Time Management

Sometimes taking control of your time means taking control of those situations and events that cause stress. Most people expect too much of themselves, and try to do too much. Attempting to do too much in too little time can cause a significant amount of stress.

Signs and Symptoms:

Do you find yourself stressed with all you have to do? (Some common indicators of stress are increased irritability, erratic sleep, increased eating and drinking and smoking, fatigue, restlessness, self-doubt, poor memory and concentration).
Are you frequently finishing tasks at the last minute, right before they are due?
Do you find you have a difficult time concentrating on one job at a time, because there are so many jobs to do?

Then, you might benefit from some TIME MANAGEMENT skills.

Helpful Tips:

Develop a To Do List:

Use a standard format, one that fits your needs.
It should be comprehensive
Maintain it continuously, keep the list current
Use the list to set priorities

Prioritize

Priority 1: Critical, goal-related, must be done today.
Priority 2: Important, goal-related, must be done soon, but not necessarily today
Priority 3: Can wait, may or may not be goal-related, no significant time pressure, may be easy, quick, and pleasant

Time Metabolism

Cooperate with your energy levels! What are your "Prime Times"?
Do your "tough tasks" at "Prime Time"
Cooperate with others' time metabolisms

Schedule your time:

For these tasks, you may use a variety of tools for scheduling your time, such as executive planners, calendars, journals, logs, schedules, and even 3x5 cards

Set a time to arrive and leave
Combine related activities
Plan major time blocks
Consolidate discretionary time
Schedule most important activities for handling at first appropriate time
Take advantage of prime time
Do not slight planning time
Set deadlines for important work
Allow quiet time
Protect personal and family time

Handling interruptions:

Drop-in visitors: Set time limits on their visits. Don't be hesitant to say, "This really isn't a good time for me right now, how about we meet for an hour on......"
Colleagues and Students: Meet regularly, but close your door when you need to concentrate. Hang a sign on the door if necessary.
Roommates: Agree on "quiet time" in your apartment or dorm room.
Telephone: Plan your calls in writing, get to the point assertively, listen actively, focus your concentration on the call, time limit your calls, and stand up to talk.
Getting off the Phone: The way you begin a call affects the way you end it. You can start a phone call by stating, "Hi Susan, I only have 5 minutes to talk, but I wanted to let you know that......".

Organizing your work area and coping with paperwork:

Develop and follow a personalized plan of organization for your desk or work area
Sort paperwork on your desk according to priority
Discard low priority items
Use follow-up files to unclutter your desk and your mind
If you have read something three times and not acted on it, throw it away.

Procrastination Solutions

Problem: A dull or unpleasant task.

Solution: Delegate this task to someone else! Or reward completion of the task (like taking a 15 minute break, buying a new CD, calling a friend for a short phone call).

Problem: An overwhelming or complex task.

Solution: Divide the task into manageable components. Divide large tasks according to time available. Handle a big job in "rounds".

Problem: No prospect of immediate results or benefits.

Solution: Build in "mini" completions. If you're working on a large project, reward yourself for working on it for an hour, then again the next hour.

Problem: Being stuck. You don't know how to handle a project or where to start.

Solution: Identify known action steps. Make an arbitrary start. Prepare a task breakdown chart.

Time Savers

Learn to say NO
Begin; avoid procrastinating
Work briskly (takes less energy)
Plan the task before starting to work on it
Plan the day, the week, and the year
Set goals so the emphasis will be on the important tasks
Learn and practice self-discipline
Improve your skills in concentration
Develop a good memory
Learn to listen effectively
Learn to like your work
Know your job well
Keep your own procedure manual and add to it as you find valuable material for future reference
Know where to find answers quickly
Seek the help of experts (books, manuals, consultants, etc.)
Expect to succeed
Learn from any mistakes or failures; then forget them
Finish each task before starting another
Avoid interruptions
Have a place for everything; keep or return everything to its place
Improve your reading skills; increase your speed
Improve your writing skill.

Your Counseling Service:Timely, confidential, and professional assistance is available at the UniversityPsychological Services Center(8:00am – 5:00pm, M-F) for UC students located at 316 Dyer Hall. Phone (513-556-0648) or stop in for a no-charge screening interview.

Web Resources: The best psychology sites with valuable information and links to hundreds of other sites on the World Wide Web are Psych Centralby Dr. John Grohol and Internet Mental Health.

This fact sheet is provided as a service by the University of Cincinnati Psychological Services Center and the Division of Student Affairs and Services. This fact sheet was prepared by Dr. Diann Ackard and the professional staff of the Psychological Services Center.