How would you feel if you could increase your productivity, alleviate your stress, and be able to take care of yourself? I’m sure you would feel AMAZ-ing! Did you know that these things are benefits of time management? Let’s take a look.
Increase in Productivity
How can an increase in productivity be a time management benefit? If you take the time you have in a day and apply a few time management techniques, you could figure out how to increase your productivity.
For example, let’s look at chunking tasks. This exercise allows you to group tasks together during your day (phone calls, emails, filing, etc.). As a result, you are able to increase your productivity by maximizing your time focused on a single task. Check out this post for more time management tips.
Did you know that it takes approximately 20 minutes to re-focus on a task after being distracted or interrupted? Yes! Your mind has to put away the last task and then figure out where you left off on the previous task to pick it up again. How exhausting, right? Think about all the times your co-worker has stopped at your door and interrupted you. How long did it take before you were fully engaged with the task again? I’m sure it was over 10 minutes! Just think about how many disruptions we encounter as Admins. Our productivity could be amazing if we could figure out how to properly channel our time. This is why it is important to understand how to use your time to the best of your ability.
Note: I understand that sometimes our role doesn’t allow us to focus completely throughout the day. I do challenge you to focus during those times when you can! As Admins, we have to be quick to respond with accuracy and then quickly return to the task at hand.
Let’s talk about another of the benefits of time management, alleviating stress.
Alleviating Stress
Who doesn’t want to alleviate stress? If stress can go down, the better you will be. Time is not something that you can get back. Therefore, understanding how to use your time best and most effectively will help alleviate stress.
How many times have you said, “I don’t have enough time!” or “There is not enough time in the day!”? It happens. We get buried under tasks and forget to prioritize and monitor our time. What’s great is that you can fix it! You can make the change to tackle your time and make it work for you!
When we are under stress, we tend to go into frantic moods and rush to get things done. Sometimes we even talk to others in a short manner without meaning to. It is the things that we do, sometimes without realizing it, due to stress from our own management of time.
Imagine if your day could be peaceful and calm. How would you feel? Great! That you could maybe take on another project! What would the results of your hard work look like? Impressive, I’m sure. It only takes realizing what you have to figure out what you need to do to get started.
If you are ready to take the next step to alleviate the stress, check out my article, Time Management Plan. Start planning to make a difference in your world and even in your Executive’s world too!
Taking Care of Yourself
How does Time Management equate to taking care of yourself? So, you’ve increased your productivity, learned how to alleviate your stress, and now…you’ve got time to Take Care of Yourself!! Yes, this means you are able to manage your time and make time for YOU!
If you don’t take time out for yourself and treat yourself, nobody is going to do it for you. As Administrative Professionals, we are always serving one another. We are adamant about helping another person achieve their goals, get to their meetings, take their calls, and pick up their mail. If we don’t step back and take care of ourselves, we won’t be able to take care of them.
Think about yourself. When was the last time that you did something for you? Shopping, beautician, a hike, reading a book (for fun)… if you can’t think of the last time or the if last time was 3 months ago, you need to make a point of doing it. It’s just as important as going to the doctor. I’m serious!
We are dependent on running the “show.” We are the backup for making things happen. As Admins, we are it! Make it happen…schedule yourself for “me” time. I promise you will thank me for it!
It’s All About the Benefits!
I’ve covered three areas of benefits of time management: an increase in productivity, a way to alleviate stress, and an avenue for taking care of yourself. Now it is up to you!
Here is a bonus tip! The Time & Space Style Inventory helps you identify how you work best. When you know how you work best, you can apply techniques and strategies that take you to the next level.
Click here: TSSI quiz
I took the TSSI quiz and found out that I am a “hopper”! I enjoy lots going on and can keep upbeat on it all. I can be led to boredom or discouraged or distractions, so my guide is to use a timer to keep focused.
Looking for some additional information on Time Management? Check out my resource article, Administrative Professional References.
This blog is part of the Time Management Series:
Time Management for Administrative Professionals
10 Time Management Tips
Benefits of Time Management
Time Management Quiz
Time Management Tools
Time Management Plan
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