How to have more time to do something for yourself or just have a good evening? At work, the deadline is running out, the day is too short to meet all obligations. Result? "Working" weekends, busy nights and the impression of a permanent lack of time. Fortunately, there are simple techniques that will add more slack to your life.

Many of us are running out of time due to the ever faster pace of life. We think that if we do everything faster, we'll get everything faster. We feel pressure at work to do as much as possible in the shortest possible time. Every day is filled to the minute - meetings, phone calls, meetings, paperwork … We often don't know what we should do in the first place. In the daily schedule, it is also more and more difficult for us to find time for our loved ones, and even for rest, hobbies or fun. And although we run a lot of errands and achieve great results, instead of satisfaction we often feel exhausted and increasingly frustrated because our desires do not match what others require of us.

Constant sense of lack of time causes "dizzying pace disease"

The epidemic of rush (in the USA it is called hurry sickness) is not just a feeling that you need to hurry, make everything on time. The problem is that our internal, natural rhythm is compromised, which has an underestimated value for he alth and well-being. When we do not listen to our own body and ignore its needs, sooner or later we may have trouble fulfilling our duties, and in the worst case we will not be able to cope with them at all.

The price we can pay for living in a rush is high - just mention heart diseases, stomach ulcers, neuroses or a ruined personal life. And no wonder, because if the pace turns into a decisive criterion for everything, we start to chase without reflection, forgetting about our he alth, ignoring the problems of people close to us and losing their trust. Usually, it is only when a critical situation occurs (e.g. relationship breakdown, drug problem in the family, job loss, serious illness) that it is time for reflection. And usually that's when the realization that what we do with our time has nothing to do with what is most important in life.

This will be useful to you

Checkwhat time manager are you

1. Do you live with a watch in your hand, plan everything in advance and implement your plans? It means you are a monochrome time manager. This is typical for people with the dominance of the left cerebral hemisphere (responsible for logical thinking, counting, speech). You create lists and prioritize without any problems. When you work, you only take care of one thing, stick to your plans and take contracts seriously. You are specific and responsible. You feel comfortable with tasks related to deadlines.

ADVICE FOR YOU: Plan your life not only with a watch in your hand. Set aside time for spontaneous activities. To create some free time, enter a meeting with a fictional person in the schedule. Don't just think in terms of people and projects. Make time for people-to-people contacts.

2. People with the dominant right cerebral hemisphere (responsible for metaphorical thinking, intuition, feelings and emotions) are rather polychronic time hosts. In terms, they see a goal that "more or less" must be pursued. They usually do several things at once, be off topic easily, and allow themselves to be interrupted. They change plans often and without any problems. They are focused on people and ready to help. They are sensitive and affectionate, rely on intuition. They work well in creative tasks.

ADVICE FOR YOU: Try to stay organized to save yourself time and stress looking for important documents. Don't keep changing your plans - make a list of priorities for the next 2 weeks, have it with you and take a look at it every evening, possibly supplement it. Try not to do too many things at the same time.

How to have more time? Distinguish between important and urgent things

Stephen R. Covey, a global authority on leadership and an expert on family issues, in his book First Things First, summarizes the functions of two instruments that guide our lives - the clock and the compass. The first symbolizes our commitments, meetings, timetables, goals, activities and time management. The compass is values, principles, life mission, conscience; it is he who sets the direction in which we are going. According to Covey, conflict occurs when we notice a discrepancy between the clock and the compass - when what we do does not correspond to what is most important to us. Some people suffer greatly because of it, feeling trapped, controlled by others or by circumstances. Others feel discomfort and experience dilemmas. Many people feel void because they equate happiness only with professional and financial success, and find that they do not feel the satisfaction they expected.

After many tireless yearsclimbing the ladder of success (first diploma, then overtime work, finally the coveted promotion), only when they are at the top of it, they discover that the ladder was not leaning against this wall. Until now, however, they have been so absorbed and overwhelmed with efforts that they have strayed from the track, ruining their relationships with people along the way and giving up everything that gives life its true meaning. There are also confused people who don't really know which things are most important. They perform their duties automatically and life is mechanical for them, only sometimes they wonder if what they are doing matters. There are also those who are aware that they have lost faith in balance, but do not believe in the possibility of other solutions. Perhaps they feel that the changes would cost them a lot of effort, or they are simply afraid to try.

How to have more time? Free yourself from the slavery of the clock

In order to organize ourselves well, most of us write down tasks to be done, use calendars to plan activities, take into account priorities and formulate goals with different deadlines. All these activities allow you to increase efficiency, meet contracts, and achieve more. However, their main disadvantage is putting schedules over people, focusing on efficiency and urgent matters, not the most important ones - this is what time management specialists are stigmatizing now.

The analysis of the shortcomings of the methods of time management used so far allowed specialists to create a new way of organizing it. It is about managing yourself in time to nurture and strengthen interpersonal relationships, and to achieve results and shape your own life. This method is not about doing more in less time and being a slave to the clock and planners, but about being effective in everyday life as well. Thus, this method fulfills the wish of many people to have more time for themselves.

In short, it's based on the ability to choose what's important, not what's urgent. And its basic slogan is: "Do the most important things first". This is best shown by the time table.

Important

Watch out for time thieves

Do you have the feeling that time is slipping through your fingers? Ben Wisley in his book "The Thieves of Time" lists seven negative phenomena that rob us of time. These are: too long and too frequent phone calls, chattering and "emotional vampires", traffic jams, finding a parking space, some meetings, broken machines and faulty mechanisms, and long lines.

You can also add to this list watching TV, surfing the Internet for entertainment, playing on the computer, but also messypapers on the desk, prolonged coffee breaks or private conversations at work. Some time thieves just need to be eliminated. You can also change your habits - for example, if you have to queue, use this time to read the newspaper; standing in traffic, you can read, study or listen to a novel from an audiobook; ironing or exercising while watching a program on TV.

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Category:

Psychology