Manage Your Time and Stress Level, Don

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Manage Your Time and Stress Level, Dont Let Them
Manage You!

• Presented by
• Elisa Paramore
• Student Support Services Counselor

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What is Time Management ?

• According to Wikipedia, time management includes
  tools or techniques for planning and scheduling
  time, usually with the aim to increase the
  effectiveness and/or efficiency of personal and
  corporate time use.

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What Does Planning Your Time Involve?

• Planning involves determining what you want to
  achieve and how you intend to go about achieving
  it
• Planning gives you a chance to spend your most
  valuable resource in the way you choose
• As you plan, be sure to include all aspects of
  your life

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Step One Monitor Your Time

• Monitor how you currently use your time by using
  a weekly schedule that list all waking hours in
  15 minute increments
• Record everything that you do during the periods
  you are awake, including eating, getting ready
  for work or school, etc.
• Build a semester plan

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What is a Semester Plan?

• Begin your semester plan by blocking out class
  time and other timed commitments
• The best time to develop your semester plan is
  during the second week of classes. By this time,
  professors should have provided you with detailed
  requirements of the course as well as your first
  assignment. By this time, you should be able to
  determine the amount of workload for each course
  in a more realistic manner
• Keep this schedule in a prominent place so that
  you have access to it daily

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Step Two Create a To-Do list

• Brainstorm and write down all tasks you want to
  complete in the next week as well as the next day
• Estimate the amount of time it will take you to
  complete each task on your to-do lists. Then add
  up the amount of time needed to complete all of
  your tasks, and compare it to the amount of
  unscheduled hours in the day. This will allow you
  to see how much time you need to do everything
  versus how much time you have to get everything
  done

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To-do list, cont

• Rate each task by priority as either A, B or C
• Tasks rated A are high priority and include
  activities such as class time, and other fixed
  commitments
• Tasks rated B are mid level priority, or tasks
  that can be postponed another day
• Tasks rated C are low level priority, or tasks
  that dont require immediate attention

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A, B, and C Rated Activities, cont

• Once you have rated all tasks, schedule time
  during the next day to complete each A rated
  tasks
• All B and C rated tasks can be done randomly
  during the day when you are not ready to start
  another A rated task

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Examples of A, B and C Rated Tasks

• A rated tasks include assignments that are due,
  appointments or class time
• B rated tasks include those tasks that are
  important but are not necessarily due at a
  particular time
• C rated tasks include tasks that do not have to
  be completed at a specific time and can be
  postponed until another day

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Steps of a To-do List, cont

• Cross completed tasks off of your to-do list.
  This can be viewed as a reward and a visible
  reminder of your diligence
• Dont panic or berate yourself for completing
  more C tasks during a day than A just calmly
  return to the A list

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7 Strategies to Reduce Procrastination

• Make each task meaningful by writing down all the
  benefits of completing each task labeled A.
  Look at the benefits in terms of how each A
  task relates to your short, mid- and long term
  goals
• Be specific about the reward to be gained by
  getting each task done
• Break big tasks into smaller ones you can
  complete in 15 minutes or less
• Divide long reading assignments into 2 or 3 page
  sections- make a list of the sections and cross
  each of them off as you complete them so that you
  can see your progress

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7 Strategies, cont

• Write an intention statement
• If you have a term paper that you are having a
  problem getting started on, you might write I
  will write down a list of at least 10 possible
  topics by 9 P.M. and will reward myself for doing
  this by _______.
• Learn to just say No
• If you find yourself pushing what started out as
  a high priority A task into the C category,
  ask yourself why you need to do it all- if you
  realize you dont really intend to do it, stop
  telling yourself that you will

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7 Strategies, cont

• Tell anyone who will ask if you completed a
  certain task of your intentions to get it done by
  a specific time or someone who will suggest ways
  you can get it done
• Reward yourself for completed tasks, but make
  sure the reward is something you will withhold
  from yourself if the task does not get done
• Do what needs to be done when it needs doing
• Dont put off until tomorrow, what you can do
  today!

