9 Great Time Management Tips for Caregivers

“Time management is the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity.” Wikipedia

Time, time, time. Too much time, not enough time, keep time, be on time, take your time, time out. Time is very simple and very complex at the same time. How we keep it and how we either make it work for or against us effects everything we do. 

As a Caregiver, I often felt that time was against me. I never had enough of it or I was spending way too much of it. It tortured me. I felt like I was constantly running a race with it or fighting it. Not having control of my time made me stressed and frustrated. Let’s take a look at some helpful ways we can rope this monster in, learn to manage it and make it our friend. 

1. Know the urgency

It’s very important to know the difference between what’s really urgent and what’s important. Is that thing you must do immediately because it’s making you nervous really urgent or is it just important? If it’s just important, then shelve it and tackle the really urgent thing first. 

2. Stay calm

The worst thing to do is get more upset and stressed than you already are. Everything will get done and what doesn’t get done you will do tomorrow. You already know what’s urgent and what’s just important, so prioritizing will allow you to take care of the urgent things first and get them out of the way. Then you’ll tackle the important things and ace them. Realize you are doing great, you are doing the best you can and you got this. Soothe yourself with those mantras and breathe. 

3. Avoid being perfect

Avoid this trap! Trying to be perfect and do things perfectly is a complete waste of time. No one is perfect and nothing is done perfectly! Stop fussing over details that have to line up perfectly. Get in, get done, get out!

4. Avoid procrastination

This is a big one for me. I swing between being a big action taker and procrastination. I have learned that taking the action and then letting go of the results is the best way to go. If I’m hemming and hawing I use the 5-second rule and start knocking off the worst thing first and then all the rest feel easy!

5. Don’t multitask

Stick to one task at a time! Make a to-do list then knock off the items one by one. It’s been proven scientifically that we really can’t multitask so don’t even bother. Trying to do more than one thing at a time is crazy making and something can get lost or missed in the chaos. One thing at a time!

6. Break it into smaller tasks

The whole enchilada looks big and overwhelming. Rather than shoving the whole thing in your mouth, take small bites. If you have a big project that seems daunting, break it down into smaller things you can knock off one at a time. They will add up and you will be finished in no time!

7. Keep your time

Literally, keep track of your time or time yourself. I know it seems impossible and it really does take discipline, but write down what you are doing and how long it takes to do it. Do it all day if you can. The results at the end of the day will surprise you. You may be shocked to find out how much time you waste or how well you manage your time. As hard as this is, it’s pretty amazing. 

8. Learn to say No

This is a REALLY big one for Caregiver  Warriors! It’s really hard for us to say no to anything. However, we can’t do everything and we can’t please all of the people all of the time. We have to know our limits. It’s really important not to spread ourselves too thin. If we can’t manage to find the time or energy for something we have to say no to it! Remember No is a complete sentence. 

9. Reward yourself! 

This is perhaps the most important one. When you are really trying to time manage and be effective and efficient you deserve big self-congratulation! Lattes and mini breaks work great in my life (just sayin). Do a little something that gives you pleasure and reward yourself! A: you deserve it and B: if you reward great behavior you are more apt to repeat the behavior!

Let know if any of these tips helped you or if you have any others that work for you! Remember, share if you care! Your feedback means the world to me!