Effective time management is a key part of looking after your wellbeing. When you know what needs to be done and when, it can help reduce feelings of overwhelm, create more breathing room for rest and relaxation, and allow you to focus on what really matters.
This module introduces practical strategies for organising your time and energy, so you can feel more in control and less stressed in your daily life. Not all ideas will suit everyone, so feel free to experiment and see what works best for you.
Why Time Management Matters
Managing your time well isn’t just about productivity—it’s a form of self-care. By planning your day and week effectively, you can:
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Reduce stress and prevent burnout
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Make space for rest, hobbies, and meaningful activities
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Focus on high-priority tasks without feeling rushed
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Improve your overall sense of balance
The Mechanics of Time Management
There are a lot of ways you can manage your time effectively (just google “time management tips”). This section highlights a few strategies you can experiment with. Ideally, over time, you will learn what works best for you as you gain experience juggling different aspects of your life.
Getting Started: Four Key Steps
1. Create a Weekly Skeleton
Start by mapping out the broad structure of your week. Include predictable elements like work hours, school or study commitments, exercise, meals, and regular social or personal activities. This skeleton doesn’t have to be rigid—it’s a framework to help you see where tasks and self-care can fit naturally.
Example Daily Skeleton:
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7:00–8:00am: Morning routine, breakfast
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8:00–10:00am: High-focus work or study session
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10:00–10:15am: Short break, stretch, or walk
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10:15–12:00pm: Focused tasks or meetings
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12:00–12:30pm: Lunch
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12:30–2:30pm: Administrative tasks, errands, or collaborative work
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2:30–3:00pm: Break or mindfulness activity
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3:00–5:00pm: Work or study session
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Evening: Relaxation, hobbies, social connection
This type skeleton helps you plan around energy peaks, and allows room for self-care and flexibility.
2. Write Down Your Tasks
Every day, make a list of tasks you want to achieve, including both responsibilities and self-care. Examples might include:
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Completing a work project or study assignment
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Household chores or paying bills
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Catching up with friends or family
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Exercise, meditation, or relaxation practices
Listing tasks gives you a clear picture of your priorities and makes it easier to plan realistically.
3. Match Tasks to Energy Levels
Everyone has times of day when they are more alert, creative, or focused. Consider grouping tasks according to their mental or physical demands. This may vary person to person, for example, some may find writing easier, and some may find it harder. The idea is to know yourself and work within that knowledge the leverage that knowledge for your wellbeing. For more about matching tasks to energy levels, you can read, The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.
Examples could include:
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High-focus tasks: Writing, analysing, problem-solving (schedule during peak energy times)
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Moderate-focus tasks: Emails, calls, routine admin (mid-energy times)
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Low-focus tasks: Simple chores or repetitive tasks (low-energy times)
Example: If your mornings are your most alert period, schedule demanding tasks like writing or preparing presentations then. Tasks that are less mentally taxing, such as checking emails, can be done later in the day.
Below is an example table of how this may look with a few example tasks in each column for one type of person. Some people find editing work difficult and writing easy, so it depends on the person.
4. Build a Visual Schedule
Mapping your tasks visually can help balance energy and workload. Colour coding tasks (e.g., blue for focused work, green for self-care, yellow for errands) allows you to see at a glance how your day or week is balanced. This helps you manage time and energy more effectively, avoiding overload. Again, this is only a suggestion, and only through experimentation will you know if it works for you.
Code:
Other Time Management Techniques
Action Priority Matrix Option
If you’re the kind of person who prefers less of a micro-management approach (as in the example above), you may like to experiment with a similar method but allocate tasks more broadly as you work towards goals.
The Action Priority Matrix is a simple decision-making tool used to prioritise tasks based on two key criteria: impact and effort. The matrix is typically laid out as a 2×2 grid, with the vertical axis representing the potential impact of an action (from low to high) and the horizontal axis representing the effort or resources required (from low to high).
