Time Management
Pressed for time? Deadlines? Traffic jams? Kids making a mess in the kitchen? Working late unexpectedly? Managing time is a critical part of stress management in our action-packed society. Centenarian-loaded rural cultures don’t have traffic jams, except perhaps Loma Linda. They don’t have to deal with aggressive bosses demanding overtime. Yes, they encounter stress but they function at a slower pace than what’s found in most American cities. That said, residents of Portsmouth, Ohio, don’t deal with six clogged lanes of Los Angeles traffic as they commute to their jobs. Suburbanites of Chicago can spend over two hours traveling to work each day. Regardless of where you live, if you want to be a LifeNut, you must use your time wisely. If 20% of your day is spent commuting, you must be creative in finding time for the essentials.
Many people don’t understand that the way they manage time affects not only the quality of life but also health. Pushing yourself 24/7 can depress the immune system and lead to catching colds or other diseases. Managing time well leads to improved self-esteem, enhanced relationships, and increased productivity at work. So, this skill plays an important role in stress management as well as being significant in longevity and health. LifeNuts manage their time well – they create time for important things like sleep, work, relationships, relaxation, and exercise. Using time wisely helps them to be fit, full of energy, and happy.
Many people don’t understand that the way they manage time affects not only the quality of life but also health. Pushing yourself 24/7 can depress the immune system and lead to catching colds or other diseases. Managing time well leads to improved self-esteem, enhanced relationships, and increased productivity at work. So, this skill plays an important role in stress management as well as being significant in longevity and health. LifeNuts manage their time well – they create time for important things like sleep, work, relationships, relaxation, and exercise. Using time wisely helps them to be fit, full of energy, and happy.
Using Time in Daily Activity
Time log. LifeNuts don’t procrastinate; so beginning now, write down how you spent each hour of your day. Keep this log for a week and then analyze it. How much of your time is wasted? At which part of the day are you most productive? When do you feel most energetic? Do important tasks in this high-energy time zone.
Exercise. You’ll need at least an hour a day. Five days of aerobics and two days of anaerobic/stretching workouts.
Work. About eight hours is standard. After that, your production drops and mistakes creep in. There are lots of creative ways to spice up your work hours.
Financial management. Spending 30 minutes on this daily sounds like a lot but this time pays rich dividends.
Sleep. I know what you’re thinking. Sorry, adults need a minimum of seven to nine hours a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Teenagers and children need more sleep than adults. If you don’t recharge your batteries, you’ll lose productivity.
Eating. Five meals may appear to take a lot of time but they don’t. First, they’re smaller portions. Dinner does not have to take long, unless you use this as relationship or family time.
Relationship time. Have a “happy hour” each day with your spouse or partner, which can be as short as 15 minutes. Doesn’t matter if it’s in the morning or evening. And time spent with your children is precious – they grow up quickly, become teenagers, and then fly out of the nest. Schedule daily and weekend time with them, too.
Travel. Try to maximize your travel time. Combine errands. Each car trip means wasted time – especially those five and ten minute drives.
Personal time. Don’t shortchange yourself. A five minute meditation, one before the day begins and one before bedtime, can work wonders in a busy life.
Exercise. You’ll need at least an hour a day. Five days of aerobics and two days of anaerobic/stretching workouts.
Work. About eight hours is standard. After that, your production drops and mistakes creep in. There are lots of creative ways to spice up your work hours.
Financial management. Spending 30 minutes on this daily sounds like a lot but this time pays rich dividends.
Sleep. I know what you’re thinking. Sorry, adults need a minimum of seven to nine hours a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Teenagers and children need more sleep than adults. If you don’t recharge your batteries, you’ll lose productivity.
Eating. Five meals may appear to take a lot of time but they don’t. First, they’re smaller portions. Dinner does not have to take long, unless you use this as relationship or family time.
Relationship time. Have a “happy hour” each day with your spouse or partner, which can be as short as 15 minutes. Doesn’t matter if it’s in the morning or evening. And time spent with your children is precious – they grow up quickly, become teenagers, and then fly out of the nest. Schedule daily and weekend time with them, too.
Travel. Try to maximize your travel time. Combine errands. Each car trip means wasted time – especially those five and ten minute drives.
Personal time. Don’t shortchange yourself. A five minute meditation, one before the day begins and one before bedtime, can work wonders in a busy life.
Time Wasters – Real Villains
TV watching. Nielsen polls revealed that the average American spent 146 hours watching TV each month in the second quarter of 2011
Time spent on electronic devices including texting, email, and Internet. Teenagers and young adults spend from three to five hours doing this daily.
Endless chatter in phone conversations. Some people have been blessed with the gift of gab. Again, evaluate how much of this is wasted time.
A disorganized desk or work space. OK, you can’t find something. Duh. Unless you absolutely need it right now, let it go. It will turn up eventually.
Multi-tasking. One would think that multi-tasking would save time. Studies show that it can take 20-40% more time to complete a job while multitasking.
Procrastination. It’s easy to procrastinate but this habit ends up costing valuable minutes in your day. Make a “to-do” list and prioritize tasks by relative importance.
Not combining errands. If you make fewer trips, you'll save a lot of time, gas, and car depreciation.
Ignoring time wasters. Spend a few minutes each evening to see how wisely or unwisely you spent your time that day. How can you minimize time wasters?
Not being able to say “no.” Distractions throughout our day can waste our time. Being overcommitted can become a dangerous habit. Sometimes we need to turn people down … but in a nice way. That’s being assertive.
Managing time well plays a critical role in becoming a LifeNut. It takes discipline and commitment to change from a disorganized and unhealthy lifestyle but, as most LifeNuts will attest, it’s worth it. Join the club!
Time spent on electronic devices including texting, email, and Internet. Teenagers and young adults spend from three to five hours doing this daily.
Endless chatter in phone conversations. Some people have been blessed with the gift of gab. Again, evaluate how much of this is wasted time.
A disorganized desk or work space. OK, you can’t find something. Duh. Unless you absolutely need it right now, let it go. It will turn up eventually.
Multi-tasking. One would think that multi-tasking would save time. Studies show that it can take 20-40% more time to complete a job while multitasking.
Procrastination. It’s easy to procrastinate but this habit ends up costing valuable minutes in your day. Make a “to-do” list and prioritize tasks by relative importance.
Not combining errands. If you make fewer trips, you'll save a lot of time, gas, and car depreciation.
Ignoring time wasters. Spend a few minutes each evening to see how wisely or unwisely you spent your time that day. How can you minimize time wasters?
Not being able to say “no.” Distractions throughout our day can waste our time. Being overcommitted can become a dangerous habit. Sometimes we need to turn people down … but in a nice way. That’s being assertive.
Managing time well plays a critical role in becoming a LifeNut. It takes discipline and commitment to change from a disorganized and unhealthy lifestyle but, as most LifeNuts will attest, it’s worth it. Join the club!