3 Ways to Keep Time From Stressing You Out

Relax — and get out of that time scarcity mode! (Photo: Stocksy/Nemanja Glumac)

By Jan Bruce

If only I had more time…. How often do you say this to yourself in the course of one day? I’d wager more than once. And how often do you put off something important (working out, shopping for fresh veggies, visiting a friend) because you feel strapped for time?

What you’re experiencing here, of course, is a scarcity of time. Partly, this is a simple fact of life — there are only 24 hours in the day. But part of it is also in your head: The more you stay in a time-scarce mindset, the harder it is to get out of it even when you have more time.

When you’re stuck in a scarcity mindset, it might seem like revamping your life from top to bottom is the only way to become free. I love a good makeover, but the truth is, these three simple schedule changes can help you feel more relaxed about time — and get more done.

1. Block off time as simply “unavailable.”

Part of what makes you overwhelmed is that you never feel you have time to iron out all the little administrative and household tasks that are easy to dismiss — until there’s a crisis. Stay ahead of the game and on schedule by making sure you have time blocked off to tend to the gears and springs of your life.

Pencil in a period of time in your calendar just to think about long-term and long-neglected things. If people asked to schedule an appointment then, tell them that you have a meeting. No need to explain that it’s with yourself.

Related: 6 Ways ‘Me-Time’ Can Help You At Work

2. Invest in something non-urgent.

On the recently ended television show Parks and Recreation, two characters, Tom and Donna, have an annual, guilt-free, utterly indulgent spa and shopping tradition they call “Treat Yo'Self.” While a full-on mani-pedi-facial-massage might not be in your budget, Tom and Donna are onto something good.

Don’t underestimate what a little R&R can do: You may think that treating yourself is a luxury, but it isn’t. Taking time to play with your kid, enjoy a nice cup of espresso, read a magazine, or get your nails done all send a message to your mind that all is well. It can ease off scarcity mode. You free up cognitive bandwidth to manage and improve with your packed life by giving yourself these little gifts of time.

Related: 3 Ways to Kick the Procrastination Habit

3. Give a little time away.

Yes, this seems to contradict the two points above. The interesting thing is that what you do with your time has a huge effect on how you feel about it and yourself. University of Pennsylvania professor Cassie Mogilner has found that “giving your time to others can make you feel more ‘time affluent’ and less time-constrained than wasting your time, spending it on yourself, or even getting a windfall of free time.” Not only that, Mogilner says, people who help others feel more capable, confident, and useful — and more in control of their time.

None of this is to say that your calendar will get less complicated. Our lives are complicated, and we’ve never figured out how to add more hours to the day. But when you take the time to relax about time, you’ll find more productivity and peace.

This story is part of “Cooler, Calmer, and Happier,” an ongoing series with meQuilibrium. Jan Bruce is CEO and co-founder of meQuilibrium, the digital coaching system for stress, which helps both individuals and corporations achieve measurable results, and the co-author ofmeQuilibrium: 14 Days to Cooler, Calmer, and Happier with Andrew Shatté, Ph.D., and Adam Perlman M.D.

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