Time and Stress Management

CS7001 Workshop Idris Hsi November 15, 1999

Time Management
Step 1 - List Your Tasks. Step 2 - Fill In Schedule Step 3 - Stop When Day/Week Is Full Step 4 - If Tasks Remain, Remove Time From Nonessential Tasks (i.e., Sleeping, Eating), Go To Step 2.

Stress Management
Happy Hour - Friday at 6!

In Conclusion
You All Know How To Manage Your Time and Stress. But wait
Are there less masochistic ways to use time? And what is this stress thing anyhow?

Goals of this Workshop

Examine Different Ways of Viewing Time Review Some Heuristics For Using Time Dealing with Stress (And Dangers of Long Term Stress) Grad School Survival Guidelines

Task not Time Management

Time - Constant or Variable? Managing Time a Problem of Estimation
Difficult to Estimate Variable Tasks Difficult to Account For Sources of Noise

Better to Manage Around Tasks

Coveys Time (Task) Management Matrix

Urgent Important
I
Crises Pressing Problems Deadline-Driven Projects

Not Urgent
II
Prevention Planning Relationship Building Research

Not Important

III
Interruptions Email Phone Calls Meetings

IV
Trivia, Busy Work Time Wasters Pleasant Activities

Heuristics for Organizing Tasks

Priority Order Task Duration Category Order Traveling Salesman

Using Small Bits

Optimize for Large Chunks
Small Bits are Unavoidable (5, 10, 15 min)

Making Them Useful

Planning (At least 10 minutes a day) Cleaning / Organization Chores Communication - Email, Phone Call Creativity / Brainstorming Small Tasks

The Art of Procrastination

Art of Delaying the Inevitable Where can you lose time?
Worrying about finishing on time. Worrying about the final outcome. Distractions. Doing unimportant things first.

The Zen of Time Usage

When You Wash The Dishes, Wash the Dishes.

The Principle Of Immersion

All Tasks Require A Period of Immersion in Direct Proportion to Their Difficulty. DeMarco and Lister Peopleware, (1987)
Context Shifts in Work Interruptions require 15 minutes of reorientation.

Important to Consolidate by Context

Some Days Are Impossible

In spite of best efforts - Its still impossible to get everything done. Partly the Environment or too many commitments. This can lead to stress.

What is Stress?
In the Good Old Days on the Serengeti. Flight or Fight Mechanisms (Adrenaline) Problems with Modern Life Survival Still Threatened

Manifestations of Stress
Sources
Personal Pressure to Succeed Financial Problems Relationship Problems Holidays

Manifestations
Increased Heart Rate, Sleeplessness, Anxiety, Variable Appetite

Long Term Stress

Being in Panic Mode all the time Learned Helplessness Can lead to numerous health problems Can lead to Burnout

Managing Stress
Redirect it into your work. Exercise. Keep a Regular Schedule (Eating, Sleeping, etc.) Eliminate or Reduce the Sources of Stress
Most things arent THAT important. Seek help / advice from others.

Active Inactivity
Music is the Space Between Notes Claude Debussy Creating Empty Spaces in Life is Essential.

Artifacts for Staying on Track

10 Minutes a day for planning. Flexible Scheduling Automated Schedulers - Netscape Calendar, Microsoft Schedule, Outlook, Palm Pilot Pad of Paper - Running to-do list, place for unloading. A Watch

Developing The Habit

Takes Discipline and Practice to Have Good Time Management Skills Develop Skills Incrementally
Start by developing a realistic schedule Build in reward system for finishing things

Over time, itll become second nature.

The Big Picture

Important to know when youve done all that you can. Dont schedule more than is humanly possible. Dont stress about things that you cant control. Keep the long term goals in mind. (The PhD)