Time management is a skill that can be trained and improved for the sake of your own psychological well-being. Although it is not difficult, time management requires discipline and persistence to get from your dreams to your goals .
It often feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day, and if there were more, we could get everything done on time. The feeling that “we don’t have enough time” can arise from the fact that we spend more time on some tasks than necessary, from fatigue and lack of concentration , from distractions, interruptions, and much more.
You don’t have to be in a very responsible position to feel this way. More and more people are facing this problem every day, trying to keep an organized agenda and balance their workload, but failing.
The biggest challenge usually comes from the difficulty of managing your time effectively, which in turn leads to a build-up of unfulfilled tasks and commitments that can become overwhelming.
This situation can become much worse if people fail to prioritize their responsibilities properly, leading to a constant feeling of being overwhelmed. Lack of proper organization and planning can cause stress, which can affect both your productivity at work and your overall well-being.
This inability to cope with an excessive and poorly planned workload becomes a vicious cycle in which the need to complete all the unfinished tasks creates even more anxiety and greater difficulty concentrating. In addition, the inability to find a balance between work and personal time can lead to physical and mental exhaustion, which negatively affects the quality of life.
The solution to these problems is time management. It involves a number of steps that together will help improve the perception of time and control what we do with it.
The Link Between Time Management and Personal Well-Being
First of all, time management is about dividing and using time in an optimal way. For example, knowing what our peak concentrations are or knowing how to avoid distractions during work hours is very useful.
Time management provides a basis for decision-making and a structure for protecting and adapting to changing circumstances. However, a recent meta-analysis found that time management skills have the greatest impact on personal well-being.
From the mid-1980s to 2019, 158 major articles have been published in journals on business, computer science, gender studies, psychology, sociology, and education analyzing the effectiveness of time management.
By comparing these studies, the authors of the meta-analysis examined various time management techniques in academic and work environments, individual differences in time management, and its impact on well-being factors such as life satisfaction, anxiety, depression, and positive and negative affect.
Analyzing the impact of all these studies, the researchers found that time management has a moderate positive effect on productivity, both in terms of managers’ performance evaluations and on factors such as motivation and work engagement.
The relationship between time management and job performance increased over the years that studies were published, further suggesting that time management has become a more important factor in people’s lives. This relationship was not as strong in academic settings: time management appeared to matter less for grades than for job performance [ B. Aeon, 2021 ].
Despite claims that time management is primarily a job- or career-related skill, the strongest correlation was found between good time management and personal well-being: the impact of time management on life satisfaction was 72% stronger than on job satisfaction.
Time management also reduced feelings of anxiety.
Overall, the results of this 2021 meta-analysis show that time management works, although contrary to popular belief, the most favored factor is well-being, not career. These results may mean that well-being is not just a by-product of a well-managed work life, but may be a direct result of good time management.
Good time management is a very important skill both at work and in everyday life, and although it seems obvious, not all people are able to organize their time and tasks more effectively.
Poor time management can almost certainly lead to high levels of stress and, obviously, to decreased productivity. Therefore, once a person can understand and internalize how to properly manage their time, they will also be able to anticipate possible conflicts and plan alternative solutions.
How can psychology help?
It is important to remember that our mental health should always be a priority. If we find ourselves in a situation where we feel overwhelmed with tasks and obligations, it is imperative to reorganize everything and start saying no to certain things. Recognizing and accepting our limitations is essential to avoid burnout and excessive stress.
Psychology can be a very useful tool in helping us cope with the symptoms of stress and anxiety that may arise at certain points in our lives.
Moreover, although in many cases our goal is to be able to manage our time effectively, there are circumstances that prevent us from achieving these goals alone.
Therapy can help you develop the tools you need to begin learning to manage your time, be more assertive, avoid distractions, and set realistic goals so you can create personal space for pleasure and disconnection and integrate all areas of your life [ Albiach psicólogos, 2024 ].
Laws for Time Management
Time management is defined by laws that explain the optimal way to divide and manage time.
Among the most important are:
- Pareto’s Law:“20% of a person’s work contributes to 80% of their results and vice versa.” According to this law, most of our results depend on a small part of our efforts, so since it is influenced by little, it is better to focus on what really matters.
- Parkinson’s Law:“Any task can be postponed indefinitely until it takes up all the time available for its complete completion.” The more time we have to complete a task, the more we will postpone it, so it is recommended to set deadlines for all tasks.
- Murphy’s Law:“If something can go wrong, it will.” According to this law, unexpected events can always happen, so it is recommended to plan to anticipate unexpected events and leave some extra time in reserve for safety.
- Carlson’s Law:“Any interrupted activity is less effective and takes longer than if it were carried out continuously.” This law refers to the fact that it takes longer to complete a task if we lose concentration between them than if we do it without interruption. For this reason, it is recommended to plan your work time, avoiding interruptions and performing all related tasks in consecutive periods.
