We all know the stressful feeling of being pulled in many directions at the same time. At work, we juggle demanding client schedules, administrative tasks, professional development, and so on! Then we go on to juggle all that is required by our personal lives! It is quite easy to get busy with the daily grind, reacting to demands as they arise, and letting our priorities and other goals slip through the cracks.
You can reclaim your time! You can intentionally design your schedule to support your professional and personal goals? This is where the power of “time blocking” comes in.
Time Blocking
Time blocking is both a simple and powerful technique. You schedule specific blocks of time for different activities in your day. This proactive approach helps you to gain control, reduce stress, increase productivity, and improve work-life balance.
Putting Time Blocking into Practice
Step 1: Identify Your Priorities
List the tasks you are currently doing and desire to be doing in your professional and personal life.
Here’s an example:
Professional: Client sessions, report writing, professional development (conferences, webinars, reading), research, networking, updated resume, and advertising for new private clients.
Personal: Meal planning, cleaning, parenting, exercising, mindfulness, hobbies, spending time with friends and family, self-care, vacation planning.
Step 2: Consider your values
What truly matters to you? What brings you joy and fulfillment? Put a star next to those.
Step 3: Schedule Non-Negotiable Blocks
Treat your priorities like important appointments. Schedule them into your calendar as if they were client sessions.
Be realistic and do not overschedule yourself. Start with a few key priorities and gradually add more as you get comfortable with the system. The point is to add quality and priority and not more stress.
Identify your peak performance times. Are you most alert in the morning? Schedule your most demanding tasks for then. For example, I know I am my best before 1pm. I like to schedule my more demanding tasks before that.
Step 4: Protect Your Blocks
Share your schedule with colleagues and family members to minimize interruptions.
Minimize distractions as much as in your control. (Silence and tuck away your phone. Look for a quiet environment. Close all the other tabs on your browser. You get the idea.)
Be flexible because sticking this 100% of the time will not work. Life happens! If you need to adjust your schedule, do so, but make sure to reschedule the missed block as soon as possible.
Time-Blocking Ideas for Your Work Day
Client Sessions: Schedule client sessions in dedicated blocks, allowing for buffer time between sessions.
Therapy Preparation: Block time for reviewing client files, preparing materials, and writing progress notes. Level it up – batch the tasks. Do all the similar tasks at once, such as making all of the visual supports in one predetermined block.
Professional Development: Schedule a regular time for reading articles, attending webinars, or listening to podcasts.
Self-Care: Schedule breaks during the work day. Take the time to move a little, practice mindfulness, or whatever refreshes you!
Time blocking is a journey. Aim for progress and not perfection. As you experiment, you will find what works best for you. (It took me a long time to find my peak energy time and to discover batching tasks!)
Your time is precious! Invest it wisely.
As you implement time-blocking, do you feel you have reclaimed time? Reduced stress? Share your findings!