Stress management: Managing your time

What is time management?

Time management means taking control of your activities, duties, and commitments. When you manage your time, you decide which tasks and activities are most important to you based on your values. For example, you may place a high value on family life, but you may not be able to spend as much time with your family as you want. Knowing what's important to you helps you decide how best to spend your time. Managing your time helps you reduce stress.

There are three parts to time management:

• Prioritize tasks and activities. This helps you decide which tasks are most important to you.
• Control procrastination. Procrastination is putting things off until the last minute or missing deadlines because you have put things off too long.
• Manage commitments. This means being able to say "no" to things that aren't important to you and "yes" to things that are important.

Test Your Knowledge

1. Time management means taking control of tasks and activities.

1. True.
2. False

2. Putting things off until the last minute is one of the tips for prioritizing tasks.

1. True.
2. False.

Continue to Why is it important to manage your time?
Return to Stress management: Managing your time

Author:	Jeannette Curtis	Last Updated: April 22, 2009
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Lisa S. Weinstock, MD - Psychiatry
© 1995-2010 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.