Time: < 30 Minutes
STEP 1: When you have a lot on your plate and you are feeling anxious about getting everything done, make a list of everything in your head, be it big or small, urgent or not – just get it all on paper.
STEP 2: Once everything you can think of is on your list, start to prioritize what needs to be done immediately vs. eventually. This will help you determine next steps. When you hold all of your obligations in your mind it is easy to get overwhelmed and attach importance and urgency to all of the things you want and need to get done. Prioritizing helps weed out the small stuff that can wait, be delegated, or even removed from your to do list.
STEP 3: Once you’ve prioritized your list, estimate how much time it will take to complete each task. Then place it on your calendar with the appropriate time frame. Include time for transportation if necessary. When estimating the amount of time each task will take you, be realistic. It’s always smart to give yourself more time to complete a task than you think it will take—by doing this, you reduce your stress even more because you’ll have plenty of time to get things done.
STEP 4: Once you’ve completed a task – mark it off the list and enjoy your sense of accomplishment. If anything isn’t completed on the day you had hoped, simply move it to the next feasible day on your calendar. Again, giving yourself more time to complete a task will help you. When you feel rushed to do everything in a short amount of time, you end up feeling more stressed out than you were before and that’s exactly what you want to avoid!
STEP 5: Once you have everything you need to do on your list, focus your time and energy on the top priority. Where possible, enlist help from others to take things off of your to-do list.
