Few of us feel we have enough hours in the day.<\/p>\n
Most of us dash from one job to the next, barely getting a chance to relax as we just don\u2019t have the time.<\/p>\n
The sense of time poverty is widespread \u2013 and bad news.<\/p>\n
Chronic time pressure means stress, which is linked to increased cortisol levels, high blood pressure, cardiovascular (heart) disease, unhealthy eating habits and a greater risk of obesity.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, psychological consequences include burnout, depression or anxiety disorders.<\/p>\n
You can change this though, says Liverpool John Moores University professor of the psychology of time Dr Ruth Ogden in the BBC Science Focus magazine.<\/p>\n
She proposes these simple, scientifically-supported strategies to reduce your sense of time scarcity.<\/p>\n
> Learn how to say no<\/strong><\/p>\n You do not have to take on each and every commitment.<\/p>\n Consciously saying no creates space for the things that really matter.<\/p>\n Prof Ogden\u2019s advice acknowledges that saying you don\u2019t have time doesn\u2019t necessarily make you more popular.<\/p>\n A better strategy for saying no is to:<\/p>\n > Analyse how you spend time<\/strong><\/p>\n Track how you spend your time during a typical week, from work meetings to social media, cooking to sorting socks and similar activities.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t go into too much detail, but use 30-minute increments.<\/p>\n This allows you to see where you can free up some time by making small changes.<\/p>\n For example, you could cook dinner in advance to free up half an hour in the evening, says Prof Ogden.<\/p>\n > Delegate or outsource task<\/strong>s<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s housework, shopping or small everyday tasks, sharing them with others in the household or outsourcing them \u2013 say, to robot vacuum cleaners or food delivery services \u2013 lets you buy time and use it consciously for relaxation or important projects.<\/p>\n > Keep a \u2018what I\u2019ve achieved\u2019 list<\/strong><\/p>\n This is a kind of reverse to-do list.<\/p>\n Writing down what you\u2019ve accomplished at the end of the day promotes a feeling of productivity and satisfaction.<\/p>\n Take five minutes to do this.<\/p>\n Seeing everything in black and white can boost your self-confidence.<\/p>\n And in the best case scenario, it shows you that you are actually using your time pretty well.<\/p>\n > Schedule time blocks<\/strong><\/p>\n This is about setting boundaries for yourself.<\/p>\n You should separate tasks and leisure time, and block them in your calendar, setting fixed times for work, emails and relaxation to avoid overload and distraction.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can\u2019t relax after work because you still have emails to answer, block out 15 minutes every evening just for emails,\u201d says Prof Ogden.<\/p>\n Afterwards, turn off your email notifications or switch your smartphone to silent mode, she advises. \u2013 dpa<\/p>\n\n