How you spend your time is an important component of your progress, be it professional or personal. However, with only 24 hours to a day, and tons of tasks and distractions, most of us struggle with time management. But the good thing is that you can learn some practical tips and tricks to manage your time intelligently.
Let's explore some different strategies that can help you achieve efficiency and strike a perfect work-life balance. Click on for more.
The first step to managing time efficiently is to understand that it's being spent. Track how much time you spent on an activity. Once you have the whole picture, make adjustments and prioritize key areas.
Part of learning how to manage time better is dealing with stress properly. Discover a stress-reducing activity, such as meditating or listening to music.
If your job involves receiving tons of emails, take your time to sort them out. For example, create a folder for emails that require immediate attention, and another for ones that can wait.
Procrastination can seriously waste your time. Maybe you spend a lot of your time overthinking, or you feel bored at work. When this happens, try to organize your work and stay present.
You might feel that deadlines are just added pressure, but they're actually there to ensure accountability. And this is essential if you want to learn how to manage time better.
To-do lists are reminders. If you write them on your phone, you might forget about them. Instead, write them down physically and where you can easily see them.
Starting your day early gives you great benefits. For example, you can squeeze in more tasks in one day like exercising or planning before you hit the desk. But make to get enough sleep, so you have energy for the day ahead.
Whether it's having a good cup of coffee or reading a book for 15 minutes, take some time for yourself before work. By doing this, you can raise your productivity levels and start your day in a good mood.
Planning is one of the most effective and powerful time-management strategies you can incorporate. It can help you organize your day and routines appropriately.
Early in the day, your energy and productivity levels are much higher, so dedicate this time to your most urgent tasks.
Separate your personal email from your work email. And steer clear from activities that bring more harm to your efficiency during work hours.
Social media notifications can be a serious distraction. So to avoid the temptation of checking your phone often, just turn them off.
Setting achievable goals will give you direction on where to concentrate your efforts. However, remember to be realistic.
An organized workplace is incredibly important and leads to better output and quality work. Make sure to declutter and rearrange your space to avoid any messiness.
Studies have shown higher performance rates when people are exposed to natural light and fresh air, compared to those who aren't, while working. Plus, adding some plants can help decrease your mental fatigue.
Larger tasks can feel overwhelming, but by breaking them down you'll handle them much more efficiently. This will also help you avoid stress and procrastination.
Be realistic about what you can and what you can't take on. Will it affect your work or private life? If you see that it might be too much, it’s okay to say "no."
There are tons of apps that can help you organize and manage your day like a boss. A calendar app can give you quick and easy insight into what you're working on and what you have planned ahead.
A strategy for time management is allowing yourself to focus on one task at a time, instead of multitasking, which is the opposite of productivity.
Grouping similar tasks can save you a lot of time. For example, tasks that involve communication, such as returning phone calls and responding to emails, are all related.
Your brain can't always be at its best 24/7. Taking a vacation or a period of rest is important to help streamline your schedule.
Skipping meals can affect your performance at work. Therefore, eat healthy and regular meals, so your brain and body stay in shape.
With daily exercise, you can manage stress better and maintain a good rhythm. And this will in turn help how you manage your time.
Just like exercise, taking small breaks can help put your mind at ease when stress occurs or when the day feels overwhelming. It also gives your brain time to cool down and regain clarity.
A regular routine can help to improve your time-management skills. For example, start your day at a particular time, have breakfast, and shower. It will help create a behavioral pattern, which will make your life more orderly and efficient.
Having high standards is fine. But perfectionism tends to raise the bar too high, and results in unnecessary frustration. Keep in mind that doing good enough is perfectly acceptable.
A study from the University of Colorado found that employees who after an hour of work took short and brisk walks for five minutes were more productive than those who didn't. So take a walk!
This is important for self-motivation, as there's no better feeling than crossing off a task from your to-do list. It will also drive and inspire you to keep up the good work.
Try to review your workday. Did everything go according to plan? What caused problems? Analyze the reasons behind every success or failure. This will help you understand what needs to be done to improve the time management of your day.
See also: How to improve your attention to detail
Time-management tips you should try
By testing out various time-management tips, you'll learn what works and what doesn't work for you
LIFESTYLE Tasks
How you spend your time is an important component of your progress, be it professional or personal. However, with only 24 hours to a day, and tons of tasks and distractions, most of us struggle with time management. But the good thing is that you can learn some practical tips and tricks to manage your time intelligently.
Let's explore some different strategies that can help you achieve efficiency and strike a perfect work-life balance. Click on for more.