Being disorganized is one of the common causes of stress. Time management is the key to organize your work at home and at the workplace, thus lessening the stress you may feel. Prioritizing the most important job and writing down your duties and activities every day is the proper way of managing your time.
Keeping a diary or journal, where you can list down your objectives, can help you assess which duty must be done first and the estimated time you can accomplish each activity. Having a schedule can also help you provide the reason when your boss gives you unreasonable tasks.
Scheduling And Listing
If you feel you are going to have another busy day either at home or at work, always write down your tasks. Will you do the grocery first? What time will you pick up your kid at home? Sometimes, giving time even to tiniest task for the day can provide you time allowance to perform your other task. You must learn to prioritize to successfully beat stress.
Every day pick the most important task you need to complete and finish it. If you are new in making lists, never put more than five things in your list. That way, you are more likely to finish all your tasks for the day and provide you with a feeling of accomplishment and a greater sense of control. Then, by the time you are getting the hang of things, move on to making your second five-item list.
Learn to delegate to lessen your work. Sometimes, there are days where you think you have too many things to do but have so little time. During these days, make a list of the things that you can delegate to family members or co-workers. By delegating, you can surely avoid stress from building up.
In the workplace, learn to say no when you find yourself in a situation where you cannot handle anymore task than you already have. There are others who cannot fully assert their own capabilities and ends up being more stressed out than others who know their limitations.
These people also often end up having even more things to do. If you are having the trouble saying no, starting small is always the best choice. In events when you have so many things to do and your boss asks you to perform even more tasks, give your boss the choice of what thing he will allow you to do first.
Tell him that you cannot perform the task he asks you to do without giving up your task at hand. Even bosses can take the hint. At home, ask your husband or wife to make their own sandwich if you cannot find the time to do that for them or ask your daughter if her friends can give her a ride home after soccer practice. All these simple requests to others who ask so much of you can help you in lessening the stress that you can encounter.
Other Time Management Tips
People who are perfectionists often cannot help it if they feel stress at the end of each day. If you are a perfectionist, prioritize the task that needs meticulous attention to detail and finish it first. Always accomplish the items in your first list first before moving on to the second. This way you can avoid jumping from one list to another.
Every day, remember that you need time to rest and relax for a while. Include in the list your work breaks and as much as possible, to things that would physically and mentally take you away from your work. Lastly, try not to make major decisions when you feel overworked or anxious.