No Time for People?

What's that you say? You've got no time for your friends, no time to get a handle on your to-do list, and no time to find love? Being too busy can negatively affect your life and even prevent you from having good relationships. Here are a few ideas on how you can be less busy.

Blocks of Time

Maybe the problem is not that you're so busy, but that you're just not using your time efficiently. Take a look at how your day is typically divided. If you keep email or Facebook open, for example, you're probably stopping one task to answer an email, then trying to get back to work, then answering a Facebook request, and so on.

Instead, work in blocks of time. Open email once in the morning, and answer what you can immediately. Then, close the program out. Go back late in the afternoon and check your email again. You'll be more efficient at answering your emails and getting things done in a big block like that than if you had kept the program open all day.

Guard Yourself Against Time Sucks

It's too easy to get sucked into Facebook, computer games, or even conversations with coworkers. You know what your biggest time sucks are, so look at them the same way you would extra sugary desserts. Indulge occasionally, but limit yourself. If a coworker wants to chat it up, do it for a short time and then say, "Let's talk more at lunch. I'm going to try and get this project done. Looking forward to hearing the rest of the story." That way you can still socialize without it chewing up your entire day.

The same goes for Facebook. If you leave it open, you'll continually receive notices throughout the day of messages and game requests, so allow yourself a few minutes in the afternoon to pop into it and then close it out until the next day.

Pause Before You Commit to New Things

Don't be afraid to say no when it comes to signing up for something new. It's all too easy to volunteer for school and church, and if you do it without giving your overall schedule some thought, soon you'll be overbooked. Rather than signing up for a new activity, evaluate your current schedule and be sure to include downtime as part of the things you need to do. That way you'll sign up for the things you really want to do, but you'll still give yourself the breathing room you need to recharge your batteries.

Guard Your Free Time

Stop answering calls and emails on weekends. Once you get in the habit of answering your phone from work, for example, it becomes an expectation that you'll always be available in the off hours. I know there are times when you will need to take a call or two, but make sure it is the exception and not the norm.

Look at your free time like a precious commodity that you refuse to divvy out to just anyone. This applies to friends as well as coworkers. I have a few friends that I don't talk to very often, and then when we do the conversation is usually hours long. This is fine if I have the time, but in the past I've been hesitant about telling them when I couldn't talk long. Now, I tell them the truth, "I wish I could talk longer! I'm in the middle of a project right now. When is a good time to call you back so we can dish?" Then, I call back when we both have time to devote to a lengthy conversation.

Put People Before Projects

If you're struggling to see your friends and family because you're too busy, change around your activities to include them. You'll feel less busy, and you'll have the added benefit of connecting with people you care about more often. Invite a friend to come along to see your son's basketball game, ask if your cousin wants to help you out at church, or see if your aunt wants to come along to the grocery store with you. Just because you're doing mundane activities doesn't mean you won't be able to connect with loved ones. You'd be surprised at how valuable it is to make an in-person connection with someone, even when you're doing those everyday tasks in your life.

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