Time Management:
Balancing Your Time for Less Stress
When it comes to good time management, there are many things
that you can do that will make your life easier, especially when
struggling with chronic stress and anxiety.
For people who suffer stress, anxiety, and even depression,
managing time effectively doesn't come easy. Whether you have
too much time on your hands, or not enough time on your
hands.... I think you will benefit from some of these time
management tips.
Leave Extra Time to Do Things
When making appointments, try to make them on days that you don't have too
much going on. It helps to spread out priority responsibilities.
It also helps to leave in enough time prior to your appointment where you
don't have to rush. I find that it's always good to leave an extra 10-15 minutes
earlier than normal.
This produces less stress in the long run. Rushing around and just making
it to your appointments only creates more stress and anxiety. It can be
prevented by leaving extra time to do things.
Not Enough Time in the Day
We have all said, "there is not enough time in the day". Effective
time management means prioritizing most important to least important and only
focusing on what matters most. Remember, you are important too! People with
anxiety need time to work on stress management, so be sure you make time in your
day for YOU.
Reach Big Goals through Small Steps
If you have specific big goals that you are trying to reach, plan to get
there through small steps each day. Small steps lead to big steps over time.
When we try to accomplish too much too soon, we can easily burn out and give up.
It's important to have goals and to keep pursuing them but in small steps so
that you can make time for other things as well. Manage your time so that you
can incorporate these small steps into your schedule as it allows.
Allow for Things to Pop-Up
If things don't go as planned, stay calm! It's easy to get stressed and
anxious when our time management effort isn't successful. It is so much easier
and healthier to accept what we cannot change than it is to stay stressed over
it. It is also non-productive and self-defeating.
Allow for things to pop-up, because in real life, they do! Accept it and then
refocus your time management plan as needed. Don't stay stressed and anxious
about it.
Don't Wait Just Do it
Don't put things off! If you have things to do, especially small things that
you can do, then don't wait! You have heard, "don't put off till
tomorrow what you can do today". Our responsibilities can accumulate making
good time management almost impossible. Doing this can also create more stress
and anxiety because all those little things can add up which only increases the
pressure you feel inside.
Write a List
It helps to write a list of the things we need to accomplish. You can make
the list according to days, weeks, or you can even use a monthly calendar to
manage your time better.
I use a monthly calendar and I keep it on the side of my refrigerator where I
can see it near my telephone. I write down all my appointments, special events
(such as birthdays, holidays, etc.) so I can see it in front of me what the day
holds. Important things always come first, and the small things fit anywhere in
between. Do whatever works best for you.
Reschedule and Rearrange
How you spend your time is completely up to you. If your days are too full
for comfort, then it's time to readjust your schedule. It is okay to reschedule
and rearrange some things when you need to. Even doctors appointments can be
rescheduled within 24 hours notice, unless of course you have a serious issue
that needs to be taken care of.
Creating good time management might take some time to learn. Many people who
struggle with stress and anxiety are usually people who have a habit of
overcrowding their time with too much. This habit can be hard to break but new
time management skills can be learned. New habits can always form if you work
hard and want them bad enough.
Good time management is all about having the ability to do what you need and
want at a healthy pace. Overcoming anxiety and chronic stress calls for good
time management. Only you know what you can comfortably fit in a day. Only you
know what is best for you.
Too Much Time On Your Hands?
For those who have too much time on your hands....and I know there are
many of you out there....It is important to use your time management skills
to fill your empty time. Many who are depressed and even anxious are stuck with
too much time and not enough to do. Their analysis has created somewhat of a
paralysis. It is true that some allow their thoughts to consume their lives to
the point of not doing much at all.
So how do you change this?
Plan your day by filling it with something! Some ideas would be to
make a time each day to work towards mastering the skills taught on this
website. Perhaps reading some of the recommended material, visiting some of the
recommended websites would be a good place to start. You could also make time to
exercise, journal and make time to get outside at least once a day. By doing
these things, you are getting outside of yourself. Go visit a friend, take a
walk, garden in your yard, or even do something nice for someone else. By
focusing on someone else, you get to forget about you and your problems for a
while. What do you enjoy? What do you like to do? Perhaps you are depressed and
don't know the answer to this question anymore. Now is a good time to try
different things!
Remember, how you manage your time is entirely up to you. You have control
over your comings and goings. I hope you choose a time management plan that is
best for you. Don't EVER forget about YOU!
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