You Welcome,
Unique learners.
This talk is part 2 of time management techniques and covers what combinations of time management have worked for me.
The session includes inquiry questions and a quick breathing exercise.
To get started,
Does this sound familiar?
Why am I always busy?
I am so stressed.
I just really need to finish this now.
I will rest later.
But the next time there will be something else you need to finish or someone asks for your help.
Why are you overloaded,
Overcommitted?
I know that I've struggled a lot with time management,
Especially during my PhD.
It always felt like I was running behind.
There was never enough time to do all the things I wanted and felt I needed to do.
The good news is,
We all can do more and have fun with time management.
Even though we cannot control time or pause it whenever we like it,
We can take action on it to a certain degree.
In part 1 I have discussed several time management techniques which actually helped me to become more efficient and feel more at ease.
By using timing techniques when appropriate,
Focusing on one task with no distractions,
Having actual study breaks and dividing my work in smaller parts and prioritizing it,
It improved my wellbeing massively.
And don't get me wrong,
I do fall back into the trap that I can do everything at once.
Therefore it is beneficial to do a little grounding,
Settle in with a quick breathing session,
Without distraction.
So close your eyes,
Try to sit or lay down comfortably,
Whatever works for you.
Place your right thumb on your right nostril and breathe in through your left nostril.
Hold it on the top and breathe out longer than the inhale through the mouth.
Repeat this again,
Right thumb on your right nostril and breathe in through your left nostril.
Hold it on the top and breathe out longer than the inhale through the mouth.
One more,
Breathe in,
Hold it for a couple of seconds and slowly exhale deeper.
The first time management technique is very easy but difficult in practice.
Imagine someone like a colleague asks for your help with an additional project which is very important for the department.
And this time management technique involves turning your head from left to right and back from left to right and saying no,
No,
All jokes aside.
It is easier said than done.
Maybe start with learning how to not say yes immediately and buy yourself time to think.
Your answer next time might be let me have a think about it or give people alternatives or delegate.
If we go back to the example,
Imagine that this colleague is standing in front of you not expecting that you will say yes.
However you are about to say no.
What are you feeling in your body?
Not a story,
But what are you actually feeling in your body?
Is it around your stomach or in another place in your body?
Is it hot?
Cold?
Fluid and moving?
Or is the emotion stuck in one place?
What is the emotion?
Is it anxiety?
Nervousness?
Guilt?
Breathe through that emotion.
Now ask yourself what is the worst that will happen when you say no?
Will this colleague take it out on you?
Tell you that you are not supportive of the department.
Fail at your job.
Fail as a person.
Now consider what is happening with your feeling?
Does it change?
Again breathe through it.
What if the best situation happens?
For example,
This colleague doesn't mind you saying no.
Or you remind yourself that you do good work.
That you rather focus on quality than quantity.
That saying no is healthy.
What is happening to your emotion?
Is it still the same?
Breathe through it.
Observe.
Acknowledge.
Another simple technique,
But also difficult in practice is setting deadlines.
You finish your work or you hand in that paper at 5pm today and not when it's perfect or quote-on-quote when I'm happy with it.
Which for me is basically the same and never attainable.
If you're thinking about when are you going to tell me something new?
I would like you to acknowledge how you are feeling when you hear this.
Brings it a smile on your face.
Or brings it up the thought of maybe I could work on that.
Like I shared before,
I tend to fall back into the trap of wanting to do everything at once.
And keep on working on projects or writing until it's perfect.
Which is a never of course.
In part one I talked about prioritizing.
My other problem was that at some time each email became as important as the other.
And everything should have finished today.
No,
Even better.
Yesterday.
Sometimes it is also accepting that that will never happen.
So ask yourself.
Do you set aside specific times for emails or administration?
It might work if you schedule time each day for smaller tasks like that.
But more importantly.
Accept that it never will be perfect.
These things,
And I know,
Can take a life on their own.
This is where again the breaks in between are so important.
And no,
I do not mean eating your lunch behind your computer.
Go out,
Take a walk,
Stretch,
But do try to come back.
There are great 5 minute meditation apps on Insight Timer.
Including my quick routing practice.
So what you are doing now is amazing.
And please thank yourself for taking this time.
In sum,
What can you do to improve your time?
Say no,
Prioritize,
Schedule time for tasks such as emails.
But remember.
What you cannot control is how other people might react.
What your work or department thinks of you,
Your hours and you cannot control time.
And if you can,
Please let me know.
I wish you a lovely time and now open your eyes.
