Time Management - Unit 2

Myths About Stress and Time Management
Myth #1: All stress is bad. No, there's good and bad stress. Good stress is excitement, thrills, etc.
The goal is to recognize personal signs of bad stress and deal with them.
Myth #2: Planning my time just takes more time. Actually, research shows the opposite.
Myth #3: I get more done in more time when I wisely use caffeine, sugar, alcohol or nicotine.
Wrong! Research shows that the body always has to "come down" and when it does, you can't
always be very effective then after the boost.
Myth #4: A time management problem means that there's not enough time to get done what
needs to get done. No, a time management problem is not using your time to your fullest
advantage, to get done what you want done.
Myth #5: The busier I am, the better I'm using my time. Look out! You may only be doing what's
urgent, and not what's important.
Myth #6: I feel very harried, busy, so I must have a time management problem. Not necessarily.
You should verify that you have a time management problem. This requires knowing what you
really want to get done and if it is getting done or not.
Myth #7: I feel OK, so I must not be stressed. In reality, many adults don't even know when
they're really stressed out until their bodies tell them so. They miss the early warning signs from
their body, for example, headaches, still backs, twitches, etc.
Major Causes of Workplace Stress

1. Not knowing what you want or if you're getting it - poor planning.
2. The feeling that there's too much to do. One can have this feeling even if there's hardly
anything to do at all.
3. Not enjoying your job. This can be caused by lots of things, for example, not knowing
what you want, not eating well, etc. However, most people always blame their jobs.
4. Conflicting demands on the job.
5. Insufficient resources to do the job.6. Not feeling appreciated.
Biggest Time Wasters

1. Interruptions. There will always be interruptions. It's how they're handled that wastes
time.
2. Hopelessness. People "give in", "numb out" and "march through the day".
3. Poor delegation skills. This involves not sharing work with others.
Common Symptoms of Poor Stress and Time Management
1. Irritability. Fellow workers notice this first.
2. Fatigue. How many adults even notice this?
3. Difficulty concentrating. You often don't need to just to get through the day!
4. Forgetfulness. You can't remember what you did all day, what you ate yesterday.
5. Loss of sleep. This affects everything else!
6. Physical disorders, for example, headaches, rashes, tics, cramps, etc.
7. At worst, withdrawal and depression.
Wise Principles of Good Stress and Time Management

1. Learn your signs for being overstressed or having a time management problem. Ask your
friends about you. Perhaps they can tell you what they see from you when you're
overstressed.
2. Most people feel that they are stressed and/or have a time management problem. Verify
that you really have a problem. What do you see, hear or feel that leads you to conclude
that you have a time or stress problem?
3. Don't have the illusion that doing more will make you happier. Is it quantity of time that
you want, or quality?
4. Stress and time management problems have many causes and usually require more than
one technique to fix. You don't need a lot of techniques, usually more than one, but not a
lot.
5. One of the major benefits of doing time planning is feeling that you're in control.
6. Focus on results, not on busyness.
7. It's the trying that counts - at least as much as doing the perfect technique.
Simple Techniques to Manage Stress

There are lots of things people can do to cut down on stress. Most people probably even know
what they could do. It's not the lack of knowing what to do in order to cut down stress; it is doing
what you know you have to do. The following techniques are geared to help you do what you
know you have to do.
1. Talk to someone. You don't have to fix the problem, just report it.
2. Notice if any of the muscles in your body are tense. Just noticing that will often relax the
muscle.
3. Ask your boss if you're doing OK. This simple question can make a lot of difference and
verify wrong impressions.
4. Delegate.
5. If you take on a technique to manage stress, tell someone else. They can help you be
accountable to them and yourself.
6. Cut down on caffeine and sweets. Take a walk instead. Tell someone that you're going to
do that.
7. Use basic techniques of planning, problem solving and decision making.
8. Concise guidelines are included in this guidebook. Tell someone that you're going to use
these techniques.
9. Monitor the number of hours that you work in a week. Tell your boss, family and/or
friends how many hours that you are working.
10. Write weekly status reports. Include what you've accomplished last week and plan to do
next week. Include any current issues or recommendations that you must report to your
boss. Give the written status report to your boss on a weekly basis.
11. "Wash the dishes". Do something you can feel good about.
Simple Techniques to Manage Time

There never seems to be enough time in the roles of management and supervision. Therefore, the
goal of time management should not be to find more time. The goal is set a reasonable amount of
time to spend on these roles and then use that time wisely.
1. Start with the simple techniques of stress management above.

