Want to steal a few minutes to yourself to have a cup of green tea and read the paper! Here are 6 ways to manage your time better.
Learn to delegate. There's always a temptation to retain total control of a project by doing everything yourself, or feeling the job will only get done properly if you do it. Delegating not only frees up your time to look after other important things, it also gives another person the opportunity to look at a project through a different lense, and add a different perspective. Which can sometimes ultimately lead to a better result.
Set a time limit. When starting a new piece of work, always set a time limit. You are much more likely to meet a fixed deadline than a vague one, and it is so easy to loose track of time when you are focusing on something. Setting a time limit when working on a project gives you an opportunity to identify what tasks take take up more time than others, and ultimately helps you to plan out your working week more efficiently.
Prioritise your workload. When everything seems urgent. Stop, think, and prioritise, so you are confident that you are always doing the right job at the right time. Keeping a "to do" list and updating it every day also really helps with prioritising. There are lots of on-line tools available, or like me, you might prefer to keep hand written lists. Whichever way you choose to manage your workload, just ensure that you regularly review what you are doing and make sure to keep track of everything.
Get to know your computer. Put some time aside every week to learn something about your computer's various functions. There could be some time saving tricks you're not aware of. I find YouTube video's are a great source of information, I look for video training that's short, detailed and to the point.
Deal with paperwork. Don't keep putting it to one side. Sub-consciously it's always going to be sitting there, in the back of your mind causing anxiety. So delegate, discard, file or action that paper on your desk and if you can, make this a daily task. Clearing paperwork at the end of the working day will calm your mind and reduce internal stress.
Learn to say no. This is probably the most difficult task of all. Remember, if you are overloaded, it becomes very difficult to get anything done. So learn to say no and only take on a workload that you can deal with. I know easier said than done! But still good advice and there are lots of subtle ways to say no, without using the actual word!
Wild Poppy Wellbeing Tip. Consider swopping that milky coffee for a cup of Green Tea. Green Tea contains an amino acid called L-Theanine, which has been found to reduce stress, and boost mood. Green Tea is also known to improve brain function and keep you alert.
Clearsprings Organic Japanese Sencha Traditional Green Tea is one of my favourites!