October 27, 2022

Becky Towns, Mental Health Volunteering and Employment Officer for our Step Forward programme, shares some ideas for stress awareness and managing our time:

Every year on 2 November it’s National Stress Awareness Day, a day that highlights how stress can affect people in different ways and how we can manage it before it becomes a problem.

Some stress is normal and good for us, even beneficial sometimes, helping us feel more spurred on and energized to get things done. It’s important to recognize when it becomes overwhelming.

What’s more, what stresses one person won’t necessarily cause stress for someone else. Though we probably could all agree that at some point or another, we get stressed about our time.

 

So, let’s talk about adding value to our time.

How boring does this sound, “Let’s talk about time management?”

But, how often do we hear or say things like, ‘I just don’t have time’, ‘there’s not enough hours in the day’, the list could go on and on!

Because time, or the perceived lack of it, is one of the things many people say overwhelms them, that causes them stress in different aspects of their life. This can have a detrimental impact not only on how and what we do, but more importantly, on our own mental health and wellbeing.

 

But how do we change our mind-set when it comes to adding more value to our time?

That feeling of lack of time can leave people more overwhelmed and overloaded. Whether that’s balancing home life, work, personal problem(s) and/or supporting other family members.

You may be feeling the pressure to show or justify how you’re filling your time proactively and productively.

You may also be managing all of that and those feelings with a sense of guilt, thinking you’re not doing enough.

 

You may be asking yourself  “how do others fit everything in and make it look so easy?” from what you see or hear on social media or from other people.

What’s important to remember is that what we see and hear doesn’t always paint the whole picture of what’s happening behind the scenes.

And although easier said than done, there’s no reason for any of us to feel guilty for however we’re managing our time, whatever our circumstances. Because it’s important we’re doing things in a way best for our own life and situations.

On a personal level, balancing home, work and volunteering has been helped massively thanks to a very supportive hubby, where the ethos in our house is all about teamwork.

But having a more structured and flexible to-do list has also made a huge difference.

 

It seems ironic when talking about time management that we must take time out to prepare a to-do list.

Hand’s up if you agree there’s nothing more satisfying than having that ‘ahh moment’ of feeling more prepared, well except that feeling when you get to cross something off the list at the end of the day. Or is that just me?

 

My approach

Over the last few months, I’ve adapted my approach to use the traffic light system. I can’t for the life of me remember where I came across this concept, but it’s about thinking of things as ‘outcomes’ rather than ‘to-dos’.

And even if you’re currently not working, a to do list/goal setting plan can make such a positive difference to each day.

TOP TIP: When you’re planning your to-do list, have a think about ‘eating your frog’.

It’s a concept from Brian Tracy, which really hit home with me the first time I heard about it from a friend. And if I was being honest, for three small words, the concept has had such a positive impact, in all aspects of my day to day.

So, I’d recommend for you to try and “EAT YOUR FROG” early each morning and kick-start your day in a more positive and proactive frame of mind.

 

 

 

 

A helpful TED Talk

Here’s some food for thought in a great TED Talk from Chris Bailey – A more human approach to productivity (You may need to access this on your phone).

 

There are also some useful time management tips on the Mind Tools website

 

Final thoughts

As I’ve mentioned, re-introducing and re-formatting how I manage my time in these ways, has had a positive impact in my life, helping me work smarter, not harder and even improved my mental wellbeing. “Eating Your Frog” even helped my little one during Covid when he was struggling with home-schooling.

But it’s important to say, what worked for me, won’t work for everyone.

Most people will have their own way – Whether it’s using traditional pen and paper, a spreadsheet, or for those much more technically minded than me, a time management app.

If you don’t use any type of to-do list at the minute or you’re looking at ways to adapt your current approach, why not grab a brew and take some time now to find what will help you get the most value out of your time.

MY TOP TIP: Find what works best for you on a practical level, but also and most importantly, what will help support your mental wellbeing, especially during times you may feel stressed or overwhelmed.