Time is a precious resource in limited supply. No matter how often we wish for more time, only seven days a week remain! Time management is a critical skill that can significantly impact our personal and professional lives. Good time management can help us accomplish more, reduce stress, and improve our overall quality of life.
Planners/Calendars
An effective time management tool is using a planner or calendar. Write/enter all appointments, deadlines, and tasks to keep them in one place. This ensures you won’t forget anything important. Use your daily planner to set goals and track progress. Sleep, nutrition, exercise, and friends/family time can be scheduled too.
Set Priorities
The first step in effective time management is setting priorities. Determine what tasks are most important and which can wait. Complete high-priority tasks first (i.e. urgent and important tasks) and then move to lower-priority ones. This will help keep you on track and ensure you are making progress on critical tasks.
Break Tasks into Smaller Pieces
Big tasks can seem overwhelming, which can lead to procrastination. To avoid this, break big tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. This can help you make progress on a task without becoming overwhelmed. When tasks are overwhelming, give maximum effort for 15-30-minute intervals to help avoid procrastination. Getting something done will make the task appear less daunting, which can help keep you motivated.
Avoid multitasking
Although tempting, there are more effective ways of managing time than multitasking because trying to do too many things simultaneously can decrease productivity and increase stress. It’s better to focus on one task at a time and complete it before moving on to the next task. This approach can help you maintain concentration.
Learn to Say No
Saying “yes” can mean taking on more than you can handle. Saying “no” can be difficult but essential for effective time management. Before agreeing to any request, ask yourself if it aligns with your priorities or if it is something that you can/want to do – if it doesn’t, then politely decline. Say “I’ll get back to you about that” if you are inclined to blurt out a “yes” without thinking!
Take Breaks
Working for long periods without a break makes us less productive. It may seem counterintuitive to take breaks, but taking regular breaks helps us recharge and refocus. Use breaks to do something that relaxes and energises you, such as going for a walk or listening to music.
Delegate
Delegating tasks to others better suited to handle them can free up your time and help you focus on tasks only you can do. Before you delegate a task, make sure the person you’re delegating to has the necessary skills and resources and is clear about what is needed of them.
Set Achievable Goals
Setting goals is an essential part of effective time management. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are too ambitious or unrealistic. Instead, set challenging but achievable goals and work hard to reach them.
In conclusion, effective time management is essential for accomplishing more, reducing stress, and improving overall quality of life. Make the most of limited time by setting priorities, using a planner, breaking tasks into smaller pieces, avoiding multitasking, learning to say no, taking breaks, delegating tasks, and setting realistic goals. It’s a skill that can be learned – be patient with yourself while you learn to say ‘no’!
Our physical health and mental health are inextricably linked, with one impacting the other in a circular relationship. When feeling physically unwell, we might not feel very happy. When feeling anxious or overwhelmed, we might not feel physically well.
We can take measures to safeguard and boost our mental health. It can feel difficult and effortful, but the payoff is worth it. Prioritise your well-being to get the best out of your life.
Start Today!
Planning is fantastic, but starting today with something is far better than postponing until the time is just right! An imperfect something is better than a perfect nothing!
Exercise
Move for 20 minutes by marching on the spot, touching your elbows to the opposite knee, dance or follow an online class from the comfort of your home. If 20 minutes is too much, set a timer for 5 minutes, leave the house and as soon as the alarm goes off, turn around and come home – that’s a 10-minute walk and a wonderful starting point. 30 mins of moderate exercise most days can reduce stress, improve your mood, and boost self-esteem.
Screen-Free Time
Mobile phones are an intrinsic part of our lives. When prioritising mental health, schedule daily screen-free time. We do not benefit from being constantly distracted from ourselves. Spending time alone with our thoughts is beneficial. Our brains need downtime, ideally in nature, which can improve our focus. Even looking at and admiring trees is calming for humans because nature is therapeutic!
Social Connections
Just as important as spending time alone with our thoughts, forging social connections is beneficial for our mental health. It might be a little more difficult as we age to find new friends but reach out to others. Contact family members and friends, meet people, become involved in your community, join clubs/groups that interest you or volunteer.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is not about having a full mind but is more about being present and engaged in the current moment. Mindfulness can help reduce stress and improve focus and feelings of wellbeing. Spend a few minutes every day, focusing on your breath and breathing. While walking, pay attention to your body and the sound of your steps on the ground. When someone speaks, listen and hear what they’re saying. There are several ways to develop mindfulness or join a yoga, or mindfulness class
Self-Care
Make a list of things that you enjoy doing or that you used to enjoy when you were younger. Prioritise doing something from that list (whatever you enjoy) as part of self-care practice even if only for ten minutes every day e.g. reading, walking, music, drawing, gardening. If you are a parent, by doing what you enjoy you teach your children the importance of self-care – you are their role model.
Seek Help
Ask your GP for a list of supports. Alternatively, phone 1800111888 anytime day or night and you’ll be sign-posted to Irish mental health support services.
Gratitude
Most of us never miss what we have until it’s gone, including people. Developing gratitude
can improve our mood, reduce stress, and increase positive feelings. Write three things
every day for which you are grateful, regardless of how small or insignificant. That keeps our focus on the positives regardless of how tough the day is.
