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Time blocking for effective time management

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With the advent of the internet, we have access to more opportunities and events. While that has broadened our horizons, having to juggle many things at once can be overwhelming. Studies have shown that those who struggle with time management are more likely to experience stress, sleep issues, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. They may also start to exhibit symptoms of workplace burnout. 



While time management is seen as a tool to increase efficiency at work, it can also have a positive effect on your personal life, allowing you to dedicate time to your priorities. I often felt pulled in many directions because of school, extracurriculars and personal projects. This encouraged a feeling of being overwhelmed that prevented me from doing anything. Time blocking has helped me to plan realistically and make sure my projects see the light of day, instead of just being ideas.

What is time blocking?

It is dedicating a chunk of your time to a specific task. It is a productivity technique for personal time management and brings together two tools: to-do list and calendar.



Fun fact: Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Cal Newport use it too!

Why should you use it?

With internet, comes choice. There are plenty of time management techniques, each with its own set of benefits. When trying to adopt a new habit, it is useful to know about its benefits, which gives us the drive to implement it in our lives.

The best way to manage your calendar is to be intentional with the way you plan your day. The goal is to be intentional with your time, so that you can have better control of how your day rolls out. Being intentional gives our choices meaning because we have chosen a task over the other things we could do, giving it value. This practice shouldn’t be taken as a tool to be hyper-productive, but to complete your priorities without burnout. It also encourages focus, as you know that other priorities have their own dedicated time.



To practice this, I use Google Calendar. But you can experiment with other calendars as well! In this screenshot, I have organized major parts of my day dedicated to my priorities which is studying and extracurriculars. I also like to have a to-do list in hand, filled with miscellaneous tasks that I need to do in my free time. Some examples of miscellaneous tasks are reading an article or creating a slack channel.

How to do it? 

You can start by listing out your tasks for the day and the time needed to do them. With this, you can arrange a sequence of when you would do these tasks in their time intervals, so that you can carry along a structure for the day.

A few tips

Don’t time block everything! If you feel stressed by a strict time schedule that dictates every minute of your day, you would likely end up with burnout. As a thumb rule, only time block the important tasks so you can create a balance between having things planned and going with the flow. Both practices are important for a sustainable lifestyle.

Be realistic : Do you struggle with following up with your schedule? Me too. Often times, I underestimate the time needed to complete a task because I assign it the time in which I ideally want to complete it, before moving on to other things. This mindset encourages the ‘get it over with’ thinking, in which you feel obligated to do your work and puts additional pressure. Not being able to complete your schedule negatively affects our self-esteem and encourages self-doubt.

When learning something new, remember to be mindful of the time used in being frustrated, to allow you some latitude to form new connections and a better understanding.

Be accepting: Remember that you can’t do everything in one day (that’s okay), so that you don’t overload your day and end up feeling depleted. Trying to fit everything in a plan makes time management stressful,  encouraging us to give up the practice before it becomes a habit. This doesn't allow for growth when forming a new habit and harms us in the long-term. 

Hope this article helped you to learn something new! Do share in the comments your experience with time management, any tools that have helped you

References: https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/do-you-manage-your-time-well#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThose%20who%20struggle%20with%20time,on%20time%20for%20your%20job.

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