If you’ve ever felt like there just aren’t enough hours in the day, you’re not alone. We all have only 24 hours each day, but mindful time management can help you make the most of them. How?
Mindfulness is more than just the buzzword of the moment. It is a skill that has been pursued for centuries-one that will help you perform better at work and in life by living in the present moment.
The following simple tips can be put into practice today. After a day, a week, or a month of utilizing them, mindfully consider whether you’ve felt happier, less stressed, and more productive. We think you’ll like the results.
Delegate Tedium to Technology
What is your least favorite task at work? Likely it is something tedious and monotonous; you don’t like it because it is boring and unrewarding.
Many such tasks can be delegated to digital tools. For example, writing a resume-multiple resumes, one for each job application-is often one of the most dreaded aspects of an early career. You can make the process quick and easy by using an online resume generator like ResumeCoach. You’ll free up time to devote to other value-added tasks.
What else can you delegate to computer programs? You can ask ChatGPT to compose an email for you. Schedule your social posts up to a month in advance using Buffer or Meta’s built-in tools so you don’t have to spend time on them every day. Set up a chatbot to field simple customer service questions. As new technologies emerge, the possibilities are endless.
Schedule Wisely
Next, let’s talk about the most important aspect of mindful time management – your schedule.
There are no doubt aspects of your schedule that you can’t control-when the tardy bell rings at your child’s school or when you’re required to clock into work, for example. But you might be surprised at how much you do have control over.
First, do you get enough rest? In a study by the University of South Florida’s School of Aging Studies, researchers found that even missing an hour and a half of your needed sleep can result in negative emotional responses and manifestations of physical ailments.
That’s going to hurt your performance and maybe even your relationships at work. To remedy this, try to go to bed and get up at a consistent time each day. Adjust your activities so that you can get seven to nine hours of sleep a night.
You will likely find yourself more productive during your waking hours, spending less time scowling over a caffeinated beverage or vegging in front of a screen.
Next, observe when you are naturally the most productive. Are you a morning person? A night owl? Perhaps you come alive in the afternoon. Consider adjusting your work schedule so that your workday includes this “prime time” for productivity. If it doesn’t fit, talk to your boss about adopting a flexible or hybrid work schedule so you can set your own hours.
Set Boundaries
No matter the schedule you choose, you need to have “off hours” where you’re not working or even thinking about work. Because technology (i.e., email and text messaging) has blurred the lines between your work and home life, you may need to set some boundaries.
Talk to your boss to limit the time you are required to be “on call” during your off-work hours. If you’re not on call, set boundaries in other ways. Set a time after which you won’t respond to work-related messages. Adjust the settings on your devices so that work calls, texts, or emails won’t disturb you during these “off hours.”
Consider unplugging completely at designated times. You may decide to do this nightly, an hour before bed, on the weekends, or on vacation. This helps prevent burnout from being “always on.”
Take a Break
A certain number of breaks are required to be available during the work day. Instead of working through lunch, take advantage of them!
Don’t use your breaks to doom scroll through social media. You can make the most of your breaks by doing something that calms and clears your mind. Take a walk and enjoy the beauty of nature. Do a bit of exercise or stretching. Escape with a coffee and a good book-preferably in print.
You can even build short “brain breaks” into your workflow. Many people find the Pomodoro method to be effective. Work with focus for 25 minutes, then do something different during the five-minute break.
Key Takeaways
Time can easily slip away from us if we’re not mindful of how we’re using it. You can use these four mindful practices-delegation, scheduling, setting boundaries, and taking breaks-to make the most of the time you’ve been given.
You’ll feel productive and be less likely to stress over deadlines. Before you know it, you will look back on your career with awe at how much you’ve accomplished.
