Business Building Corner

Simple ways to manage time and stress


February is National Time Management month in the U.S. and for good reason. By February, the holidays are officially over, resolutions and goals generally have been set and the first month of the New Year has already elapsed. It’s time to make some progress in the year 2015!

Here are a few tips on managing your time and keeping stress levels low:

  • Try to plan ahead as much as possible. In other words, be realistic about how much you do in a day, a week or a month. It may seem unnecessary to plan so much in advance, but if you have a busy lifestyle, it cuts down worry and stress in the long run.

  • That said, be flexible. We can’t always control what happens in our lives, so it’s best not to get overly concerned if our carefully planned day, week or month needs to be overhauled.

  • Write it down. Whatever is on your schedule, writing it down in a planner or inserting it in your mobile device takes away the stress of trying to remember everything on a daily basis.

  • Prioritize. Just because it’s all written down doesn’t mean every appointment or task is of equal importance. Note for yourself what must be done, should be done and might be done.

  • Make to-do lists for each project you tackle. The act of checking off each "done" action is fulfilling and can help motivate you to move forward to the next item.

  • Pad your time. This is another way to reduce your stress. For example, if you think it will take a day to accomplish project A, plan for a day and a half or even two days. That way when an obstacle or an unforeseen interruption occurs, you will still have enough time to work things out. If all works smoothly, padding your time will actually put you ahead of schedule and allow for some down time.




  • Try to find balance between work and leisure. Work generally takes the highest priority in our lives and when it gets extremely hectic, time with family and friends gets set aside. In the long run, this approach can backfire—job burnout, guilty feelings toward family members, physical and mental deterioration are all risk factors.

  • To help create a balanced lifestyle, try to simplify. Eliminate all the things that really are not necessary for you to do and create a schedule with set times to complete the tasks that are unavoidable. For example, you can set a time and day of the week to run errands, instead of doing them daily.

  • Reward yourself with the gift of time: Take a little quiet time to be alone and to appreciate yourself. Give yourself time to exercise and maintain good health. And to bolster your overall wellbeing, remember to take IMMUNE+++ daily to build your natural defense system!