- Illich’s Law:“We all have a threshold of effectiveness beyond which the more time we devote to something, the more saturated we become and the worse the task we set out to accomplish becomes.” According to this law, we all have different rhythms and different productive periods of time. Therefore, to improve administration, it is important to know yourself and be able to work at your best hours and optimal times, giving yourself the necessary breaks. It is also important to know how to delegate tasks so as not to overload yourself.
It is also important to mention the role of distractions or so-called “time thieves”, which are closely related to Carlson’s law [ Saudade Psicología, 2024 ].
Time thieves
Time stealers are those people, factors and things that distract us and prevent us from completing tasks, but they can be controlled and we can learn to identify them so we can eliminate them.
Time thieves can be internal or external. Internal ones are those distractions that are generated by the person themselves, such as a perfectionist nature , which will make us take longer to complete tasks due to the need to perfect even the smallest details; or low self-discipline, which increases the likelihood of procrastination and makes us put off work, not getting things done on time.
On the other hand, there are external time thieves that are easier to control. Some of them are:
- Phone calls that interrupt our work.The solution is to introduce zero working hours. Zero hours are hours of personal work, reflection or training, during which all distractions are eliminated. In this case, to eliminate distractions, you should turn off your phone and schedule personal calls for free time.
- Unexpected visits.To avoid this distraction, it is necessary to establish visiting rules, notifying in advance of available hours and limiting the time each visit can last. In addition, visits are not allowed during zero hours. Here it is especially important to understand that the psychological aspects of time management are closely related to your personal self-esteem , what you allow others to do to you. Often, those who do not know how to manage time also do not know how to build boundaries in communication with loved ones and colleagues.
- Disorganization of the workplace.For example, extra papers on the desk can prevent you from finding the right material when you need it. To avoid paper accumulation, you should never leave any document without action, whether it is by email or on paper. When we receive a new document, we should immediately decide whether it is useful for us or for colleagues. If not, its place is in the trash or shredder. If the document is useful, but not needed temporarily, it can be archived and assigned an expiration date.
- Lack of information.Sometimes we cannot start or continue work because we lack some data. In such cases, it is necessary to describe what you want precisely to facilitate the search. In addition, it is necessary to set a deadline to collect all this, because otherwise the process will drag on.
To deal with time thieves, you need to remember the main thing: your goals and objectives. You can feel that “no time” is just an excuse on your life’s path with our online program “From Dream to Goal” .
Planning stages
Once time is manageable, understanding that there are variables that can affect time management, such as time thieves, personal rhythms, and deadlines, and knowing how to use them to your advantage becomes part of planning. It consists of a series of steps that, if followed, will contribute to the effective use of time.
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Defining goals
The fundamental basis of time planning is the distinction between long-term and short-term goals, since it is believed that a person manages his time well if what he does is aimed at achieving his intended goals.
Having clear goals is important to know where we are going. However, the goals set must have a number of characteristics that make them viable. To do this, they must be:
Once the goals have been defined, the specific tasks needed to achieve them should be identified.
Main list
The master list should include all the tasks that need to be completed, starting from today and ending with tasks in a year.
In this way, the workload can be quantified and put into perspective, so that tasks deemed unnecessary can be eliminated and complex tasks can be broken down into simpler ones. For example, the task “study pathophysiology” can be broken down into “print notes” and “underline topic 1.”
Urgent tasks should be moved to the daily list, and those tasks that have a deadline, such as “submit report by March 20,” should be moved to the calendar or agenda.
Daily list
The daily list should be made the evening before or at the beginning of the day from the tasks from the master list that are due that day and tasks that arise during the day.
It is recommended to write down a maximum of 10 daily tasks, and group small tasks or those that are very similar to each other.
For example, the tasks “send an email to teacher P.Sh.”, “send an email to the boss,” and “reply to the principal” constitute one task and must be completed together.
Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix is a 4-quadrant table in which tasks are organized according to their urgency and importance. The urgency of a task is determined by its deadline, and its importance is determined by the significance of the task in achieving personal goals.
The 4 quadrants are:
- Quadrant 1:This quadrant is where you mark urgent and important tasks, i.e. tasks that are important to you and that need to be completed immediately. If you pile up a lot of tasks, they will cause stress due to the urgency required.
- Quadrant 2:This quadrant is for non-urgent but important tasks, i.e. those tasks that are relevant but do not require immediate completion. Writing a large number of tasks in this quadrant suggests good planning, since the tasks are predictable and it is recommended to work on them. For example, preparing for an exam that is due in a month.
- Quadrant 3:This quadrant contains urgent but unimportant tasks, i.e. those tasks that need to be completed immediately but are important not for yourself but for others. Tasks within this quadrant should be delegated whenever possible to increase productivity.
- Quadrant 4:This quadrant is where non-urgent and unimportant tasks are noted. For example, regarding leisure or free time, checking social networks or going for coffee.
