What is Time Blocking
Time blocking (also known as time chunking) is a productivity technique for personal time management. A period—typically a day or week—is divided into smaller segments or blocks for specific tasks or to-dos. It integrates the function of a calendar with that of a to-do list. It is a method of scheduling.
Time blocking can help eliminate distractions and discourage unproductive multitasking when done correctly.
Time Blocking as a Time Management Strategy
Time blocking is a great time management skill that can level the playing field for anyone from an entrepreneur to a busy stay-at-home mom. Managing your time well can increase your quality of life and have side benefits, including enhanced wellness, better sleep, and lowered stress. Time blocking, although commonly overlooked, is a fantastic time management strategy that can increase your productivity and allow you to reap great physical, mental, and emotional rewards, including reaching your goals and improving your peace of mind.
Time Blocking Can Reduce Multitasking and Overwhelm and Feel Scattered
The research shows the dangers of multitasking, including decreased focus and increased anxiety. This is also true when we keep requiring it to focus on the same task for hours. When we constantly push our brains to keep thinking, focusing, and creating hour after hour? It can shut down.
Neuroscience now tells us that changing tasks regularly, taking consistent breaks, and blocking out our time keep our brain more engaged when it works so that we get more done in less time.
Time Blocking is not a New Concept.
So, let’s look at blocking time. This is not a new concept. But it’s one we don’t use often enough to maintain our enthusiasm and focus, not to mention our mental and emotional health. Blocking time is a way to schedule your work hours to set up a dedicated time for a particular task. And then, when that time is up, you take a short break and switch to a new study.
But why, you may ask, is this important to performance and productivity? Time blocking:
- It keeps your brain from getting bored (aka, low motivation)
- Mentally prepares you for the tasks ahead
- It lowers stress because you see work getting done in different areas
- Ensures no multitasking occurs
- Improves self-confidence in your ability to succeed
Use Time Blocking To Stay Motivated and Reach Your Goals
So, how should you go about blocking your time? Usually, working in 2-3 hour work chunks at a time is recommended while allowing a 5-10 minute break every 30-45 minutes. However, this is merely a suggestion. You can experiment with this to see what works better for you.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Decide how you will block your time. There are many ways to do this, including various apps and email calendars. Google Calendar is a great way to get started because it’s easy to use and readily available. You may prefer a daily physical planner if you’re old school.
- Choose the date and time for your task. Remember to keep it to 2-3 hours if possible.
- Decide where you will complete the task.
- Include any details you need to remember before performing the task in the memo area. This will make it faster to get started when you get to that time block.
- Set reminders so you know when it’s time to switch tasks. You can get a reminder via email, pop-up, or app notifications. You could set a timer on your phone or use the Pomodoro method and timer. (I swear by this one.)
Using time blocks keeps your motivation high for all the above reasons and allows you to use several of your skill sets each day. It will enable you to move forward on multiple goals daily. It breaks up the monotony of doing the same task all day long.
Just like most strategies in life, it’s not for everyone. However, I highly suggest experimenting with this technique to boost productivity and complete more work. It can significantly increase your productivity and save you time and frustration.
It’s what all the smart kids do. 🙂
Be well and prosper,
Elaine xx
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