July 16, 2023
Written/Edited by: Shaleishka and Mana
Effects of an Unstructured Schedule
If you’ve ever felt like there are a ton of tasks that need to be done but not enough time in a day, it’s probably a result of an unstructured schedule. You can start to feel overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious just thinking about what you need to accomplish and lack focus. Sometimes we feel we have no control in certain situations and spend more time thinking about how much we have to do instead of completing anything. There are days that people do nothing because they’re simply drained because they have no idea where or how to start their days. This is a struggle that everyone goes through, one way or another. Having an unstructured schedule can also lead to less sleep because of inconsistent routines. Along with being less active because there’s no planned time to focus on themselves. Your eating habits could easily be affected as well, some people may feel like they don’t have time to go out and buy groceries, or even eat less or eat unhealthily. Thinking for too much time can make tasks sound a lot worse than they actually are. It’s easy to get caught up in your own thoughts, it’s completely normal, but there are ways to prevent this. The simple solution is to plan your time accordingly and the best news is you are in charge! Only you know what you’re capable of and how much time it’ll take you to perform a task.
Why are schedules beneficial?
A structured schedule may not seem too important to some, but a great number of factors represent why you most definitely should take a bit of time out of your day to construct one.
Better work-life balance, preventing yourself from forgetting or overlooking deadlines, and watching how your life progresses towards events and goals are just a few of the many benefits.
In general, it’s a lot more powerful and easy-to-understand your own life when it’s written out on paper. Understanding is vital, considering you could end up with too much or too little on your plate if you charge into every day without a set plan, or procrastinate without realizing it. Our routines are arguably one of the most crucial aspects of our lives as a whole, after all (and if you don’t have very many routines yet, you can always craft some to your liking with your trusty schedule!)
Schedules have been found to increase productivity, increase discipline and motivation, as well as result in more spare time in the end.
So, how exactly do you effectively construct a schedule and reap all of these benefits? Of course you must implement start and end times, plus breaks so as to not wear yourself out. Don’t forget to alter your schedule for holidays or special events, as well as curate a new schedule for weekends (or whenever your typical routine alters.) You should always prioritize, meaning place the most important tasks first in chronological order. Additional strategies include clustering similar tasks, noting their frequencies, utilizing highlighters and/or colored pencils to add a pop to your categories, and ordering your tasks (not going by hour in case a certain task takes longer than anticipated, and instead blocking by morning, noon, evening, and night.) Remember not to get too “stuck” to your schedule. Things happen, and you may not always be able to follow it, so don’t ever feel bad— simply, remain flexible!
Time is something that you can’t ever get back, so why not plan it out and use it in the most optimal ways?
--
Sources:
Комментарии