4 Secrets to Better Time Management

The pressure of feeling perpetually rushed and short of time as we go about our day is all-too-familiar to most of us. It’s one of the most common sources of anxiety and stress, and after a while, it can start to chip away at our well-being.

When we’re impatient and preoccupied with what comes next, we’re not fully present, and that can ruin our enjoyment of life. Our relationships suffer because those around us—family, friends, coworkers—don’t get our full attention. And we’re less productive because we’re distracted rather than focused on the task at hand, whatever we’re doing.

Unfortunately, there’s no magic wand to freeze time. But there are ways we can learn to think differently about our time, so that we approach our waking hours with more mindfulness. Here are four ways to do that.

1. Breathe for One Minute

That anxiety you’re feeling about not having enough time? It’s simply that—a feeling, which was triggered by an anxious thought. As thoughts and feelings feed one another they create a cycle of negativity that clouds our mind. By practicing mindfulness, where we learn to focus fully on the present moment and not get so caught up in thought, we can short-circuit that anxiety loop and begin to find more calm and clarity. A clear mind is better at figuring out solutions than an anxious one, so in those moments when you’re feeling overwhelmed, pause and try this simple one-minute exercise.

2. Delegate Like a CEO

Time management skills are essential for everyone and apply to all aspects of your life, not just work. More efficiency means less stress. Take a hard look at all of the commitments that are filling up the container of your day, both old and new. Think about which commitments make you feel overextended, and then hand them off to someone else, even if just temporarily. Can someone else facilitate your book club meeting this month? Has a colleague asked you (yet again) if you can cover for them while they run an errand, which means you lose your lunch hour? Has your kids’ school asked you to volunteer extra time at the bake sale? Think about which commitments make you feel overextended, and then hand them off to someone else, even if just temporarily. And say no to new asks that don’t serve your schedule.

 3. Let Go of Perfectionism

Often, we feel time pressure more because of our own psychology—a big, Iceberg Belief (deep-rooted belief about how we “should” operate) that we’re not even aware of—than a ticking clock. One of those self-limiting ideas is the quest for perfection—that we need to do everything perfectly or else we’ve failed. Our unreasonably high standards mean we put tasks off until the “perfect time” (news flash: there’s never a perfect time) or until we can believe we do them perfectly. So, we don’t turn in that report, or send those emails, or throw dinner together, or clean the bathroom, and our to-do list doesn’t budge.

If this sounds like you, let your inner critic know that you don’t have to be perfect to be worthy. You can strive for excellence, but most of the time good really is good enough.

4. Try Temptation Bundling

Who wouldn’t prefer a Netflix binge (or any other guilty pleasure) to paying bills, grocery shopping, or doing a third load of laundry? Since we feel less time-pressured when we’re doing things we enjoy, there is a technique you can try (a little trick, really), coined by researchers at the Wharton School of the  University of Pennsylvania, called “temptation bundling.” The idea is to pair something you should do (work out) with something you want to do (listen to your favorite podcast); and do the two activities together. This boosts your motivation to do the thing you don’t want to do by making it more fun and rewarding. The beauty of this technique is that the possibilities for pairings are almost endless.

Remember this: Your time is precious. Becoming more mindful about how you spend it means treating it like the gift it is: valuable, in limited supply, and meant to be spent on the things you choose.