Do you struggle to manage your time? Does the thought of your to-do list increase your stress levels? If so, you're not alone.
Studies have proven that poor or inconsistent time management does seem to contribute to worsened stress. When you think about it, it makes sense. When you don't feel like you're using your time to your advantage, you start to feel overwhelmed or unproductive, two feelings that don't feel good.
The good news is that if there's a negative link between time and stress management, there's a positive link, too. By learning to manage your time, you can lower your stress levels.
Not convinced? Read on as we explain the positive connection between time management and stress management. Stick around for some additional time management tips.
How Management of Time and Stress Management Go Together
Understanding the positive impact of good time management is one of the best motivators to make a change. Let's take a closer look at the link between good time management and low stress levels.
Knock Things Off Your To-Do List
What's the most stressful thing about a long to-do list? We convince ourselves that we can't get everything done or that we're inevitably going to drop the ball. With good time management, you'll find the time to check off all those tasks and start fresh each day.
Overcome the "Always Rushing" Vibe
Who hasn't felt like there isn't enough time in a day? When we're always rushing through life, it's easy to feel anxious and overstimulated. The truth is that when you manage your time well, you not only get more done but you find that you have more time to slow down.
Pour Yourself Into Deep Work
Good time management isn't just about getting more things done. It's about completing each task to the best of our abilities and feeling confident about it. Creating designated time for your most difficult work is key, especially when you realize that multitasking is next to impossible.
Let the Unimportant Things Slide
When we never feel in control of the way that we're spending our time, it's easy to feel as though each task is equally weighted. When you take the time to plan out your time usage, you start to see that some tasks aren't important while others aren't time-consuming. In fact, some tasks aren't even necessary, like manually clearing out your inbox of junk when you could use an email management toolto do it, instead!
Time Management Tricks
So, how can you get there? Better time management doesn't happen overnight. However, with these time management tricks, you can start to see positive results that will just keep improving with practice.
Know Your Priorities
Start by identifying your most important tasks or responsibilities. For example, you may have some phone calls to make this week, a presentation to prepare, and a few clients to check in with. Which of these tasks is the most important, which will require deep work, and which will require the most time?
By recognizing your priorities, you can start to schedule your time accordingly. Don't put off the most important, hardest, or most time-consuming tasks until the end of the day.
Pay Attention to Your Daily Rhythm
Whether we're working a 9-5 or a freelance job, we all have our daily rhythm. By that, we mean that all of us will experience moments of high energy and focus and moments of low energy and distraction every single day.
Pay attention to when you feel the most focused. For some, that could be right at the start of the day, while for others, that might kick in just after lunch. Take all of those priorities that we talked about above and tackle them when your energy and focus are at their highest.
Make a Plan for the Little Things
Okay, so what about those little things that don't matter as much? What about the little things that don't take much time? What about the little things that get in the way?
Make a plan to conquer the little things so that they don't derail your day. We offer tons of helpful tipsthat can help in this arena, from managing your inbox to tidying up your workspace.
Recognize Resistance
Have you ever watched the minutes tick by and found yourself unable to get things done? What you're feeling is, more often than not, resistance. It's totally natural and it's something that you can address head-on.
Pay attention to what causes resistance and how you can combat it. Maybe there are certain types of tasks that you always put off or times of day when you don't want to get focused. Sometimes, the simple act of naming resistance for what it is can help you to put it aside and get back to work.
Take Breaks
Time management isn't designed to get eight straight hours of work out of anyone. We need to take breaks to stay refreshed and avoid burnout. There are different kinds of breaks that you can take.
One type of break is the full-stop break when you stop working and take the time to eat, move around, check your phone--whatever you desire. Another is the switching-gears break when you shift from one task to another if you're starting to hit a wall. When you need to switch gears, we recommend switching to those little tasks that don't take a ton of brainpower.
Managing Time and Minimizing Stress: You Can Have It All
Time and stress management go hand in hand. Give these time management tips a shot and see how quickly you minimize your daily stressors. Remember, it will take practice, so don't get discouraged!
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