Tips for Achieving Good Time Management
Properly managing your time and commitments can be very difficult to begin with. But when you add in the stress of a traumatic event, normal responsibilities can often feel overwhelming and unmanageable. Check out the tips below to learn ways of managing your time and reducing your stress load.
This is a biggie! Learning to say no to unnecessary commitments is an extremely important step. We know it can be awkward to turn down an invitation from a friend, family member, or other adult. But if you are feeling overwhelmed, or already have plans, it is often much easier to politely say no than to go along with something you don’t have the time or energy for. People who care about you will understand, and you will save yourself a lot of stress and negative feelings in the long run.
Talk to someone you trust –a friend, teacher, or parent-- if you are having trouble meeting your commitments due to the stress of your trauma. You may need a little time off before rushing back into everything… this is normal! Someone who cares can help you when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Find an organizing system that works for you! You could color code a calendar, buy a notepad and write to-do lists each morning, or keep track of activities in your phone or computer. Just be sure to choose something that you will stick to and you’ll be amazed how much this can reduce your stress.
Set short and long-term goals for things that you need or want to achieve. These goals should be realistic and 99% reachable. You should be very specific with these: dates, times, locations, and set mini goals to stay on track. If you don’t reach your goal the first time, assess whether you set your goal too high. Then, just start fresh and try again!
Procrastination can lead to lower quality work, losing sleep, and unneeded stress and anxiety. It is helpful to figure out when you’re most likely to procrastinate and plan your long and short term goals around preventing it.
When you have a lot of things to get done, set time limits for each activity. That way everything on your list has enough time to be completed and you don’t end up spending too much time on one thing. You can always trade off between tasks if you need too. For example: spend 2 hours on your English paper, then a half hour practicing your instrument, then go back to the paper if it isn’t done.
Start planning your days and weeks out ahead of time, that way there are no surprises when things come up. Always rank the most important items to be completed first. One way is to write a 123 “to do” list or create a monthly calendar. The following pages provide you with instructions and tools to do this!
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