In summary, move your body, have screen-free time, spend time in nature, forge social
connections, seek help, and practice gratitude and mindfulness. The benefits of prioritising your mental health outweigh the effort. Something done is better than a perfect nothing so why not do something to mind your mental health today!
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A friend of mine recently said she felt like her head was so full, it felt empty. That can be a warning sign of burnout i.e. feeling overwhelmed with an inability to take in any new information. Burnout is real. It is not simply feeling tired or having a bad day and it is not enough just to take a few days of annual leave to recover and recharge the batteries.
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight – there can be a slow build-up with several warning signs.
Things to watch out for are feeling exhausted and drained (mentally and physically); having a more or less constant feeling of dread; not falling asleep easily or having interrupted sleep; forgetfulness; nausea; fuzzy head; not being able to focus or concentrate; everything that you would associate with stress you can associate with burnout like headaches, heart palpitations, quickened breath, feeling dizzy or disjointed or maybe even fainting; regularly fighting infections (illnesses) because your system is depleted, being on edge and snappy, feeling guilty when there is no need, feeling trapped and begrudging your employers because you feel overextended or taken for granted.
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion. It is caused by prolonged, chronic and excessive stress.
Burnout can result in a loss of energy, motivation or enthusiasm, feeling overwhelmed, useless, cynical, detached or resentful, emotionally or physically drained and unable to undertake usual tasks or having zero sense of accomplishment from the usual things that you do.
It is hard to feel good about yourself if you’re heading towards burnout or if you are in it and thus our emotional health suffers. When someone says to you that you need to take it easy or you’ll burn out – please pay attention!
Common Work Stressors include being micromanaged with little control or little supervision with no supports; changes including new staff or systems; working crazy hours without downtime; difficult colleagues or customers; impossible deadlines; working outdoors in bad weather or heavy lifting can all take their toll on our stress levels.
Now that you know that burnout is, take steps to avoid it.
Firstly, pay attention to your body and to what it is trying to tell you e.g. taug muscles, cloudy head, headaches etc. Try not to leave it until it is too late to take preventative action! Start by setting boundaries for your wellbeing.
Make time for friends, family and for yourself. Do things you enjoy with people who are easy to be with such as going to the cinema, volunteering, meeting for coffee, get a manicure or buy a magazine.
Try to minimise screen time by not using your phone, tablet, laptop as much as possible and try not to have a screen in your bedroom because it interferes with your sleep. Having screen free days helps to rest your brain and allows you time to think (rather than being distracted by online events).
Watch what you eat – by paying attention to what you ingest it will impact on your mood. Do not rely on drugs or alcohol to make you feel better – the relief is only temporary and is akin to avoidance rather than solving your problems. Exercise is vital. Even if you are in an office all day remember to stand and stretch or walk to the kitchen or bathroom to keep your blood flowing and your body moving. Take regular breaks at work or at home – go and get a glass of water so you can leave your desk.
Remind yourself just how far you have come and remember your achievements. Consider your options – remember that you always have choices. Learn how to control your breath Spend time in nature every day. Being outside in daylight also helps regulate our sleep. Take up a hobby or do something you enjoy like gardening, baking, hoovering etc.
Tell a trusted friend or a healthcare professional how you are feeling and that you are struggling and/or feeling under pressure. Having someone to listen in a confidential setting will give perspective and help you to devise the plan to tackle and resolve issues. Good quality, sufficient sleep helps us to think more clearly and is beneficial for our physical health and emotional wellbeing.
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Time management is easier than you might think. Be disciplined. Decide and act.
Time analysis. Examine and log how you currently use your time – effective time / time-wasting.
Write. Keep a diary of appointments and to-do list updated daily. Highlight key tasks. Cross-off completed tasks.
Do it. Break big tasks into manageable steps otherwise they seem overwhelming. Tackle vital tasks first. Completion beats procrastination.
Say ‘no‘. When you are caught for time or simply do not want to do something say no.
Ask for help. Share your difficulties and frustrations with others. Ask for help.
Set Limits. Set achievable goals. Stick to specific time-frames. Ensure you break every hour for a snack and change of scenery before returning to a task with a fresh perspective.
Disconnect. Do not allow social media or your phone to distract you. Keep mobiles, tablets, laptops in another area. If working on a screen, do not open unnecessary apps or windows (thus avoiding temptation!).
Unsubscribe from unimportant emails and from social media notifications. It takes time but it is worth it.
Allow time. Give yourself plenty of time to complete any task. Allow extra time to reach destinations before scheduled appointments which ensures you remain relaxed. When organising children allow oodles of time because there may be several unexpected events.
Mind your body. Diet, sleep, exercise, relaxation, sunlight are all central to being able to make good decisions and keep thinking clear. Each facet of your physical health requires an allocated amount of time.
Leave work at work. Devise a strategy that works best for you. Leave work outside your home front door. If you work in your home remember that work is only one part of your life – learn to be fully present while at home.
Mind your mind. Learn how to unwind and a new relaxation technique. Stare at the clouds. Practice calm breathing which helps control racing thoughts.
Be kind to you. Have a contingency plan. Learn from mistakes. Progress is your aim not perfection. Perfection is not attainable. Reward yourself when you achieve your goals.
See Also: time management
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