Have you ever realized that most of your stress comes from jumping from one task to the next? Well, time management helps reduce stress. We’re all busy in our work, personal lives and pursuing our goals. So why does it seem that we only get to be successful in one of these areas if we want to live low-stress lives?
While we all know adulthood isn’t fair, we can make the playing field a lot more even through proper time management. With less stress, you can put a greater focus and more attention into your work, your friends and family, and your own goals.
We’ve gathered the following time management tips, tricks and techniques to ensure your days are booked solid, productive, and most importantly, low-stress. We also recommend using a time slot booking web app like Time Slot Pro to better manage your day and time with clients.
Eliminate the Unnecessary
That giant to-do list you have is daunting. What if we told you that only about 25% of the things on that list actually need to get done?
Now, we’re not talking about brushing your teeth or checking your bank account. Those are everyday tasks that are important and not time-consuming. I’m talking about the day you need to do laundry or the four things that just have to get done for work, but on your own time. Saying “no” can be just as beneficial as being a “yes-man” ironically enough.
By eliminating the unnecessary we alleviate a lot of stress. But we also learn to manage our time around our priorities which is the real trick here. Yes, there are some things on your to-do list that just won’t get done. However, you’ll find yourself accomplishing a lot more, with a lot less stress through using this time management method.
Eliminating the Unnecessary Tips
- Write down everything you feel you need to do. (Don’t be surprised if the list is long, that’s what we’re here for.)
On another sheet of paper make an empty list numbered one through ten. - Then, with number one as your top priority, what exactly must be done today; start sorting your giant to-do list.
- When you’ve listed ten items, you’re done. The other list goes away and your ten items are the only ones you need to worry about.
Plan Your Downtime
This is very surprising to many people, but we all have a lot of downtimes. Let me start by saying that in 2015, Netflix viewers watched approximately 42.5 billion hours of video. Now, you don’t have to go cutting TV out of your day-to-day. But, this means that there is a lot of time on our hands that we don’t use very wisely.
Use these two opportunities to get meaningful actions done:
Waiting in line. Be it the grocery store, library, or work cafeteria we all spend some time waiting in line. However, our phones are always handy and there is a lot we can accomplish on these little devices. Start a list in Evernote of all the phone calls you need to make. Next time you’re in line, start dialing!
Driving is time wasted. You’re traveling, and like many of us, probably daily. I have about a 40-minute commute to and from work every day, which means I spend about an hour and twenty minutes in a car every day instead of being productive. I stress often that I’m missing out on news, and learning opportunities.
Use podcasts and talk radio to manage your time spent driving as a time to develop yourself and ease your stress!
Check out comedy podcasts for quick stress relief!
Time Slot Pro: For a Stress-Free Day
Aside from a day job many people now employ a side hustle, or they work in a position where they can take on personal clients. The stress that mounts from having to manage time spent between a primary jobs and elevating a personal business can be immense.
Use Time Slot Pro, a time booking web app for all devices to set your schedule and send it to clients to book and pay for your services online. Unlike other calendar apps it doesn’t just populate dates for you to remember. It tracks where you are managing your time effectively and when you are falling off the wagon. Apps like this are becoming increasingly valuable tools in eliminating stress from our daily lives.