{"id":245,"date":"2020-04-20T10:30:29","date_gmt":"2020-04-20T10:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/?p=245"},"modified":"2021-02-04T15:55:34","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T15:55:34","slug":"time-management-tips-for-troubled-times-working-in-short-bursts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/2020\/04\/20\/time-management-tips-for-troubled-times-working-in-short-bursts\/","title":{"rendered":"Time Management Tips for Troubled Times: Working in short bursts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Photo by Tonny Tran<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stress and worry are completely natural at the moment, and will impact on your ability to focus and think straight. You might also be trying to study in less than ideal circumstances, having to share a computer or fitting it around other priorities such as caring responsibilities or managing daily chores. All is not lost though – you can be surprisingly productive in short bursts, and you can still make progress while being kind to yourself and mindful and realistic about what you can take on. This is the second in our series of Time Management Tips for Troubled Times, in which we look at working with, not against, your reserves of time and energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Be mindful each day, and as the day progresses, of what your concentration span or demands on your attention realistically are, and work within that. Don\u2019t put expectations on yourself to work for an hour or more if it\u2019s not going to happen \u2013 it will make you feel worse. You can achieve a lot in shorter slots of time.<\/li>
  • Break tasks down into as small chunks as possible, and be specific about what you\u2019re aiming to achieve. Big, vague goals in your mind then become manageable concrete tasks with a clear output.  If you only realistically have 10 mins, \u2018read the article\u2019 might not be achievable, but \u2018skim the first page and identify 3 key points\u2019 might be.<\/li>
  • When you break, take a moment to leave a \u2018note to future self\u2019 about where you got to or what you were intending to do next. <\/li>
  • A to-do list with all your tasks easily becomes overwhelming and can become a displacement activity in itself. You might use a \u2018next action\u2019 list, keep it short and make it on the day, just to cover the immediate future. What\u2019s the next thing you need to do to take a step forwards?<\/li>
  • Set concrete criteria for when a task is \u2018finished\u2019 or even just \u2018good enough\u2019. What exactly would that look like in practical terms? <\/li>
  • Make sure your learning approach is active \u2013 we quickly disengage if we\u2019re just passively watching or reading something. When reading or watching a lecture, try summarising paragraphs, making a mindmap, leaving notes to self about ideas, connections or questions that occur to you, etc<\/li>
  • Is there anything you can do with your environment that might make it easier to concentrate undisturbed? This might mean negotiating with other members of your household, or just thinking about what helps when you are on campus and recreating that, from background noise apps to setting up your table to remind you of working in a university study space.<\/li>
  • Find a way to block distractions. Repeatedly having to make yourself ignore them will drain your energy to say no to them, so see if you can avoid them altogether (ie a social media blocker, turning phones off, studying somewhere with few temptations).  Of course, some distractions, such as children, can\u2019t be handled in this way!<\/li>
  • Make sure you\u2019re only doing one thing at a time. For example, if you\u2019re writing, make sure that you are EITHER writing a first draft OR planning it OR editing it OR checking it \u2013 don\u2019t try to do all those things at once, but separate the process out. If you\u2019re reading, EITHER skim to find the relevant bits OR read marked sections in depth to foster understanding OR critique the whole. <\/li>
  • Try freewriting for 10 minutes. Set a timer and write, as a stream of consciousness  without stopping, whatever comes to mind about what you\u2019re reading, revising or thinking, and see what comes out. It might be the first draft of something, it might move your thinking on, or it might clarify a sticking point. <\/li>
  • If one of your short working blocks doesn\u2019t go as planned, let it go and see the next one as a fresh start. Short working blocks are low risk, whereas if you try and work all afternoon and it doesn\u2019t go to plan, you might feel anxious that time has been wasted. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    No time to read? Listen to our tips instead! Our tutor Helen will talk you through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Dr Helen Webster, WDC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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