If you listen to the news, and all around you, most people are stressed about a lot of things these days, many of which we have little or no control. I’m all about sharing solutions to our everyday problems and issues that make us anxious. Today I’m talking about Time Management, and destressing about the things we have control over.
Are you good at time management?
Many people struggle with it. Procrastinating, running late, losing time, wasting time, wishing they had more time, wondering where all the time goes, etc.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME MANAGEMENT TO RELIEVE STRESS
AND FEAR AND ENJOY LIFE MORE!
Stress is the #1 reason for disease, why people sit in doctor’s office waiting rooms, the cause of abuse and pain in our lives. If not abused by another, we certainly abuse ourselves when stressed. We are angry at ourselves, beat ourselves up mentally, emotionally, verbally and even physically, by eating or ingesting unhealthy foods, beverages and other substances that confuse our bodies and biology.
Lack of or poor time management causes a lot of stress and dis-ease. So, though we can’t control many things in life that cause us to feel stress, we’d be less stressed if we managed our time better, one of the things we can control more often than not.
I’m going to share one of the tips I use in organizing that helps to take charge of time, a time management trick to stop stress from taking over. It’s called Time Blocking.
Time blocking is a simple way to put time measured bookends on each end of a task to get a project or job done. You’ll want many such sets of these bookends to get most projects completed.
Here’s an example. You have a picture you’d like to put up on your wall. But, it’s been sitting on the floor for months, maybe years! (I’ve had organizing clients like this.) It’s causing stress because every time you look at it you feel angry with yourself or others for not getting the job done. The solution? HANG THE PICTURE ON THE WALL! Of course, simple, right? Well, like I share in my ONE RABBIT program, this picture hanging job has become one more unprioritized rabbit hopping around you creating overwhelm and stress, so you ignore it one more day, month or year and move on to other TO-DOs.
TIME BLOCK SOLUTION
Sometimes we feel like “It will take forrreevvvvverrrrr!” So, we don’t do it. That’s what a 10 year old says, right? Try to get most kids to do a job, no matter how menial, and you get the “Noooo! It will take forrreevvvvverrrrr!” response! Our adult brains can be like that too. We can default into childlike reactions when we feel overwhelmed. It’s okay. Now, time block it and get it done!
Do this:
- Get the tools you’ll need to get the job done – time block this task. Decide how long (a block of time) it will take to gather these tools. Let’s say 20 minutes.
- How long (time block) will it take to hang the picture with the right tools? Let’s say, 20 minutes.
- DO IT.
- Stand back and enjoy. (As long as you want!)
- Put tools away. (Time block – a few minutes?)
- DONE!
So, the time block was about 40 minutes. And, maybe you only needed 20 minutes after all.
Ta daaaa! Done! Overwhelm and stress ended.
Time blocking helps take the open-endedness out of the equation. Take control of the time within the plan to do the doing to TO DONE. Feels great!
Now, with regards to national and world stress inducing issues? Try the Serenity Prayer!
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
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Need a Formula for Freedom? Ask your questions about stress, time and life management in the comment section, Facebook or Twitter and I’ll answer them ON AIR.