Tips to Manage Your Time

How often have you made a point of putting time aside to go for a walk or call a friend and ended up watching TV instead? Or planned on getting a few hours of study done and ended up scrolling Instagram? Not managing our time well can leave us feeling frustrated, dissatisfied and stressed. This is because when it comes to time management it is important for all of us to spend our time doing things that we value. Time is one of the most valuable resources we have, however, so many of us squander it away engaging in behaviours that do not align with our values. Here are some tips to support better time management and the likelihood of engaging in values-directed behaviours.

1.    Know what is important to you: 

Identify the values, activities and goals that are most important in your life. These values are the map by which you give direction to your life and schedule your time. 

2.    Prioritise: 

Activities can be ranked in terms of what is important and what is less important. Next time you are dedicating your time to a particular activity, ask yourself, ‘How important is this to me?’  For example, if you have been scrolling your phone for more than 30 minutes, think back to point number 1 and redirect your attention to more important values-based activities or goals.

3.    Plan: 

Use reminders, a calendar, diary, and ‘to do’ lists. A written plan gives us the ability to organise our thoughts, saving us time in the long run. We are then able to stand back and appreciate our accomplishments as we gradually tick these things off.

4.    Delegate tasks: 

This can be tricky to do, however, a large contributor to stress is the notion that we have to do everything by ourselves. Take a look at your schedule or ‘to-do’ list and decide what can be handed on to somebody else.

5.    Work out a system: 

Spend some time organising your environment so that you have a space to work in that you appreciate, and to easily access any items you may need. Write down and establish a regular routine, carving out protected time for high-valued activities.

6.    Avoid procrastinating: 

Set yourself deadlines, use them to increase motivation, and add inbuilt rewards. Procrastinating important tasks adds to increased stress over time. Try instead tackling smaller, more manageable tasks regularly and build these into your routine (point number 5).

7.    Leave some wiggle room: 

Try not to fill up your timetable completely, and allow a little slack or leeway. This way if something crops up, it is less likely that you will feel overwhelmed, and you have the ability to be flexible if needed.

8.    Remember that it is ok to say ‘no’: 

Just because somebody asks you to do something, it does not mean that you have to say yes. Putting the values and activities of others above yourself means that you will more likely be deflected from what you really want to do. This may then lead to increases in stress as you move further away from your own values and goals. 

9.    Identify prime time:

Figure out when you work best and plan that time for your most demanding tasks. For example, if you work best early in the morning, schedule trickier or lengthier tasks in then. Similarly, allocate undemanding tasks to times when your energy levels may be low such as the afternoon.

 

10. Remember it doesn’t have to be perfect:

If you have to get everything absolutely right you may spend too much time on tasks that are not a priority. Try not to be bogged down in small details, missing out on the broader picture. For example, if you are writing a draft essay, don’t pay too much attention on structure or grammar – get down your ideas (perhaps in bullet point form) and come back to it later. Be kind to yourself!

11. Keep a balance: 

Keeping balance in your life will likely result in better use of your time overall. Vary and contrast activities in different areas of your life, spending time in a balance between work, home, leisure, physical activity and mental activity. Plan natural breaks during the day, relax at weekends and take holidays. You don’t have to be everything to everyone at all times.