Guide on wellbeing: time management 

Time management is a funny concept – because obviously we have no control over time itself, only over what we do with our time. Either way, time management focuses on getting things done more effectively and feeling satisfied and balanced about our use of time. Effective time management is the opposite of both procrastination and overproductivity. 

You’re your own boss – and employee!

As a student, you have to not only complete the assignments that you have been given, but also plan, evaluate and generally administer your own work. Usually, employees have clearly defined work hours, work space and tasks that they get support with and that they need to report about frequently in different ways, but as a student, you mainly need to carry out your work without any of these external support structures. So it is no wonder that many students experience a lot of procrastination. 

Structures that steer your time management

One of the most important study skills is to creating structures that support and steer your time management in a flexible way. These kinds of structures can help you get things done much more effectively than self-discipline can, as it actually tends to lead to more procrastination. So when it comes to your studies, you could say that a well-planned and -structured job is already a job half done. One way of creating structures is to clearly define boundaries between your work hours and free time. In practice, this means scheduling your work hours, and then relaxing with a good conscience during your free time. Another example of such a structure is making use of a calendar and creating a system for collecting and planning work tasks, such as to-do lists. 

Reflect on what you want to spend your time on

Try to be as realistic as possible when you think what you want to spend your time on and set clear time limits for your work. When you do this, it can be significantly easier to achieve important long-term goals compared to trying to evaluate how much time you need based on looking at the total hours of a month or an academic term. 

When needed, these time limits can be changed, but the more you get used to having to make do with a certain amount of time, the more efficient your rhythm of work will become. The thing is that work tends to stretch out to fill all the time that it has been given. So if you also want to make sure you have high-quality free time, make sure you try to do your work effectively inside clearly defined boundaries, so that you can enjoy your free time with a clear conscience! 

Intentionality

When we consider time a limited resource, it is easier for us to act intentionally with this precious resource. Here are some tools that you can use to increase the intentionality in your use of time: 

• Create a vision for the year: Create a mind map of the important areas of your life and the things you would really like to get done by the end of the year. Choose the kinds of goals that make you feel really excited about life! Keep your mind map somewhere visible, perhaps on your wall, so that you don’t forget about it. 
• Create monthly checklists: Make a list at the beginning of each month of the things that you would like to get done from your list of goals for the year. Make the list as clear and easily achievable as possible. Keep your checklist in a spot that you see regularly and motivate yourself by getting the tasks done as early as possible each month. 
• Plan goals for your week/day: Pick the goals from your monthly checklist, your calendar and your to-do lists that feel right to you on a specific day or week. Don’t cram too many things onto your list, and instead pick 1-3 things that are really important. 

If you notice yourself getting tired of your daily lists, it can be helpful to explore your yearly vision again, and to find inspiration from your big-picture vision. You can also imagine how satisfied you will feel when you get the things done that you have on your list. You can try savouring the pleasure of how great it’s going to feel already in advance. This kind of advance pleasure can make you feel more inspired to take action and get the thing done. As with any suggestion, it’s good to experiment with different ways to get excited about getting things done, and to find what works best for you. 

Balance in time management

In the midst of all this focus on productivity, it’s important to remember that we are not robots. Our bodies, minds and feelings need rest, too. An overmeasured focus on productivity leads to imbalance, or in worst-case scenario, to burnout or other illness. For this reason, it’s more useful to focus on creating balance and harmony in life. In this balance, high-quality free time that’s free of thoughts on what you “should” do plays a key role. Check out the guide made by Nyyti ry, for strengthening your life skills (English version of the PDF is available when you scroll down a bit)!