One of my biggest goals for 2022 is to learn how to manage my time better. I love to stay busy, but a lot of times I end up over committing myself and getting overwhelmed with the amount of work I have on my plate. I am involved with multiple clubs on campus, on the executive board for my sorority, and also a biochemistry major with a ton of studying to do. This semester I have already been doing a lot better with managing my time. Here are a few things I have been doing:
Only work on one thing at a time. One of the easiest ways to get overwhelmed with work is to try to do everything at once. Decide what you are going to work on and only work on that one thing. If I am going to do physics homework, I will only work on that until I am done with it. If I try to work on physics while also writing a paper for English or planning things for my sorority, I will never get any of it done. Pick one thing to work on and just get it done so you have one less thing to do.
Plan your breaks. Set specific times for taking breaks from your work. It has happened to me far too many times where I sit down to work on a lab report at 3:00 and all of a sudden it’s 9:00 and I forgot to get dinner. Taking a break is important to clear your mind and avoid getting burnt out. Even just allotting 5 minutes to scroll through tik tok after an hour of studying can make a difference.
Start saying no to things. Just because you think you have time for something doesn’t mean you are obligated to do it. It is okay to say no to things and take some time for yourself. I struggle with this a lot because I love to stay busy and I don’t like letting people down. Saying no to something is not the end of the world.
Make time for fun things. Spending time with your friends is important. Make sure that when you are planning your schedule you make time to go out and have fun. There is no shame in not doing work all the time. If you manage your time wisely, you should be able to put your work away for a few hours and do something you love.
SLEEP! If you don’t make time for yourself to get some sleep at night you will never be able to handle a busy schedule. This has been one of the hardest lessons in time management for me. If you don’t sleep, you won’t have the energy to keep getting work done. Sometimes it is better to leave work unfinished than to pull an all-nighter. If I don’t get enough sleep constantly, I always end up not doing my best work and usually get sick on top of that.
I’m still not perfect at time management, but nothing comes without practice! I have definitely been getting better at organizing my time. Even though I may mess up every once in a while and stay up too late studying, I am proud of the progress I have made!