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How To Stop Getting Stressed Out By Time

27 October 2009

Do you ever find yourself saying things like “there aren’t enough hours in the day” or “I’ll never get all of that done”? Feeling overwhelmed by a lack of time is a common occurrence and one that can cause stress levels to sky rocket! The problem is that there are never going to be more than 24 hours in your day, so to get rid of that stressful feeling you need a new approach...

3 Steps To The Time Bank

Hoping, wishing and waiting for the clock to slow down isn’t going to help your sense of overwhelm if you’ve got more to do than you think can fit into your day or week! If you feel as though time is controlling you rather than the other way around there are 3 things you can do to help create more time in your day, and to manage your emotional state more effectively:-

Step 1: Get Clear

Before you can make changes to your day you need to know what it is you want to change. So take a moment now to jot down your thoughts. Some examples are:-

• Stop turning up late for work
• Stop stressing out about certain tasks or projects
• Stop never having enough time to see my friends
• Stop feeling overwhelmed by my job
• Stop rushing to pick the kids up from school

Step 2: Self-Audit

Self-awareness is the first step forward in solving a multitude of problems, and this situation is no different. Once you know what you want to change, it’s time for a little self-audit to see what’s thoughts are going inside your mind when you’re experiencing overwhelm or stress. Take note of the thoughts you’re having over the next few days and see if you’re saying things like:-

• “I’ve got too much to do”
• “I don’t have enough time”
• “There aren’t enough hours in the day to get this done”

Step 3: Performance Review

Now it’s time for a reality check. Stress and overwhelm have very little to do with the number of hours in your day - and everything to do with your PERCEPTION of a situation and your ability to cope with it. You can choose to perceive a situation in many different ways, just as you can choose how you feel about that situation too. For example:-

• “I’ve got too much to do”
- Have you really? Or is this more to do with the way you’ve planned your day and how you manage your time?
- How could you perceive this situation differently? How would the situation be different if you chose to feel calm?

• “I don’t have enough time”
- We all have the same amount of time in the day - how are you choosing to spend yours?
- How is your perception helping you? Are you thriving on stress or could you choose to feel differently?

• “There aren’t enough hours in the day to get this done”
- Why is that? Are you spending time on things that aren’t critical? Are you procrastinating?
- You time will get filled up despite how many hours there are in the day - view your situation with fresh eyes

Time is our most precious commodity and yet so many of us talk about it like it’s a big enigma! If you believe there’s never enough time, that’s exactly how you will continue to feel and how you will experience life. Remember - what you focus on is what you get, so pay attention to the thoughts that are swirling around inside your head when you start feeling stressed, and choose to change your perception of the situation so that you have a different relationship with time.

If you would like to find out more about how coaching can help you manage your time smartly book your free 30-minute coaching consultation now. Simply click here to schedule your appointment.

Got a question about time management? Email me now - fayehollands@outshineconsulting.com