Do you feel like you’re constantly racing against the clock at work? Are you overwhelmed by all of the tasks on your to-do list? If so, don’t worry—you’re not alone. According to a study completed by The American Institute of Stress, 62% of employees report “high levels of stress, with extreme fatigue and feeling out of control.” What’s the leading cause of the overwhelm? The most common reason cited was a heavy workload.
The lines between work and life have become blurred for many of us. With the rise of technology, it’s now possible to be connected to our jobs 24/7. As a result, we often work longer hours and take less time for ourselves and our loved ones. Fortunately, you don’t have to accept this as the norm and shuffle along. Instead, utilize some time management strategies to help you regain your work-life balance.
Time Management Skills for Professionals
Developing time management skills is essential for today’s workers. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s necessary to improve your workload, boost your productivity, and set better boundaries to avoid burnout and the health risks that accompany chronic anxiety and stress. Take a look at the following strategies and see which ones you can incorporate into your routine.
— Begin By Tracking Your Time
Do you know where you’re spending your time? You probably have a vague idea, but the chances are that you’ll be surprised to discover a few inaccuracies. Laura Vanderkam is a writer, author, and speaker who is a big proponent of using time logs as a tool for self-awareness. Vanderkam believes that an essential first step in learning to use your time better is to keep track of how you’re currently spending each hour by documenting a week of your life in a time log.
You can download some simple spreadsheets on her website to track your time for a week and then analyze where you might be losing productivity. This theory is well supported in other studies that show we frequently leak up to 80% of our productivity by not being time-aware. To create effective and healthy change in your life, you need to understand where you’re starting from.
— Understand the Data
Once you’ve logged your time for a week, be sure to mine your log for the valuable insights it contains about how you can better use your time. After reviewing your record and adding up the hours spent in the major categories, such as how much time you work, sleep, spend in the car, etc., Vanderkam suggests asking yourself, “What’s working about your current schedule?”
As you look through your log, you might realize that your schedule isn’t as bad as you thought. Or, perhaps you’ll see that you frequently stretch tasks in the evenings because you’re multitasking. Your afternoon slump might be a productivity killer. Recognizing where your time is going will allow you to begin implementing some time management tools to get to where you want to be.
— Set Scheduling Goals
Before you make any changes, consider what areas of your life you’d like to smooth out or spend more time on. Creating more balance in our lives is the ultimate goal for many of us. You may want to spend more time on healthy activities, like exercise and nutrition, or dedicate more time to a hobby you enjoy. Or, you may just want to feel less stressed in your daily routine.
Rather than assuming your schedule is too hectic to allow for any changes, it can be helpful to sit down and consider how much time you would need to devote to them—or perhaps jotting down the specifics of why you’re feeling stressed during those periods. You’ll be able to compare your time log showing where you’re currently at and your goal list and find ways to adjust.
— Categorize Your Time Spend
It can be hard to categorize tasks, as things often seem to bleed into each other nowadays. If you can, try and imagine your day as if you were a freelancer who had to track your time for a client. Only in this case, the clients are categories of where you spend your time, such as work, home management, time for yourself, hobbies, etc.—whatever priorities you have in your life. Look at your time log and see which “clients” are taking up more than their fair share or aren’t being managed well.
For instance, are you checking your emails routinely at night and on the weekends? If so, your work category takes up more than its fair share, and you need to set better boundaries. Are you prioritizing the time-for-yourself category? If it’s left off, and you’re hoping that you can work it in when convenient, it’ll never make it. Instead, find a place where you’re losing productivity in a different category, such as during your afternoon slump, and schedule some time for yourself.
— Create a To-Do List Before You’re Actively Doing It
It can be easy to feel like you have a good handle on your to-do list. After all, you know what needs to be done, and you’re confident that you can prioritize essential tasks. However, your time log can often tell a different story. If you’re regularly spending more time on specific tasks than you’d like or frequently putting off less appealing jobs, it might be time to reassess having a written to-do list.
A well-crafted to-do list can help you stay on track and better use your time. By clearly identifying your priorities and ensuring that you tackle the most critical or time-consuming tasks first, you can increase your productivity, getting more done in less time. Pro tip: create your to-do list the day before so you can begin the day with focus.
— Estimate the Time You Need for Each Task
Once you have your to-do list, it’s good to specify how much time you expect to allot to each task. It will be easier to know which task to handle first and which one should wait for another day. This also gives you the chance to reassess which tasks routinely take more time in your schedule than you think they do. Many professionals report an uptick in productivity by using the Pomodoro Technique to schedule their duties for the day.
Creating a Healthier Schedule
Be patient with yourself. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to get your schedule on track overnight. It takes time and practice to get into a new routine. By taking a little time now to implement some time management awareness, you can put yourself in a much better position to take control of your work schedule and achieve the successful work-life balance you desire.