating between tasks you like and those you find harder, because the momentum from enjoyable activities can help with the harder ones.

Necessary tasks. Where a task feels unmanageable, the NHS suggests the “3 Ps”:

• Prime time: approach the task when you feel most productive and energised.
• Perfect place: choose the best setting, such as a quiet room without distractions or somewhere away from home.
• Plan a reward: decide before starting what you will do once it is finished, and pick something that will really boost motivation, such as a favourite TV programme.

Enjoyable activities. If you find yourself turning down things you would usually enjoy, the NHS suggests imagining your energy as a battery. Some routine or necessary tasks are tiring and drain it, while enjoyable activities can recharge it by boosting energy, motivating you and lifting your mood. If the battery feels drained, think about which activities would charge it and schedule some in.

Step 4: check the balance

The NHS’s final point is that balance is key. Colour-coding lets you confirm that enjoyable activities are always planned without neglecting routine and necessary ones.

Small things to look forward to

The NHS’s top-tips page adds a complementary idea. It features a short video in which a parent plans small things to look forward to, such as a relaxing bubble bath once the children are in bed, and says taking even a little time for yourself can ease anxiety and boost mood without needing to cost anything. In colour-coding terms, these are small blocks of the enjoyable colour. A timed evening wind-down is one ready-made example, and the advice on working from home covers the routine and boundaries side of the same idea.

The NHS also suggests a seventh tip that fits naturally at the end of a planning session: when you are feeling good, write a letter to your future self about what is keeping you feeling positive now, including which tips helped and how to get started, so it is there if things get harder and you need more support.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need special tools to colour-code a week? No. The NHS describes it as planning the week in advance with three colours, which works with pens on paper or coloured blocks in a calendar.

Is this a treatment? No. It is a self-help planning method from the NHS’s public wellbeing service. Anyone with persistent low mood should speak to a GP.

The bottom line

The NHS’s method is simple: list what you avoid for a week, colour-code the next week into routine, necessary and enjoyable, use small tools such as reminders, “just 5 minutes”, the 3 Ps and a planned reward for the tasks you put off, and check that enjoyable time is not being squeezed out. Small things to look forward to count as part of that balance.

Sources

• NHS Every Mind Matters, "Tackling your to-do list"
• NHS Every Mind Matters, "Top tips to improve mental wellbeing"