We may be in charge of our time, but many of us aren’t doing very well when it comes to piloting our planes. Because of this, poor time management is a real problem. We all know the problems that result from lacking a decent time management plan. They include:
● Lack of Productivity
● Frequent Tardiness
● Missed Deadlines
● Irritability
● Health Problems
Let’s focus on this last point. After all, isn’t that the most important thing? Without good health, productivity and other issues don’t matter. The truth is, the inability to effectively manage time can directly and indirectly have a negative impact on your physical and mental well-being. Here are just a few ways that your health can improve if you employ proper time management strategies.
You Will Have More Time For Healthier Activities
When your day is overloaded and you are overwhelmed with too many things to do, it seems as if healthy activities are the first to go. It’s no wonder. Who has the time or energy to hit the gym when their schedule is full, and they feel as if they have barely accomplished anything. It’s no wonder that people who are overscheduled often end the day in front of the television or staring at a computer screen.
If you implement a good time management strategy, you will be able to clear more time in your schedule for healthy activities such as walking, working out, or meditating. As a result, your health will improve, and your energy levels will increase. This will, in turn, make you more productive.
Your Stress And Anxiety Levels Will Decrease
If you can get a handle on time management, you will spend much less time worrying about what you aren’t getting done, and how little time you have to accomplish anything. When this happens, your stress and anxiety levels will increase significantly. According to WebMD this means:
● Improved Immunity
● Less Risk of Heart Disease
● Lowered Production of Cortisol
● Fewer Headaches
● Improved Digestion
● Better Mood
● Increased Ability to Concentrate
● Your Ability to Make Decisions
Many people don’t realize the negative health effects that people who are under unusual amounts of stress can suffer with. Implementing good time management strategies can definitely reduce your levels of stress and anxiety.
You Will Sleep Better
Lack of sleep is a common result of poor time management. This can happen for a few reasons. The first is that you might simply not have the time to get the amount of restful sleep that you need. It’s not unusual to have to ‘burn the midnight oil’ when you have too much on your plate. In addition to this, if you are constantly busy up until the time you try to sleep, you are going to have difficulties. Most people need a period of down time before they can fully go to sleep. If you don’t get that down time to read, meditate, drink a cup of tea, or simply relax, you are going to toss and turn before you can fall asleep.
You Will Have Time to Plan And Cook Healthy Foods
In the same way that people who struggle with time management have difficulty going to the gym, they often don’t have time for healthy eating and meal planning. This often means:
● Skipping Breakfasts
● Eating Sugary or Fatty Convenience Foods
● Excess Snacking
● Ordering Unhealthy Delivery or Hitting The Drive Thru
● Relying on Caffeine For Energy
● Eating Fewer Fruits And Vegetables
If you improve your time management, you will increase the time you have each week to shop for healthy foods, to plan your menu for the week, and to cook meals rather than eating out or throwing something that’s bad for you into the microwave.
People With Good Time Management Skills Have More Time to Spend With Loved Ones
Never underestimate the physical and emotional health benefits of spending time with the people that you love. You will have enough time to go to the park, visit some cities or just chill and watch some movie together. Here are some of the benefits:
● People who spend time with friends and family have healthier habits overall.
● Spending time talking on the phone with mom is a proven stress reliever.
● People with large social support systems respond better to cancer treatment.
● Spending time with friends and family can boost your immune system.
● Time with friends and family improves emotional bonds.
● Families who eat together tend to be healthier overall.
● Their lives are more balanced.
Even if good time management only gets you a few hours each week to spend with friends and family members, the benefits for you (and them) could be quite significant.
Conclusion: Tips For Improving Time Management
Hopefully, you’re convinced that time management is important and can significantly contribute to better emotional and physical health. The next step is to actually take steps to learn better time management skills and to apply them to your life.
Avoiding Procrastination by Eating The Frog
Eating the frog might sound unpleasant, but it simply means that you can avoid the negative impacts of procrastinating by tackling your most unpleasant task first. The idea is that once that is out of the way, everything else is easier to manage in comparison. Then, you don’t have anything looming over your head the remainder of the day. When this happens, you might find that you are able to get through the rest of your daily to-do list with ease.
Learning to Delegate
It could be that your time management issues stem from the fact that you are doing things that other people should be handling. This often happens to people who are unwilling or unable to delegate tasks to others. When you are given a task, ask yourself a few questions. Is it my job to do this? Am I being asked to do this by someone who truly needs my help or is entitled to assign tasks to me? Is there someone else who is better equipped to handle this?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, consider delegating that task. Helping others is fine, but not at the expense of your ability to get your own work done. Remember that both workplaces and homes run better when everybody does their assigned work.
Setting Priorities Using Time Management Quadrants
Steven Covey’s famous method of using quadrants to set priorities really works. Here is the order in which you should work your way through your tasks.
● Urgent And Important
● Important But Not Urgent
● Urgent But Not Important
● Not Urgent or Important
If you end your day with a few unimportant tasks unfinished, you will still have accomplished the things that were important.
