Time Management
Stress Relief Tips
Time management stress relief helps insure that what needs to get done really does get done and that I stay sane in the process. We can be at peace with time.
There are so many different ways I feel drawn to spend my time...but still only 24 hours in the day. Sometimes the competition for my time and attention feels fierce. Sometimes I stretch my days too long and my sleep too short to try and “get it all done”. Sometimes I allow myself to be distracted and “drawn off course”. When this occurs I may find myself under even more stress later in the day as I feel behind and frustrated.
There is a solution.
The Essential Steps Of Time
Management Stress Relief Are:
- Set long term goals. These are the really important directions in your life and should reflect your true desires, values and skills. Set goals which are challenging but still honest and realistic.
- Prioritize your goals so you know what is really most important to you.
- Create a list or action plan with relevant tasks to be accomplished to reach your goals. This is your road map. It is the steps you must take along the way to accomplish your dreams.
- Create a daily task sheet or “to do list” which realistically moves you step by step toward your goals. It is important to differentiate between our daily action items and our overall goals. For example, a mother may have the goal of raising healthy children. Her daily action list may include wash and chop fresh vegetables for home made soup.
- Share your daily action items with an accountability or commitment partner or at least, write down the daily priorities and actions. Even a list can function as an accountability partner.
- Focus on your first top priority action until that one is accomplished.
- Each time you finish a priority, take a short break, and celebrate, even for a moment, sometimes longer.
- Then consult your list or accountability partner for the next priority to tackle.
Eliminate Time Wasters
We all have time wasters. These are activities which neither enhance our quality of life, nor move us toward our goals. Some common time wasters are watching TV, playing video games, gossip, reading advertisements and catalogs, shopping for things we don’t need and of course worrying. (I’ve heard that research shows most of what we worry about will never happen anyway.)
If you don’t know what your time wasters are keep a time log.
We offer a free PDF download of a Daily Time Management Log
to assist you. (The link will open in a new window.)
Simply record in a journal hour by hour, how you actually spend your time each day. Honestly review the results at the end of each day and ask yourself, did this activity help me to accomplish my goals? Keeping a time management log can lead to an awesome discovery process that will help you to bring more simplicity, purpose and success into your life.
Advantages of Time Management Are Great
- The priorities get done
- The pressure is less
- There is more simplicity and restfulness and enjoyment in life, and
- Gradually, your goals get fulfilled.
Develop the Qualities of Focus
Discipline, Patience and Balance
For time management stress relief these qualities are essential.
Focus and discipline will help you to eliminate time wasting distractions.
Developing patience will help you keep going when you face inevitable challenges or the work just seems too overwhelming.
Balance will help you to protect your health and sanity and enjoyment of life for the “long haul.”
Part of time stress management includes correcting our mistaken attitudes and habits around time. These can be some of the
biggest causes of stress.
I find these steps really help, but in addition it's important to...
Allow Time For Unscheduled Creativity
Part of time management stress relief for me is to also allow myself some unscheduled time in which I am free to simply follow my instincts and desires in that moment. Some people call this play. Play is also necessary for optimum creativity and happiness. This will look different for different people. Some ideas include:
- Art,
- Music
- Sports
- Gardening
- Reading, or
- Talking to friends
Schedule Time For a Healthy Lifestyle
& Keep Things In Perspective
Healthy lifestyle choices include:
- adequate rest and sleep for stress relief to allow you body mind and emotions time to rejuvenate.
- nourishing meals of stress relief food allow us to replenish or vital biological resources and energy.
- loving supportive relationships encourage us when we have set backs and help us celebrate our successes and
- regular stress relief exercise.
If we don’t structure time for healthy living habits we are just fooling ourselves. It may seem to work for awhile but will then lead to burnout and more stress.
It is a matter of focus, discipline, patience and balance. Develop a system of time management that works for you. But don't worship the system. Keep a sense of humor about it. The unexpected will happen.
Most people are at war with time.
"Staying present" and using time management stress relief can really help end the war and bring more peace into your life.
When we practice time management stress relief and understand change as a main cause of stress, we can honestly say things like
"I could have gotten upset but I knew the situation was temporary."
Read about other helpful Stress Relief Techniques , or
Explore a wide range of natural stress relief tips at
Gentle Stress Relief home page.