This time of the year can be stressful for some and exciting for others. Trying to get back into the swing of things after a long summer break can be difficult; trust me, I know. It takes a while to gain back your motivation for the school year and to get into a successful routine. Going back to school can be exciting, and finding time to manage all of your responsibilities can be tough. Luckily, I compiled a list of the best tricks for time management so you don’t have to.
1. Focus on your biggest tasks first
Completing your biggest tasks first gets the more daunting issues out of the way and keep you motivated to complete your smaller tasks later. Getting your bigger tasks out of the way also prevents procrastination and allows you to feel extremely accomplished about what you’re doing.
2. Invest in a planner…and actually use it
Utilizing a planner is the easiest way to make sure you manage your time wisely. When you’re able to plan out your days and weeks, nothing can sneak up on you or come as a surprise. Continuously using a planner can be beneficial to everyone and is totally worth a try.
3. Make your schedule adjustable and schedule breaks
It’s important to give yourself some time to eat, recharge your battery, and relax throughout the day. Over-planning and clogging up your day with tasks can actually be detrimental to your productivity. If you become overwhelmed and don’t allow any flexibility in your schedule, you won’t be able to complete everything you need to do. Additionally, your responsibilities will continue to build up and create unwanted stress or anxiety.
4. Understand that sometimes less is better
Sometimes, we try to grind as much out as we can and don’t slow down to really prioritize and realize what needs to get done. Take time to reevaluate and concentrate on your important tasks. It’s essential to make every action count and do the best job you can instead of trying to cram everything into a smaller time frame. Less is better sometimes, and implementing that mindset into your time management abilities can be really helpful.
5. Utilize to-do lists
It’s pretty straight-forward but I can’t stress enough how helpful to-do lists can actually be. If you have a couple things to do each day, make a list where you can cross off tasks as you finish them. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and encourages productivity. I mean, come on, who doesn’t love crossing things off their list?
6. Learn when to say “No” and don’t take on too much
Sometimes we can continuously say yes to things without realizing we don’t actually have time for them. Part of time management is prioritizing and realizing what is actually worth spending time on. Saying yes to meaningless tasks just stresses you out and adds to your already busy schedule. Taking on too much can cause you to become overwhelmed, resulting in unproductivity. Realizing when you should stop taking on responsibilities is super important and you’ll thank me later for it.
Hopefully these tricks motivated you to be more conscious with your time and energy. I know being back at school can be a stressful time, but as long as you manage your responsibilities it’s completely doable.
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