2. Managing time takes practice. Practice asking yourself this question throughout the day:
"Is this what I want or need to be doing right now?" If yes, then keep doing it.
3. Find some way to realistically and practically analyze your time. Logging your time for a
week in 15-minute intervals is not that hard and does not take up that much time. Do it
for a week and review your results.
4. Do a "todo" list for your day. Do it at the end of the previous day. Mark items as "A" and
"B" in priority. Set aside two hours right away each day to do the important "A" items
and then do the "B" items in the afternoon. Let your answering machine take your calls
during your "A" time.
5. At the end of your day, spend five minutes cleaning up your space. Use this time, too, to
organize your space, including your desktop. That'll give you a clean start for the next
day.
6. Learn the difference between "Where can I help?" and "Where am I really needed?"
Experienced leaders learn that the last question is much more important than the former.
7. Learn the difference between "Do I need to do this now?" and "Do I need to do this at
all?" Experienced leaders learn how to quickly answer this question when faced with a
new task.
8. Delegate. Delegation shows up as a frequent suggestion in this guide because it is one of
the most important skills for a leader to have. Effective delegation will free up a great
deal of time for you.
9. If you are CEO in a corporation, then ask your Board for help. They are responsible to
supervise you, as a CEO. Although the Board should not be micro-managing you, that is,
involved in the day-to-day activities of the corporation, they still might have some ideas
to help you with your time management. Remember, too, that good time management
comes from good planning, and the Board is responsible to oversee development of major
plans. Thus, the Board may be able to help you by doing a better themselves in their
responsibilities as planners for the organization.
10. Use a "Do Not Disturb" sign! During the early part of the day, when you're attending to
your important items (your "A" list), hang this sign on the doorknob outside your door.
11. Sort your mail into categories including "read now", "handle now" and "read later".
You'll quickly get a knack for sorting through your mail. You'll also notice that much of
what you think you need to read later wasn't really all that important anyway.
12. Read your mail at the same time each day. That way, you'll likely get to your mail on a
regular basis and won't become distracted into any certain piece of mail that ends up
taking too much of your time.
13. Have a place for everything and put everything in its place. That way, you'll know where
to find it when you need it. Another important outcome is that your people will see that
you are somewhat organized, rather than out of control.
14. Best suggestion for saving time - schedule 10 minutes to do nothing. That time can be
used to just sit and clear your mind. You'll end up thinking more clearly, resulting in
more time in your day. The best outcome of this practice is that it reminds you that you're
not a slave to a clock - and that if you take 10 minutes out of your day, you and your
organization won't fall apart.
15. Learn good meeting management skills. Meetings can become a terrible waste of time.
Guidelines for good meeting management are included later in this section.
Role of "common sense (Bravery)"

Everything good usually starts with gumption. It's picking yourself up, deciding that you could
be happier, that you want to be happier - and then doing one small thing to get you started and
keep you going. Boredom and blaming are the opposite of gumption. Stress and time
management start with gumption. It's the trying that counts. Poor time and stress management
often comes from doing the same thing harder, rather than smarter.
Here are 10 ways that you can use to improve your time management skills and increase
productivity.
1. Delegate Tasks: It is common for all of us to take more tasks than our desired potential. This
can often result in stress and burnout. Delegation is not running away from your responsibilities
but is an important function of management. Learn the art of delegating work to your
subordinates as per their skills and abilities.
2. Prioritize Work: Before the start of the day, make a list of tasks that need your immediate
attention as unimportant tasks can consume much of your precious time. Some tasks need to be
completed on that day only while other unimportant tasks could be carried forward to next day.
In short, prioritize your tasks to focus on those that are more important.
3. Avoid Procrastination: Procrastination is one of the things that badly affect the productivity.
It can result is wasting essential time and energy. It should be avoided at all costs. It could be a
major problem in both your career and your personal life.
4. Schedule Tasks: Carry a planner or notebook with you and list all the tasks that come to your
mind. Make a simple ‘To Do’ list before the start of the day, prioritize the tasks, and make sure
that they are attainable. To better manage your time management skills, you may think of
making 3 lists: work, home, and personal.
5. Avoid Stress: Stress often occurs when we accept more work than our ability. The result is
that our body starts feeling tired which can affect our productivity. Instead, delegate tasks to your
juniors and make sure to leave some time for relaxation.
6. Set up Deadlines: When you have a task at hand, set a realistic deadline and stick to it. Try to
set a deadline few days before the task so that you can complete all those tasks that may get in
the way. Challenge yourself and meet the deadline. Reward yourself for meeting a difficult
challenge.
7. Avoid Multitasking: Most of us feel that multitasking is an efficient way of getting things
done but the truth is that we do better when we focus and concentrate on one thing. Multitasking
hampers productivity and should be avoided to improve time management skills.
8. Start Early: Most of the successful men and women have one thing in common. They start
their day early as it gives them time to sit, think, and plan their day. When you get up early, you
are more calm, creative, and clear-headed. As the day progresses, your energy levels starts going
down which affects your productivity and you don’t perform as well.
9. Take Some Breaks: Whenever you find yourself for 10-15 minutes, take a break. Too much
stress can take toll on your body and affect your productivity. Take a walk, listen to some music
or do some quick stretches. The best idea is to take off from work and spend time with your
friends and family.
10. Learn to say No: Politely refuse to accept additional tasks if you think that you’re already
overloaded with work. Take a look at your ‘To Do’ list before agreeing to take on extra work.
Do you procrastinate? Learn how to beat procrastination with some simple steps: How to
Beat Your Fear of Laziness and Procrastination

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Myths About Stress and Time Management

Major Causes of Workplace Stress

Biggest Time Wasters

Wise Principles of Good Stress and Time Management

Simple Techniques to Manage Stress

Simple Techniques to Manage Time

1. Start with the simple techniques of stress management above.

Role of "common sense (Bravery)"

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