According to Philip G. Levendusky, Ph.D., Director of the Psychology Department at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA, “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.” Time management is now recognized as a vital soft skill that impacts not just your professional (and personal) life, but also your health.

Moreover, if establishing success in just about any part of life is a goal, you’ll be greatly assisted by well-developed time management skills. The inability to effectively manage time means, frankly, that life will be more difficult because you won’t be able to get things done. Your plans may never get beyond the drawing board.

When you can’t get things done colleagues and friends, to say nothing of clients, may enjoy your company, but may simultaneously label you as undependable and perhaps also frustrating. Those who can’t appropriately manage their time often don’t have the best reputation. That managing time is a way to avoid hassles, frustration, embarrasment, disappointment and other aggravations that feed both stress and low self-esteem is, I’m afraid, not obvious to everyone.

Freelancers know that when there is a deadline to meet good time management, which involves prioritizing and planning, is essential. Time management is part of your brand and when it’s lacking, you can’t call yourself trustworthy or dependable.

As part of your strategy to make Freelance consulting projects efficient and pleasant for yourself, your team and your clients, it’s important to be mindful of where and how to devote time. Not only will you achieve optimal productivity, you’ll enhance your (everyone’s!) health. Here’s how time management can help you minimize or avoid professional difficulties, personal disappointments and affective mood disorders.

Decrease stress

Recent research found that nearly 57% of U.S. and Canadian workers reported that they feel stressed on a daily basis, an 8-point increase from the year prior, compared to 43% of working people worldwide. Stress, worry, sadness and anger rates have been trending upward in the U.S. since 2009.

Numerous horrific and all-too-often deadly acts of workplace violence demonstrate that undeniable finding. During the coronavirus shutdown and its aftershocks, stress was further increased by concerns over the virus and risk of illness, conflict associated with families grappling with WFH and at-home schooling and financial insecurities. Prolonged stress can cause a wide range of negative health outcomes. Related physical effects include sleep difficulties, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression and habits such as procrastination, over- eating, a depressed appetite, or excessive drinking.

Effectively manage your time and give yourself as much control over your schedule as possible. Smart time management helps you find, or create, blocks of free time that can be spent relaxing and enjoying yourself by participating in whatever physical fitness or relaxation activities make the stress you’ve been feeling melt away.

Reduce anxiety

The most common mental health issues today are anxiety disorders and (reactive) depression. The pandemic has increased their occurrence. Globally, depression affects 3.8% of the population, according to the World Health Organization. Approximately 30% of U.S. adults will experience an anxiety disorder during their lifetime, according to another study.

Time management and anxiety are intertwined—-poor time management can result in missed deadlines and missed deadlines are known to result in anxiety (and stress). Prolonged feelings of anxiety may bring about symptoms that signal depression, such as low energy, mood swings, irritability and an overall negative attitude. To address noticeable feelings of anxiety or depression, speak with your primary care physician or a mental health care provider.

Your time management skills can help reduce anxiety and distress (depression requires professional care). So if improving work- life balance is something you’d like to do, especially in light of the prevalence of WFH work schedules, time management skills can help you to establish useful boundaries. Meaning, when it’s time to prepare and enjoy dinner, whether alone or with family, flexing your time management muscle makes it easier to turn off your phone and avoid responding to work-related messages when it’s more important to let yourself have some battery recharging downtime.

Avoid burnout

Ongoing workplace stress can leave you feeling not just anxious, but also overwhelmed, inadequate, irritable and resentful—burned out. The World Health Organization classifies burnout as an extreme form of stress that is associated with mental and physical exhaustion, cynical attitudes, emotional withdrawal, difficulty with concentration and focus and diminished productivity and professionalism at work.

Yet another benefit of time management is that it makes you acknowledge how much work you can take on in a given day or week. As noted earlier, time management supports your establishment of healthy boundaries, making it easier to turn down potential demands on your time when you already have a full plate (work or leisure).

Improve your mood and attitude

Maintaining a positive frame of mind will be difficult if you suffer from high stress, anxiety, resentment, depression, or burnout. Time management is not a cure-all for the challenges you face. Still, as a readily available first line of defense, time management can be your go-to strategy when organizing your life is necessary.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Courtesy of Harold Lloyd Entertainment. Actor Harold Lloyd (1893-1971, pictured) in the 1923 silent film classic Safety Last.