By writing down all the tasks that need to be done in the different sectors, you will be able to review them briefly and analyze which ones need to be done sooner, which ones can be postponed, and which ones can be discarded [ Saudade Psicología, 2024 ].
How to improve time management?
When a problem or difficulty arises, you always need to be able to see it and accept it in order to start finding a solution. This requires changing routine processes and automated processes that make us live fast, replacing them with new habits that will allow you to be aware of the relationship between time and tasks.
In time management, it is very important to control the factors that affect productivity: information, tools, knowledge, automation processes, possible distractions.
If a person learns to control these factors, he will be able to effectively complete his tasks and achieve his goals, so that he will not have to revise the established deadlines and subtract time from his personal activities and leisure.
Tips to help you manage your time better in your daily life:
- Use an agenda.Distribute tasks in the medium/long term, reflecting important dates. Allocate a certain amount of time to each task. It is necessary to leave free time between tasks.
- Set goals.It is correct to divide your own goals into short-term/medium/long-term, as this allows you to see your development in the task and increases motivation.
- Divide your time into blocks.By breaking down complex tasks into simple blocks, you can optimize resources, save time, and become more organized.
- Reward yourself.If you abuse it, a good reward after completing a task is motivating.
- Set limits.If you find yourself blocked, tired, and easily distracted, it’s best to stop. Being too persistent won’t help.
- Be realistic.In many cases, a person tries to cover more tasks than he can handle. This is the first step that needs to be clearly understood before setting goals.
- Define tasks.Clearly decide what actions to take for each goal.
- Find the right tools for the job.Explore and analyze what tools are available or can be used to achieve your goals.
- Prioritize. This helps you understand which tasks should be started first and which are not quite urgent. An effective management method is the pyramid of priorities, also known as Maslow’s pyramid when applied to personal organization. This method consists of establishing a hierarchy of priorities, in which the fundamental tasks are placed at the base of the pyramid, and the rest are higher up the pyramid.
- Plan your rest.It is necessary when we are immersed in completing tasks. Time management is managing not only your working time, but also your personal time, based on the ability to recognize your fatigue and exhaustion. The more tired you are, the less sleep you get, the more rest your body needs. Otherwise, you risk burnout or worse.
- Don’t put off until later what you can do today.Procrastination does not improve productivity. Find a balance between effort and rest.
- “Check in for a check-in.”Spend a few minutes a day, ideally no more than half an hour, planning your tasks and creating an agenda. This short but important time can make a big difference in your ability to get things done throughout the day. It’s important to be realistic about your workload during these minutes, avoiding the temptation to overload yourself with too many tasks.
- Set boundaries and limits.The best way to avoid overworking is to maintain healthy limits. Before taking on new tasks and responsibilities, it is essential to have a clear picture of your personal capabilities and adapt them to the surrounding reality. For example, the circumstances and ability to cope with tasks are significantly different for a person who lives alone in his or her parents’ house than for a person who has a partner and three children together. Or adopted children, it doesn’t matter. When assessing the amount of additional work we can take on, we need to consider the responsibilities and demands of our personal environment.
- Be persistent.Learning to say “no” to demands you cannot accept is essential to being able to set realistic goals and focus your efforts.
- Use single-functional devices.When we perform complex or boring tasks, we usually take out our mobile phones to entertain ourselves, and eventually time gets out of control. A strategy to avoid distractions is to make the devices as boring as possible, eliminating social media apps, games, etc.
- Practice doing nothing. Modern people are often so busy that they feel uncomfortable sitting idle. Moreover, society and loved ones condemn this. And in vain. Often, the fear of seeming slob leads to the fact that a person overloads himself with new tasks in order to avoid this. By developing a desire to slow down, a person begins to look differently at people and things around him and allows the world around him to be as it is [ Bangardia Psicología, 2024 ].
Fear is one of the root causes of time management techniques not working. To overcome fear, you must first identify it and then begin to work with it .
And after that, you can sign up for our extended course of 5 lessons and 12 exercises, which is called: “Time Management: Time Management” . This course describes in detail various techniques that may be useful to you.
What should be avoided?
So far we’ve talked about what you need to do to manage your time better, but as with almost everything, there are things you should avoid to get good results.
Here they are:
- Avoid long breaks.Try to concentrate on the task 100%, taking short breaks to stay more active.
- Avoid excessive use of mobile phones.There are a lot of things stored on our devices that can be distracting. A good option is to leave your cell phone out of reach or turn it off for a set period of time.
- Avoid putting off tasks.People often do this with things they don’t like. However, the more time passes, the more stress it causes.
Ultimately, taking the time to think about your own priorities and adjusting your schedule accordingly will help you maintain control and clarity about what’s truly important. Not only will this increase productivity, but it will also contribute to your overall well-being by allowing you to fulfill your responsibilities in a more balanced and sustainable way.
In other words, by organizing your time correctly, you give it to yourself. How cool!