If it’s important: give it time! Students, teachers, parents, caregivers, athletes, entrepreneurs, and artists all face a similar challenge when it comes to managing our time. As a full-time doctoral student and business owner, my work aspirations are numerous and time intensive. Additionally, as someone who values their communities and social connections, I regularly prioritize the people in my life over business pursuits. As a part of my release from the hospital and subsequent IOP (intensive outpatient program), I learned many strategies for managing my time in ways that prevented anxieties that lead to burnout. Today, I’m going to go over some of the basics I use every day to keep up with this beautiful life I’m creating.

Create a rough outline of your day

There are 24 hours in every day. That’s 24 time blocks to rearrange like your favorite lego kit. I like to divide my day into thirds. 8 hours for rest. 8 hours for work (whatever that looks like). 8 hours for me. I’ll go through the rest budget first. All 56 hours are devoted to rest because having good sleep hygiene is the foundation for everything I do. Having good habits around sleep can lead to better cognition, a more regulated body, and stronger mental health. Creating and sticking to my rest budget was the first and most important scaffold for building lasting success. My 8 hours are non-negotiable for anything outside of an emergency. My phone automatically goes to DND (Do Not Disturb) mode, I turn off all the lights, and I darken my sleeping space. When necessary, I’ll also wear earplugs or play a white noise machine to eliminate distracting noises.

Next, I’ll organize my work. This is usually what I consider the need-to-dos of my day. The first 40 hours of the week I give priority to my career so the remaining 16 hours of the weekend are specifically used for anything that is not for my career. Weekend work will often take the shape of cleaning my home, caring for family, or volunteering my services. I dedicate ‘work’ time to myself, my loved ones, and my communities because I believe these are the relationships that help me feel grounded and connected to something larger than myself. It is deeply humbling and spiritual for me to dedicate my labor to pursuits unrelated to financial gain.

My 56 hours for me are split between a 2-hour block before work and a 6-hour block afterward. Each of these blocks is divided into 30 or 60-minute chunks that are followed with psych ward-level discipline. Breakfast, dinner, journaling, and social media are budgeted for 30 minutes each. Socialization, morning and evening routines, working out, and scree-free time are all budgeted for 60. While these time blocks were originally created to optimize my schedule during quarantine, this method of scheduling has served me tremendously as I’ve reacclimatized to commutes and impromptu decisions.

Decide how to maximize your outline

Maybe you’re not at the point where you budget every minute of every hour of your day. I’ll be the first to admit creating a sticking to a budget (of any kind) takes practice, dedication, and discipline. It took me nearly six years and a mental breakdown to get to the point I’m at now so by no means am I saying this is simple. A good way to get started on a well-balanced time budget is to choose a few things to do every week from each of these four major categories: work, play, community, and growth.

Time for work

What will support you financially? Are you working a 9 to 5 with regularly accruing vacation time? Are you a freelancer whose ability to make money is contingent on your time in the field? Are you a student working to build your resume? Are you a stay-at-home spouse who focuses on domestic management for your spouse? Whatever your need-to-dos are, make sure they take priority and get your best energy.

• Job / Career
• Entrepreneurial pursuits
• School

Time for play

All work and no play makes Shai a dull human. Let your figurative hair down and get interested in something. I love roller skating, crafting, and singing. Anything in that realm will always get me back in my creative flow if I’m feeling off balance. I love going on friend dates, romantic dates, and solo dates as a way to fulfill my human desire to connect and my introverted desire to stay away from crowds.

• Hobbies
• Dating (even married people need to date)
• Vacation
• Events

Time for community

What you do for others says a lot about who you are. I make sure to take time to regularly check in on my loved ones. When at all possible I believe it’s best to show up in person to share time and space with others. (Unsurprisingly, quality time is my primary love language.) Being in service to others makes me a better teammate and leader. More importantly, being in service to others helps me feel better about myself.

• Call your friends
• Visit your elders
• Volunteer your services

Time for growth (self-care)

Self-improvement IS self-care. Taking the time to grow mentally, physically, spiritually, or intellectually are all valuable and necessary components of any time budget. Taking time to better yourself is a beautiful and noble act and I’m so proud of anyone participating in even the smallest acts of growth. Kudos to you! Most of my weekday ‘hours for me’ are dedicated to some sort of growth. I love the positive feedback loop it gives me to tackle any challenges when I’m working.

• Therapy or Meditation
• Church
• Online / Community / Non-Degree Seeking Classes
• Cleaning or Meal Prep

Other Things to Include

Life is neither linear nor is it predictable. Because of that, I always create contingency plans and create buffers in my schedule to allow for the unexpected. Maybe the 30-minute dinner turned into a 2-hour event. Your ability to respond to new information and adapt to your circumstances will always be the best assessment of your ability to manage your time. Don’t worry! The skills of discipline and organization you are building will continue to improve with patience and dedication. I’m rooting for you.

• Schedule time for emergencies
• Schedule time to adjust your schedule

Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I hope these things were helpful and can inspire you to set aside some time to focus on your own time budget. Be sure to comment any tips you use to manage your time or questions you’d like me to address in future blog posts. Cheers!