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!
