Time management-- an ability that is very useful to have, yet one that most people tend to struggle with. However, managing your time is most definitely not an impossible task. With a few adjustments to your daily schedule, you can make more time to do your work and to take care of yourself! Read below for a few tips that can help you with your time management skills!

1. Creating an Agenda

Whether digital or physical, having an agenda handy wherever you go can greatly help you in keeping track of your tasks for the week. If you prefer working digitally, many different agenda apps can be found in your app store. I recommend trying out a few different apps to see which layouts work best for you and help you feel more organized. If you're a student, you can find apps that work as an agenda and even keep track of the classes that you're currently taking so that you can log your due assignments under the appropriate subject. If you prefer to go with the traditional paper agenda, there are many different types of agendas in the majority of stores you go into. Either way, keeping an agenda handy can instantly help you up your organizational game in terms of getting things done on time. Additionally, being able to check or cross off things as you complete them can make it feel extra rewarding!

2. The 50/10 Rule

While it can be easy to get caught up in your work, we all know that it's important to be able to take short breaks in between to help clear your mind. In order to keep a good balance between work and rest time, I present to you: the 50/10 rule. This rule is fairly simple, you work for 50 minutes, take a break for 10 minutes, and continue until you have all of your work done for the day. Taking a break for even as short as 10 minutes can give you an opportunity to clear your mind and even focus on other things to improve yourself. For example, you could take a walk, do a short meditation, read a book, or even just get up to do some stretches. My favorite part about this rule is that I often feel more focused doing my work knowing that I have a break to look forward to at the end of my 50 minutes.

3. Prioritize

In order to get the most out of your workday, prioritize your tasks for the day by most to least important/urgent. You can prioritize your tasks how you see fit; however, if you need an idea,

you can sort them by which ones:

• Must be done today
• Can be done within the next couple of days
• Can be done within a week
• Are due far ahead of time

4. Spend Less Time on Social Media and Games

Ok yes, I realize that this is a piece of advice that most people find annoying seeing as we're all addicted to our phones at this point. Nevertheless, even just slightly reducing the amount of time you spend on your phone can help you feel more productive during the day. Let's go back to the 50/10 rule for a second-- if you were to go on a social media app during your break time, it might be much more difficult to pull your eyes from the screen and go back to work. I can't tell you how to spend your breaks, as you should do whatever makes you the most relaxed during this time; however, I can suggest alternatives on how else to spend your breaks besides scrolling through your phone. Picking up small hobbies such as reading a book, going on a walk, drawing, or even making a snack can be great ways to spend your breaks. They can be just as fun and can even help you feel like you're getting more done during the day while taking care of yourself.

Written by: Charlize Garcia