As restrictions begin to lift, our time has never been so important.
Change is coming. For some, that means a return to the office or flexible working or continuing to work from home.
Some of us have had no change to our place of work. But what the pandemic has shown us is that our time is valuable. There is no time like the present to think about how we manage it.
To work at home our schedules will have been different due to activity in the home environment, so revisiting some time management techniques will be helpful as we return to our new routine. For those whose circumstances may remain the same, it will still be helpful to think about how we are managing our time and how we can do it better. This doesn’t only need to be about our working life, we can use it in our home and family life too. So, let’s take a look at some useful tips to ensure we are as effective as we can be.
Decide on your priorities
If you find your to-do list is rather long, you need to look at what needs to be done now and what can wait. Breaking the list down, maybe using highlighter pens to colour code urgent and non-urgent tasks will give you a focus to get started. There are many apps and software that can help too. This will also prevent you from ending up with a tight deadline because you have completed less important work first.
Make a plan for your day
We all have times when we are more productive, and this self-awareness can be extremely helpful when it comes to time management. Your priorities may include a strategic report, a financial spreadsheet, telephone calls and staff supervisions. Decide which parts of your day will be given to each task based on when you know you will be the most effective in that particular area. Some of us feel that writing a report or looking at financial statistics is better first thing in the morning due to how energised and creative we feel, whereas others may feel that they work better once they have had interaction with their team or on telephone calls.
Minimise distractions
If you are to work as efficiently as possible, your full attention needs to be given to the task at hand. Let your team know you are shutting yourself away for a set time to complete a piece of work. Put your phone out of sight to stop you from being tempted to look at messages and notifications. You will be surprised at how much more you can get done in this allocated time.
Have your breaks
We can only concentrate fully for a certain amount of time so make sure you factor in breaks. You may find this difficult at first, or think you will be viewed as not having enough to do if you can stop for a cuppa. The truth is that you will be more effective and work more productively after a short walk away from your desk and a refreshing drink. We cannot emphasise enough how important it is to stand periodically. Your energy levels will be raised, and you will get much more done following time out. If it helps, set a timer on your smartwatch or phone to ensure you keep this as part of your daily routine.
Be aware of your self-talk
Listen to what you are telling yourself about the tasks you have to complete. Is your inner voice saying, “I will never get all this done” or “I have too much to do”? This will not be helpful and the more stressed you are, the more likely it is that you start to believe this negative voice and feel defeated before you even start. Try replacing these words with “I have made a plan and will work through it productively” or “I can manage my time well”. Find words that work for you and try to catch your inner voice if it is trying to take over with negative statements.
Prep like a boss
As well as these tips, it can be useful to establish a good routine if you find you have limited time in the morning. Things like getting out your gym clothes for the following day the night before or packing your work bag and paperwork to grab the next morning will all make your life easier.
We hope that these tips are useful. Some things may seem very obvious, but we can get stuck in a rut of working a certain way, and this will encourage us to get back on track. Using your time well will mean you have more time for your self-care and other things that are important to give balance to your life and support positive mental wellbeing.