This creates four distinct quadrants: Quick Wins (high impact, low effort), Major Projects (high impact, high effort), Fill-ins (low impact, low effort), and Thankless Tasks (low impact, high effort).
To use the matrix, you begin by listing all the possible tasks or actions you’re considering. Then, evaluate each one by estimating how much impact it would have on your goals and how much effort it would take to complete. Once you’ve plotted your tasks within the matrix, you can use their position to guide your priorities—focusing first on Quick Wins to build momentum, carefully planning Major Projects, delegating or batching Fill-ins, and questioning whether Thankless Tasks are worth doing at all.
This approach helps ensure your time and energy are directed towards activities that yield the most value. You can use the printable below if it is useful to you. Simply click the image below to access the PDF file, or click here: Action Priority Matrix.
The Eisenhower Matrix
Some people like to use the Eisenhower Matrix to manage their time effectively by considering the urgency and importance of certain tasks. Please note, these strategies do not need to be used in isolation, but can be used in conjunction with other strategies and incorporated into effective time management plans.
This particular method aims to support clear thinking, prioritisation, and time management by helping individuals decide how to handle tasks based on urgency and importance. Consider the graphic below:
Instructions
🟦 Quadrant 1: DO (Urgent + Important)
These are the tasks that need immediate attention.
Conversation Prompts:
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What deadlines are looming right now?
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Are there any crises or pressing problems you need to resolve?
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What consequences will happen if this task is not done today or this week?
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What support do you need to get these done efficiently?
Example: Finalising a report due today, attending a key meeting.
🟩 Quadrant 2: DECIDE (Not Urgent + Important)
These are your long-term priorities and big-picture goals.
Conversation Prompts:
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What tasks contribute most to your growth, learning, or success?
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What would you do if you had uninterrupted time and energy?
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When can you schedule time for these tasks?
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What boundaries can you set to protect this time?
Example: Preparing for exams, planning a project, self-care practices.
🟧 Quadrant 3: DELEGATE (Urgent + Not Important)
Tasks that feel pressing but could be done by someone else.
Conversation Prompts:
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Is this task truly your responsibility?
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Could someone else help or take it over?
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Can this be automated, shared, or simplified?
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Is saying “yes” to this pulling you away from your priorities?
Example: Answering non-essential emails, booking appointments, coordinating logistics.
🟥 Quadrant 4: DELETE (Not Urgent + Not Important)
Tasks that don’t add value and may be distractions.
Conversation Prompts:
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Are these tasks helping you achieve your goals?
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How do you feel after doing them—refreshed or drained?
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What can you let go of to free up mental space?
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Are you using this task to avoid something more important?
Example: Excessive scrolling, unnecessary meetings, overchecking emails or socials.
The Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique requires you to break tasks into 25-minute focused sessions with a 5-minute break in between with the option for a longer break after four sessions.
However, any length of time can be used with the Pomodoro technique, and it can be helpful to experiment to find your own rhythm. By using the Pomodoro technique, you can focus on getting through the next 25 minutes instead of worrying about the next 250 hours! The Pomodoro technique can be applied to your studies, placement, or any number of activities and can help to maintain focus while reducing feelings of burnout.
Do you work better with apps?
Forest is a great and fun tool for using the Pomodoro technique. Forest also contributes to planting real trees, so you’re also helping the environment by using it!
Don’t Forget to Stand Up and Stretch!
To end this section, here’s a reminder to get up and stretch periodically! Research has shown that standing up for even one minute each hour has immense health benefits, including improved blood flow, maintaining muscle and postural strength and reducing the risks of more serious illnesses. So, each hour, don’t be afraid to get up, have a stretch. Your body and your mind will thank you for it!
Reflection
Just remember, this is just information that may or may not be useful to you. You may like to try the strategies and develop time management, or you may already have effective time management plans in place.
Next module, we will start looking at self-care strategies, and you may like to come back here and weave some of the elements into your daily/weekly schedule.