Lessons in Time Management

Don’t you sometimes just wish there were more hours  in the day? Or that your to do list is so long, you just wish you had more time? Or maybe you’re a procrastinator, like I tend to be sometimes, especially when I’m feeling overwhelmed by all the things I need to do. Time is manageable though, and there are certain things you can do to not only use your time better, but also to have more hours left in the day. Here are some things I do when it comes to time management and reducing stress. Especially number 3, which wasn’t my favorite to begin with, does a lot for me..

1. Get up 20 minutes early. It takes a little perseverance at first, but when you get up earlier than you have to, you’ll feel more relaxed in the morning because you don’t have to rush everything. I have to say there’s days on which I can’t get myself to do it, but those are the days I have more morning stress. Getting up early and taking time to prepare for the day makes you feel more calm throughout the day.
2. Make a to do list (when you have that time left in the morning, or the night before) so that you’re head won’t be overflowing with all the things you need to do and mustn’t forget. It gives you an overview and you’ll be able to plan your activities in a way that they’re manageable.
3. Put your phone down more often. Yes, that’s hard for most of us but even though we don’t notice it, our constantly bleeping phone can cause quite some extra stress. We fill up ’empty’ moments by checking our phones, social media and email, but what if you would just put your phone on airplane mode a few half hours a day and actually enjoy your free time, or not let yourself be distracted while you’re doing things?
4. Follow David Allen’s 2 minute rule: if you can do something within 2 minutes, then do it immediately. Another way to getting more things done.
5. We tend to multitask a lot and switch between different tasks. This switching asks more from your brain than you might think. Focusing on 1 task at a time and nothing else helps. What also helps is clustering tasks within a certain category and doing those before switching to another category. Doing your administration first and then do your house cleaning tasks ask much less from your brain and does much better for your focus than doing the dishes, then your taxes, then your vacuuming and then your emails.
6. I’ve said this one before. When you have a big task, divide it into smaller tasks so that your task looks less overwhelming and you won’t be tempted to procrastinate. What I also do, is I underscore about 3 core tasks on my list, and those are the ones I really need to do. The other ones I’m not so rigid about. If I get them done, great, if I don’t, there’s always another day tomorrow. Don’t ask too much from yourself.
7. Enjoy your free time. Actually enjoy it, instead of scrolling through Facebook for the 55th time that day. Put your phone down and do something you enjoy, like getting your face in the sunshine or reading a magazine. Taking more moments of rest will make you feel more rested, even though you have a million things to do.What do you do to manage your time better?