To manage your time for less stress and more control, will automatically promote a better well-being for yourself. When I was younger I didn’t plan to be on time unless it was for work. I realised with time, I had to plan to be on time for EVERYTHING, as I’d miss out or disappoint. The saying goes – fail to plan, plan to fail.
Do you notice when you leave tasks to the last minute, you begin to feel overwhelmed? There are other tale tale signs that potentially show you have poor time management that’s causing you stress and lack of control.
Signs you may not manage your time well
There are signs that may show you do not manage your time well, or lead to further complicated issues, like the following:
- Sleep issues
- Anxiety
- Ovewhelmed
- Burnout
- Depression
- Poor time management can cause stress, which can lead to anxiety and depression.
- BurnoutBurnout is a serious mental health consequence of poor time management. Symptoms include fatigue, detachment from work, pessimism, and frequent illness.
- OverwhelmedPoor time management can leave you feeling rushed, disorganized, and overloaded. You might even worry about work in your free time.
- Poor performancePoor time management can lead to poor performance, such as missing deadlines, being late to appointments, and declining productivity.
- Poor quality of workWhen you’re trying to complete tasks at the last minute, you might sacrifice quality for speed.
- Other signs of poor time management include: Frequent distractions, Difficulty estimating time, Unhealthy habits, Poor punctuality, and Always rushing.
How you’ll feel being more in control?
- Relaxed
- Better sleep patterns
Implement these four time management tips to manage your time for more control and less stress.
1. Plan in advance
What time do you want to leave? Work backwards from the time the event starts. Factor in journey time, getting ready, sorting out bags to take Etc. You’ve got a list of tasks to do before school run and 6 hours for completion
2. Time block daily tasks
housework, post office runs, stay and play. How long are they going to take? Time block each one Put clothes wash on as child’s got PE tomorrow, take a bath and write complaint email to store for customer service you’ve received on visit.
3. Prioritise tasks from high to low priority
Complete in order of priority and importance. If you were to finish work late and forget there are roadworks. What would happen to your child at after school club, if you don’t get there?
4. Plan for emergencies
Prepare contingencies for the evitable and inevitable. Do you know alternative journey routes? Do you have an emergency pick-up list at school if you are unavailable? Using the above 4 tips for time management you should be able to effectively manage your time better and ultimately reduce stress.
You may want to dig deeper if you are aware you have poor management skills. Change bad habits post gives a little more detail.