step 5: managing time
by Gladeana McMahon
How often do you hear people say, 'If only I had more time'? In today's 24/7 society it can seem as if we are always up against the clock. It is easy to become so overwhelmed by demands, that we never have time for the really important things – like enjoying activities with the children, relaxing with partners or getting to grips with a lifelong ambition.
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Workers in the UK work the longest hours in Europe, according to a report from the Office of National Statistics in 2000. More hours at work mean less hours spent on socialising, family life, hobbies, relaxation and other out-of-work activities. Time is a finite resource and whatever you do there are never going to be more than 168 hours in a week. The key is to make sure you use those hours effectively.
taking control
Some people seem to have the knack of fitting lots into every day, while others seem to let time control them. According to Professor Cary Cooper, BUPA professor of organisational psychology and health at the University of Manchester's Institute of Science and Technology, one of the key factors governing whether you perceive yourself as stressed, is whether you feel you have control over your daily routine.
check your time management skills
You can check whether you are good at controlling time or whether time controls you by answering these four questions.
1. Do you have time to do what you would like to? | Yes No |
2. Do you feel there is enough time in the day? | Yes No |
3. Have you ever thought about the way you use your time? | Yes No |
4. Are you happy about the way you allocate your time? | Yes No |
If you answer 'no' to any of the above you might need to consider how you allocate your time and whether this is effective for you.
balancing your day
To begin to use your time more effectively, it may help to look at dividing how you spend your day into six areas like this:
work time | paid or voluntary work, child care, studying |
home time | housework, maintenance, personal care, gardening |
'other' time | time spent with family, children and friends |
'me' time | leisure, hobbies, relaxation, exercise, sleep |
'us' time | time spent with your partner, if you have one |
quiet time | time to yourself for thinking, evaluating and reflecting on life. |
Think about how long your devote to each section. We all need or want to spend more time on some activities than others, depending on our lifestyles. The important point is making sure you spend the time that you want on different tasks. If you are unhappy with the amount of time you allocate to any activity think about how to change this, so that you achieve the balance you are seeking.
It can help to keep a written record of how you allocate your time over a one-week period. At the end of a week you should have a better idea of how you spend your time and what you would like to create more or less time for.
body clocks
Your biological clock also effects your time management as there will be parts of the day when you will feel more alert than others. Some people feel full of energy in the morning but find they are exhausted mid-afternoon. It makes sense to try, wherever possible, to save your difficult tasks for the time of day when you have most energy. Your best time of day is often called your 'prime time'.
managing time
Whether you are a high-flying executive, a full-time parent, busy student or combining work with other responsibilities, you can almost certainly organise your time more efficiently. According to US management consultant Stephen Covey, an effective time manager needs to consider four factors.
four keys to better time management
- use checklists to keep an overview of all the tasks that need completing, whether personal or professional. This will give you a sense of control over your environment as you tick off completed tasks.
- use a diary or organiser to plan ahead so you keep an overview of your activities and can monitor whether the balance between activities works for you. It also ensures you are in the right place at the right time.
- focus on short-, medium- and long-term goal setting to keep control of your life and set realistic tasks. You may have a long-term goal to run a marathon but before you can do this you need to focus on the short-term goal of joining a gym to get fit. Your medium-term goal might be to find someone who will train with you once you feel you have attained a basic level of fitness.
- balance your time between work and leisure activities. The much-discussed work-life balance concept is central to stress management. Stress often occurs when people find themselves coping only with the demands of work and forgetting to make time for themselves or those activities which revitalize the individual on a personal level.
Try to ensure, where possible, that you – and not someone else – stay in control of the amount of time you spend on different activities. You may find constant interruptions take up your time or that people make unfair demands on you which you find hard to refuse. Here are some tips which may help. Although some of them are more suitable to work than home life – obviously it helps relieve stress to let off steam when chatting to friends – you may find they help in various situations.
staying in control
- keep conversations to the point
- allocate an amount of time to deal with a telephone call and monitor this
- summarise the conversation at the end with the action points to be taken and who these should be done by
- visit other people rather than letting them visit you – you can control the amount of time you spend with them
- learn to say 'no'
- allow your voicemail to take calls for you or have calls diverted, where possible
- only log on to your e-mail at set times of the day.
decide what is important
Setting priorities is another factor in using your time more effectively, according to time management expert Mark Foster. He recommends recording priority tasks using a simple A, B, C system.
A = immediate attention
B = attention in the near future
C = non-essential or non-urgent items
You need to review your ABC list on a daily basis. Once an A task is completed, a B task moves up to take its place. When a B task is completed, a C task also moves up the list to become a B. This way your ABC list becomes a method for keeping track of tasks and their urgency. It is also possible to move a B or C task to an A if, for example, an unexpected turn of events means a formerly non-urgent task suddenly takes on greater importance.
keep your balance
The idea of work-life balance is now talked about more than ever before. Achieving this balance may not be easy. However, there are some ways you can help yourself. Here are a few tips.
- decide on your personal priorities and make sure these get entered in your diary. The busier your work or home life is, the more you need to plan ahead.
- use your time to and from work, college or other engagements to read, relax, think about fun things and plan what you are going to do with your family and friends.
- ensure you take a lunch break – read the paper, go for a walk, have non-work related discussions with colleagues.
- make sure you take short breaks during the day so that your brain and body have a chance to relax. A five minute break never hurt anyone.
- if you are a perfectionist – think again. You cannot always win so turn perfectionist thinking into realistic thinking.
make time work for you
Time management is as much about attitude and organisation as it is about keeping diaries and finding information. Effective time management means thinking about what you do, how you do it and how you can make the most of this finite resource. It means making sure you use your time to do the things that are important to you as well as others. Learn to make time your friend against stress.
help and info
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organisations
For information on anxiety and other mental health issues, check out the mind room.
Want to find out more about stress management? Take a look at our feature on stress management.
Do you think a stress management counsellor might help you? You can find names of stress management advisors in your local area via the International Stress Management Association website www.isma.org.uk. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy also has details of practitioners which can be accessed via its website on www.counselling.co.uk. The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies is another organisation that provides details of therapists which can also be accessed via its website www.babcp.com.
websites
MindTools
www.mindtools.com/stress/WorkOverload/TimeManagement.htm
An essential set of time management skills for high achievers.
Support4learning
www.support4learning.org.uk/health/stress.htm#work
Support and helpful links for those busy with a crammed work or study schedule.
Total Success
http://www.tsuccess.dircon.co.uk/timemanagementtips.htm
We can't manage time, only ourselves and our use of time – article explaining how to identify time stealers and how to make the most of our organisational skills to create a more productive schedule.
reading
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (Free Press, 2004) |
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Confidence Works: Learn how to be your own Life Coach by Gladeana McMahon (Sheldon Press, 2001) |
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Eat that Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done In Less Time by Brian Tracey (Hodder Stoughton, 2004) |
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Get Everything Done and Still Have Time to Play by Mark Foster (Help Yourself, 2000) |
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Managing Your Time by Iain Maitland (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 1999) |
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Time Management and Personal Development by John Adair and Melanie Allen (Hawksmere Ltd, 1999) |
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(May 2002, resources updated June 2005)
