If we often feel stressed, overwhelmed by excessive workload and responsibilities, with the feeling that the tasks to be completed do not end as the hours go by, but rather increase, while the time available to us decreases… we may have a time management problem.
The concept of priority requires a specification on urgent and important activities, essential to distinguish one from the other, if you want to be efficient.
Now that we know the activities scheduled for our working day , we can give ourselves deadlines to meet and put them on a to-do list.
In organizations where the agile methodology is used, each deadline can be shared with the work group through the functions of the management programs .
However efficient and organized we may be, there are tasks that we can confidently delegate to a colleague or – in the case of managers – to our work group.
Especially in the case of routine and repetitive activities, therefore simple to complete, taking charge of them all risks causing high levels of stress.
Having an up-to-date calendar of activities always at hand helps you not to forget your goals, but that's not all! The simple action of checking off each completed task helps to give a strong sense of satisfaction with the work done.
Whether it's a paper agenda, an electronic calendar or a management program shared by the whole group, the to do list helps you focus on priorities.
It's always best not to wait until you feel tired before taking a break for a few minutes. To prevent stress and always keep our productivity high, breaks can even be planned in the diary.
Although multitasking is still very often considered a characteristic of productive people, it is useful to remember that, in reality, it is a risky behavior: the continuous transition from one activity to another hinders performance, because it requires energy to shift concentration .
If we accept to take on more responsibilities than we are actually capable of handling, it is natural that stress levels rise, we begin to feel more tired and less productive.
Each of us can have very personal ways to react to stress; however, there are some small tricks to experiment with, to try to better manage this type of situation.
The new routine helps to keep productivity high even in the following hours, because we are able to keep the focus on our goals, having already planned them.
You don't need to start work immediately, you can use the extra time available to have a good breakfast, a walk or exercise.
