Time & Stress Management

Rowanna Smith, Careers Consultant

www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

By the end of this session you will be able to:

Aims Of The Session

• Recognise the importance of life balance

• Identify how your time is wasted

• Identify stress and its causes

• Develop strategies for time and stress management

Physical /

Psychological

Emotional /

Spiritual

Social Intellectual /

Academic

Life Balance

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Productive Time

•Measure of how much we can do or produce

• Includes fixed time commitments

•Often lacks flexibility

Restorative Time

•Activities essential for daily living

•May require scheduling

•Often more flexible

Life Balance

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Time Bandits:

How Is Your Time Wasted?

• In groups discuss and list on post its

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How Do You Spend Your Time?

• Conduct a time analysis

• Analysis – time spent on activities planned vs

unplanned?

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Tackling The ‘Time Bandits’

• In groups, come up with solutions to the time

bandits

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Time Management Strategies • Make a plan & stick to it

– Prioritise & link: Short – medium - long term

– Plan work & play, everything takes time

– Diary/calendar – exams & coursework deadlines

• Reward system

• Do not allow others to control your time (calls, emails, TV)

• Multitasking vs single focus: complexity of task

• Break down large tasks into manageable chunks

• Involve other people

– Co-operate

– Delegate

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Quick ‘In-Tray’ Time Saver

Urgent Do it now Plan to do it

Not urgent Delegate Bin it

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Other Tips • Identify your distracters & manage them

• One thing on your desk/PC desktop at a time

• Work with your biological clock

• When you start to procrastinate – stop

• When you are stuck, go out & exercise

• Internet – work without it

• Plan & manage the time you spend online

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Symptoms of Stress

What happens to your mind & body when you are

under stress?

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Symptoms of stress • Frequent headaches, jaw clenching or pain

• Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms

• Light headedness, faintness, dizziness

• Dry mouth, problems swallowing

• Frequent colds

• Difficulty breathing, frequent sighing

• Sudden attacks of panic

• Excess anxiety, worry, guilt, nervousness

• Increased anger, frustration, hostility

• Depression, frequent or wild mood swings

• Increased frustration, irritability, edginess

• Increased or decreased appetite

• Insomnia, nightmares, disturbing dreams

• Difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts

• Forgetfulness, disorganization, confusion

• Difficulty in making decisions

• Feeling overloaded or overwhelmed

• Frequent crying spells or suicidal thoughts

• Feelings of loneliness or worthlessness

• Overreaction to petty annoyances

• Obsessive or compulsive behaviour

• Lies or excuses to cover up poor work

• Excessive defensiveness or suspiciousness

• Social withdrawal and isolation

• Constant tiredness, weakness, fatigue

• Increased smoking, alcohol or drug use

• Excessive gambling or impulse buying

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Stressors

• What are the main causes of stress for you?

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Stressors

• Examinations

• Deadlines

• Returning to study

• Pressure of combining paid work and study

• Difficulty in understanding work demands

• Leaving assignments to the last minute

• Out of control debts

• Poor housing

• Overcrowding

• Noise

• Adjusting to life in a new environment or country

• Break up of relationships

• Loneliness

• Balancing the demands of a family with studying

• Parents or problems at home

Very often stress

results from an

accumulation of

many different

pressures which

build up gradually

without us

noticing.

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Combating stress

• Identify the causes

• Tell someone how you are feeling

• Achievable strategies that suit you

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Nutrition, Exercise & Sleep!

• Reduce consumption of caffeine, alcohol and nicotine!

• Avoid refined and processed foods & increase dietary fibre

• Drink the equivalent of at least six 8-oz. glasses of water

every day

• Give yourself time to eat properly

• Take up regular exercise

• Seven to nine hours of restful, uninterrupted sleep is

particularly important during times of high stress & anxiety

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Additional Strategies

Be aware of how you are feeling – seek support early

Accurately plan your time; working backwards from the deadline date

– using Outlook Calendar & Tasks can be effective

Book ‘Me Time’ into your diary in advance, particularly before & after

peak work times

Practise relaxation techniques such as controlled breathing &

meditation

Consider doing Yoga, Tai Chi or Pilates for muscular relaxation &

stretching

Make use of resources on campus:

• http://www.exeter.ac.uk/wellbeing/counselling/

• http://www.exeter.ac.uk/wellbeing/complementarytherapies/

• http://www.exetervoice.co.uk/

• http://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/exeter/help/

Time & Stress Management

Rowanna Smith, Careers Consultant