Disclaimer: I am not a therapist or licensed mental health professional. If you are in need of professional help, please talk to a doctor, therapist or sign up for Online Therapy. Everything I talk about in my blog is simply advice from my own personal experience. I never state that these methods will definitely work for you as everyone is different.
Are you tired of struggling with time management, and getting extremely stressed and overwhelmed in the process? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered when it comes to managing your time effectively with the following easy time management tips and techniques that I will be sharing.
Wave goodbye to the struggle, because I’m going to teach you how to;
- Time block
- Use the Pomodoro method
- Have the most productive and less stressful day ever!
Let’s do this!
1. Use Time Blocks
Time blocks are something that I only discovered fairly recently. However within this short amount of time, they have been amazing.
Time blocking is basically when you set every task that you need to complete into a strict time frame.
For example, I would write down one task and next to it, I would write that I wanted to complete it within 9am-10am. Obviously, you need to set realistic goals and not put too much pressure on yourself.
There would be no point if you did.
The most important part is that you stick to your time blocks. You will get everything done much easier this way. Especially on days when you have a lot of work to complete and you feel like there isn’t enough time to fit it all in.
I set my time blocks on google calendar. It makes life so much easier as you can colour code tasks and even get notifications before you’re supposed to start working on something or doing something.
Time blocking everything you do, will really help to simplify life and reduce stress.
You need to try it!
2. Work Out Your Priorities
Even with time management, completing a long list of tasks in a short amount of time can be difficult. That’s why it’s very important to work out your priorities every single day.
Separating all your tasks into priority categories will make this so much easier.
Anything that is a high priority, make sure you put on the top of your to-do list. Anything that is medium priority, put after.
Anything that isn’t a priority at all, cross off and complete another day. Simple as that.
Once you start working out your priorities, time management will become so much easier and you won’t end up completing important tasks last minute.
This will help to prevent a lot of stress and anxiety.
3. Write a to-do list
To-do lists are lifesavers. I’m sure you have written a few in your time already.
If not, you really should start. Even if you write out a draft of your to-do list the day before.
This way, you will have a rough idea of what you need to be doing and it won’t hit you hard on the day if you have a lot to do. It is always satisfying to cross tasks off the list as you complete it.
Make sure to set goals to set you up for the day or even week ahead. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get everything on your list done.
That’s what separating priorities is for. I guarantee not everything you come up with for your to-do lists will be pressing.
You will feel much less stressed when you see what you have to do on paper. It may seem like a lot in your head but in reality it may not be much at all.
4. Ask for help
Ask for help. Simple as that.
If there are tasks you need to complete that other people can help you with, then ask them nicely.
Don’t feel bad or awkward about asking them. They should and will be willing to help you out whenever they can.
Trust me when I say, this will take so much pressure off of yourself. Also, there is nothing better than knowing you have support and many people willing to help you.
You are not a burden if you ask for some support. Doing this will help to lift some unnecessary weight and pressure from your shoulders.
5. Do not multitask
Multitasking is one of the worst things you can do when it comes to time management. Doing this will completely ruin your setup and schedule.
Therefore, it is always best to stick to one task at a time. Make sure you complete one task to your best abilities before you move onto another.
There have been so many times that I have attempted to multitask and it always ends badly. Either you get everything done but not to a good standard or you get too overwhelmed and don’t completely finish any of your tasks.
These possibilities shows the importance of time management and how much you will benefit from it.
Not multitasking and sticking to one job at a time will make it much easier to stick to your time blocks and get your high priority jobs done.
6. Get rid of distractions
If you have things to get done, don’t let any distractions hang around.
Having my phone around is the worst distraction for me at times. Therefore I highly recommend turning off your phone or putting it on flight mode when needing to get some work done at home.
This works for me when I’m writing blog posts. As any form of notification on my phone can distract me and make me lose my writing flow.
It is very stressful when this happens and you lose your inspiration and can’t get it back. I’ve had times when I couldn’t get any inspiration back for a whole day or longer after getting distracted.
It’s not worth it, especially when most distractions are so easy to prevent.
7. Get the most difficult job done first
Thought I would share a short and simple time management tip here for you.
Basically, after you have narrowed down the most important tasks, figure out which of those are the most difficult and ensure you complete that first or somewhere within the first few tasks you complete.
This will prevent a lot of stress and overwhelm, and give you a lot more time to relax and practice self-care when you need too.
8. Use the Pomodoro method
Saved the best till last! This brilliant focus and time management method has saved me countless times when I couldn’t concentrate for the life of me.
I’m actually using it as I write this blog post.
The Pomodoro method is when you work on something for 25 minutes, then have a 5 minute break.
You do this around 4 times on a loop, and then you are entitled to a longer 15-20 minute break!
This cycle can continue until you are ready to sit back and relax for the day.
There are so many apps you can use to keep track of time and how long your breaks should be. I personally use Focus Keeper,
Easy as that.
Honestly, I can’t recommend this time management technique enough. I started using pomodoro near the end of last year and I’ve got so much more done with my blog than ever before.
The frequent breaks makes things much less stressful and overwhelming, and you will be surprised how much you can get done.
Trust me. Try it out.
Conclusion
Now you know how to conquer time management, you are ready to get more done than you ever have before with little to no stress involved.
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Ruth xoxo
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