Let’s talk about “Time Management”
One of the underappreciated aspects of pre-pandemic work was how it structured our days. Some ways required conscious effort, such as waking up on time to arrive at work on time. Other ways offered less conscious structure, a co-worker stopping by your desk to hear your thoughts about something allowing you a mental moment away from stress. Altogether, these seemingly little moments structured our day and provided a routine to manage our time. Now, it is not uncommon for us to hear people feel out-of-sorts without a commute, without leaving their home for work, and without random encounters with colleagues while grabbing coffee or a snack from a break room or during a walk to a local business. Suddenly, you may find yourself questioning your time management skills.
For some, regaining their time management is key to breaking through lack of motivation and re-establishing our productivity and efficiency without increased stress. It allows us to put in quality time instead of quantity of time. Again, time management does not increase our work performance; it reduces the workload’s stress and strain on our work-life balance. Psychology Today’s article looks at four best practices, based on social science research, in time management. It provides a helpful primer in what the basics of each practice might be, and if one (or more) resonates with you, it can be a springboard into building out that practice further.
I will not touch on each practice, but the practice of “Filtering comes first” stands out to me. Specifically, the topics of “say no” and “availability”. It feels like too often we are afraid to let someone down, or we do not want to seem incompetent that we are afraid to say no or set clear expectations and boundaries. Which, in the long run, might end up letting us down. Sometimes, saying no is the best thing we can do for ourselves, others, and our work. Although saying no might feel like a letdown, it might actually be setting ourselves and others up for success when used appropriately. Now, admittedly, this is easier said, or typed, than done. So if you would like a little help in applying some of these ideas, we can be reached at https://www.healthymynds.com/contact/
