Managing your time correctly can help reduce stress and boost your productivity in the workplace. If you feel encumbered with workload and keeping a healthy and social life, it could be alleviated with effective time management. At the end of the day managing your time is a skill and like any other skill it takes time to develop. We’re happy to share some tips with you! And remember there is no exact formula, some of these may work for you and some may not don't go crazy trying to do all of them if they are not working for you.
Prioritize
The first thing you should do in the morning is make a list of the tasks that must be completed. The ones that demand your immediate attention at the top. Unimportant tasks that can be done later in the day or carried forward to the next at the bottom, these can consume precious time that you may not have at that moment. Schedule your tasks in simple ‘To-Do’ lists, it helps to separate them for example home, personal and work. Here is a guide to prioritizing if you need a little extra help.
Delegate
Delegating tasks does not mean that you are not taking on your responsibility, however it is a part of management. Often times people take on more than they can realistically handle and leads to enervation. Delegation must be done with finesse, learn how.
Deadlines
When setting up your deadlines be realistic! People tend to set unrealistic goals that go beyond our potential. This will only aggregate stress and may lead to burning out. Once you’ve set a realistic deadline, stick to it! Setting a deadline a few days before the task should be completed is useful so you can complete other tasks that may get in the way. Reward yourself for meeting a difficult challenge!
Don’t Procrastinate
Easier said than done right? Although it is human nature to procrastinate and seek immediate rewards we all know that it will only make it worse in the end. If you’re having trouble understanding and beating procrastination read this guide and start beating your old habits1
Don’t Multitask
Contrary to common belief multitasking does not make us more effective, in fact it thwarts productivity. If you focus on the task on hand and only on the task at hand you will be able to complete it in an effective manner and in turn going through your ‘To-Do’ list swiftly.
Deal With Stress
Stress is how our body triggers our fight-or-flight response.This biological reaction for overcoming danger is thus necessary, additionally, stress in small doses can actually be beneficial since it heightens our awareness. However, an excess can be harmful both mentally and physically. Particularly in modern times where we feel stressed while sitting in front of a computer, with no outlet for the excess energy, a profusion of stress can be lethal. Fortunately experts have devised simple ways for us to keep our stress at bay! Here are a few;
Exercise: regular exercise provides an outlet for the surplus of energy activated by stress.
Breathe: focusing on your breathing is one of the most effective ways to calm down or remain calm. There are many ways to get centered on your breathing. An efficient one is to envisage a balloon, as you inhale you fill it up and as you exhale you slowly push all the air out of the balloon. Do this for several breaths (you may become lightheaded, if so resume normal breathing and come back to it).
Rationalize: often stress gets worse when it remains abstract. Stay focused on the facts and try to pinpoint exactly where your stress is derived from and pragmatic ways to deal with the situations.