Time Management for the Overwhelmed
/Do you ever feel like there’s too much to do? Like you’re being pulled in a million different directions? There are days when I am overwhelmed by the tasks on my to-do list, the kids are constantly demanding attention, toys are scattered on the floor, and quite frankly, I feel I’m losing my mind. It doesn’t really matter what stage of life you’re in, the feeling of being spread too thin, not having enough time, and being stressed out—affects EVERYONE. Life is hectic. You’ll need more than just organizing skills to feel like you’ve got a handle on things. Being a bit of a perfectionist means that I struggle with the realities of being a work-at-home mom. But, being minimalistic and organized also means when the chaos of life starts to weigh me down, it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to feel in control again. Here are my tips to better manage your time and overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Simplify
It may not seem like the contents of your home are causing your time management struggles, but studies have shown that straightening out the physical aspects of your life will in turn give you mental clarity.
Decluttering is a key element in gaining the peace, control, and time that you desire. Getting rid of the items that aren’t adding value to your life will leave more time for the things that do matter. Every possession takes your time and energy—time and energy that could be better spent elsewhere. Minimalism isn’t living without, it’s owning possessions that serve a purpose and add value to your life.
Once you’ve purged unwanted items, you’ll more easily be able to create organizing solutions and find ways to simplify tasks and chores.
Here are my top 5 time-saving tips to help you simplify your life:
1. Follow the one minute rule.
2. Automate—bill payments, savings account transfers, shipments of household products, reoccurring calendar entries, etc.
3. Schedule—not only events, appointments, and deadlines, but tasks and chores, as well. (I’ll talk more about this later.)
4. Simplify your cleaning routine.
5. Accept help.
Prioritize
If you feel like you are frantically bouncing from one task to the next, evaluate what’s most important. What would you get the most out of accomplishing… Catching up with emails? Cleaning the kitchen? Playing a game with the kids?
It’s okay to say ‘no’ to invitations and commitments. It’s okay to prioritize time with your family. Take control of your schedule. Everyone’s priorities will look a little different, and that’s okay—understand and accept what is important to you and your family. Prioritizing allows you to find balance between being productive and giving yourself time to unwind.
1. Make a list of all of your goals and ‘to dos’. This is a brain dump—the order doesn’t matter yet, just get everything down.
2. Label each item based on when it needs to be accomplished—T for today, W for this week, M for this month, Y for this year.
3. Number every item in each category based on importance. You’ll end with a numbered list for each category. Today: 1, 2, 3… This Week: 1, 2, 3... and so on.
4. Start with your top priority each day. It’s tempting to knock out some of the quicker and simpler tasks first, but if you don’t get your number one done, you’re prolonging your sense of accomplishment. At the end of the day, any unfinished tasks can be bumped to the next day.
5. Remember to be flexible. Chances are your priorities will change over time, be sure to evaluate your list and make adjustments as needed. If there’s a task on your to-do list that is continually being put off, how important is it? Could you calendar that task for next week, how about next month? Be realistic about what you need to accomplish.
Schedule
At any given time, I am juggling schedules for four people plus remembering all the things that need to get done—every lightbulb that needs replaced, toy that needs repaired, gifts that need purchased. To-do lists are never ending. Scheduling helps you gain control over the tasks and the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Keep your calendar on you at all times. I highly recommend using a calendar app on your phone—it’s the most convenient way to always have access to your schedule. Be sure every event and commitment makes it onto your calendar, but use your calendar to schedule time for housework and well-deserved breaks, too.
I use Google calendar to create reminders for all the little things I need to remember like: pick up the dry cleaning, return library books, clean the toilets. I love that Google’s reminders roll over to the next day if not completed. When you do complete the task, just swipe to mark it ‘done’—it’s an immensely satisfying swipe. You can also set reminders and calendar entries to repeat on a schedule—this is a great way to get organized around household chores like changing air filters, replacing batteries in the smoke detectors, and cleaning the gutters.
Having everything on your calendar allows you to free your mind of all those events and chores and focus on what needs to get done right now.
Relax
I’ll admit, sometimes my organizational skills are my downfall—times when I focus too much on crossing items off the to-do list and don’t spend enough time living in the moment. I’m constantly battling between granting myself grace and harping on myself because of something like a load of laundry not getting done.
Your busyness does not equal your worth. Having a calendar full of colored rectangles denoting places to go and things to do does not give your life more value. We frequently use the term ‘hustle’—we side-hustle in an attempt to work and earn more, we hustle through our day in an attempt to accomplish more, we are hustling through life.
Life moves fast and it’s okay if we aren’t productive every single minute of it. It’s okay to slow down. It’s okay to skip laundry day to take the kids to the park. Take each day as it comes. Give yourself credit for your accomplishments—even if it wasn’t something you crossed off a list!