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Time Management Techniques for Studying

• Determine when to study
• Study 2 hours for every hour spent in a
  particular class
• Study difficult subjects first because these will
  require the most creative energy
• Use times of peak energy to study depending on
  whether you are a early morning person or a night
  owl
• Use waiting time wisely by studying while you are
  waiting for an appointment
• Include time for review of previously learned
  material
• Schedule study time for a course as close to time
  you attend the course as possible

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Techniques for Studying, cont

• Set up a specific area to study in to help train
  your body to get ready for studying when you
  enter that place
• Dont study while in bed
• Use the library as a place to study- the
  lighting, noise level, and materials located
  there make it a perfect place to study
• Make agreements with housemates about study time
• Include short breaks during study sessions- a 10
  minute break between subjects or after 50 or 60
  minutes of studying is reasonable
• Use distributed learning and practice- study for
  1 course for an hour a day over the course of 3
  days rather than 3 hours in one single day

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Why Distributed Learning Works

• Even after you stop studying, your mind continues
  to learn for a short time.
• Studies also indicate it reduces mental fatigue
  and keeps you working at top efficiency

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Techniques for Studying, cont

• Get off the phone
• Call ahead to find out information concerning
  information you are seeking to avoid wasted trips
  and time
• Avoid noise distractions by turning off the TV
  and radio
• Notice how others misuse your time- if avoiding
  the people that do this isnt practical, tell
  them you need to concentrate on what you are
  doing
• Be generous when estimating time needed- it is
  better to overestimate the amount of time needed
  for a project or studying for a test than it is
  to underestimate

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Techniques for Studying, cont

• Plan carefully to eliminate worry and
  frustration- if you plan your study time well
  enough you will have an easier time relaxing when
  you are not studying so that you can relax and
  have fun
• Leave room for fun and relaxation- your mind and
  body need this as much as your mind needs proper
  amounts of study time- if you plan well, you will
  have enough time for both studying and relaxing
• Dont skimp on sleep or proper nutrition- if you
  find yourself doing either, or both, on a regular
  basis re evaluate your priorities and make the
  needed changes

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Tips for Reducing Stress

• Avoid simultaneous life changes- starting college
  is stressful enough, so try to avoid other
  additional changes such as marriage, etc.
• Eliminate stressors if possible- for example quit
  a stressful part-time job and try to find one
  that is less stressful, try to find alternate
  living arrangements if a roommate is causing
  stress, or seek help in a course that is causing
  stress due to lack of understanding
• Establish a daily routine- this will eliminate
  the need for numerous daily small decisions
• Accentuate your accomplishment- stop and recount
  all of the tasks you have successfully completed
  in a week

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Stress, cont

• Avoid added stress- when you find you are under
  more stress than usual, tighten up your time
  schedule more so that will accomplish all that
  you need to do when you need to do it
• Get involved with campus activities- doing this
  provides a valuable way to release tension and
  take your mind off of working all of the time
• Seek knowledgeable advice- seek counseling from
  college counselor and it may even provide
  information on relaxation techniques
• Get physical- exercise often releases tension,
  promotes feelings of well-being and improves
  self-concept- as little as 30 minutes per day can
  have these effects

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Stress, cont

• Get adequate sleep- this gives the body and mind
  time to replenish energy lost to determine how
  much you need, consider how much sleep you get
  each night over a period of weeks to see how your
  day went in relation to how much sleep you were
  able to get the night before. Your energy level
  and mood will be elevated on days that you had
  adequate sleep, versus days when you did not get
  adequate sleep-respond to these cues rather than
  workload or the expectations of others control
  your schedule

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Stress, cont

• Eat nutritious meals- both strength and endurance
  are affected by diet- consuming large amounts of
  snack foods versus real meals may produce
  fluctuations in blood sugar which can lead to
  illness- during stressful periods reduce sugar,
  caffeine and empty calorie foods

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Conclusion

• In order to manage your time effectively, it is
  important to remember to do the following things
• - monitor the way you are now spending your time
• - prioritize tasks on your daily and weekly
  To-Do lists
• - practice effect study techniques
• - reduce stress when possible

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Thank You for Your Participation

• I hope this information has given you some
  useful tips on how to effectively manage your
  time and stress level. If you have any
  suggestions for future seminar topics, please see
  Ms. Paramore or another Student Support Services
  staff member.
• If you are viewing this workshop online, please
  come by Student Support Services, Malone Hall
  116, and complete an Academic Seminar Evaluation
  form, so that we may have documentation of your
  program participation. You may also submit this
  form online.

EXIT