TIME MANAGEMENT

Working on our wellbeing is a lifelong journey. There are going to be ups and downs throughout our lives. College can have multiple transitions and challenges that may impact our well-being. There will be times when we are not doing well, and that is ok. It’s in those times that we want to utilize the resources that are available to us to support our wellbeing. Luckily, at the University of Florida we have numerous resources available to support student well-being.

We want to make sure you know about all the resources that are available to you. Below are some resources that you can utilize during your time at UF. They are categorized based on what main dimension of wellbeing they fall under. Feel free to check them out and if you still have questions contact GatorWell.

Balance Your Priorities: Focus on What Matters

Prioritize your time: Create a plan or schedule of everything you wish to accomplish

To help you balance that schedule with all the things you need and want to do:

Create a schedule according to what is important and urgent to you.
Outlining where you should focus your time and decrease feelings of being overwhelmed.
Prioritizing can help create a schedule balanced with school, extracurriculars, family, friends, working out, hobbies, etc.

Tackle Procrastination: Start Before It’s Too Late

Procrastination is the nemesis of time management. Overall, leading to inefficient use of time and taking away from the things you should be doing. Understanding the influence of procrastination can help identify solutions to decrease the urge to procrastinate.

Ask yourself, "Why do I procrastinate?"

Break-up larger overwhelming tasks into smaller and more manageable steps to help you begin.
Change your environment - find a productive study environment and minimize distractions.
Find a buddy and hold each other accountable
Eat that frog/knock out the hardest task first: Do the hardest, most undesirable task on your to-do list first
Make time to plan out a weekly schedule based on priorities.
Create specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time bound (SMART) goals to work toward. Consider making short and long term goals.

Stay Focused: Manage Your Time

It is important to stay focused and complete the task you are working on. As you lose focus and begin multitasking, it can lead to decreased productivity, increased stress, and longer hours spent studying.

Take 5 minutes at the end of the day to write your to-do list for the next day
Try the Pomodoro technique: 3:25/5, 1: 25/15-20
Take short breaks when studying to allow for increased focus.
Overestimate the amount of time to complete tasks, especially difficult, new, or boring tasks to create buffers or flexibility to your schedule.
Anticipate barriers and challenges and brainstorm solutions ahead of time. (ex. If “x” happens, I will do “y” to achieve “z”.)