Time Management Tips to Keep Stress at Bay

Time management can be stressful especially when tasks pile up and you have no idea how to work things around with your limited time. But what if I give you some tips for you to engage with time management-related stress before it even comes?

In this post, I will share some proactive tips. Being proactive means acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes. So before the insurmountable stress gets you, you are more than capable to handle the pressure. 

Think ahead

Sort out your tasks into urgent, important, and not so urgent and not important. Remember: not every important task needs urgent attention and vice versa. When all your tasks pile up, check what can be postponed for another day so you can address the most important ones first. But this doesn’t mean you will neglect the non-urgent tasks. Learn to schedule properly.  

Think smart

We think smart when we use tools and hacks that make our tasks easier. Like when we make use of our smartphone’s to-do apps to monitor our progress. Have you heard of the Pomodoro technique? Use it to accomplish more. I’ve mentioned it in one of my posts: How to Review Lessons Effectively. You may read that to get an idea. Get rid of distractions. Practical time management tips: If you can minimize, or let go of your mobile games for a while, do so. Especially when things pile up, it is not wise to prioritize leisure. Make use of your time wisely. Oftentimes, what we lack is not time per se, but discipline. 

Think over

Analyze your capacity to handle things. We should not accept every task that is given to us especially when it is beyond our ability, beyond our comprehension, beyond our authority, and beyond our available time and resources. We are not superheroes. Treat yourself better – give yourself a break. If you think your tasks overwhelm you already, say NO. Again, learn to say NO to unnecessary things. It does not mean you are letting opportunities pass, it means you are saying YES to better things, which includes your health and sanity. Let people know that NO is a complete sentence.  

Think fast

Being decisive is one important element in proper scheduling. When you fail to decide for yourself, others will do it for you. And most of the time you will get exhausted when you do not take charge of your schedule. Use a scheduler, think of the things you need to do. List them down. When tasks pop out, decide whether you will accommodate or not. Decide not on feelings but principle. Will it help me? Will I be able to deliver? Usually, the ability to think fast when the situation calls is learned from experience. So, gain experience while you are young. Learn the habits. Study the cause and effect. Your future self will thank you for it. 

Think big

Thinking big is creating a picture of yourself that you are in charge of your schedule, you are responsible and you will not allow distractions to bother your peace. When I say you have you think big, you should know why you are doing things. You see things from a wider perspective. You do things for a purpose. You schedule because you want to enjoy life. You postpone leisure to be productive because you are investing in yourself. You are delaying some gratifications so you will enjoy things later. 

One factor why people are stressed is poor time management. While the demands for our time will not magically disappear because we know how to schedule, we can work around these demands, at least. It helps to be prepared. If we are wise in how we spend our time, no matter how many tasks get into our lap, somehow we can manage. 

Do you have any tips on how to manage time wisely? Share in the comments below! If you find this list helpful, why not share this