If you’re like most people, you could use more money, energy and time. They’re the three most common things people wish they had more of. If you feel as though you’re always short of time, busy and stressed out, here are five strategies to get your time back. 

Since I began implementing these strategies into my life, I’ve got more time for the things that matter to me. I get to spend more time with my kids and my partner, Holly. I have more time for exercise and to eat mindfully. I have more time for rest and relaxation. Plus, as an entrepreneur, I'm even able to make more money. The stress in my life is now almost non-existent; I feel happier more often, and I feel fulfilled with where I am in my life and how it unfolds on a daily basis. Don’t underestimate the importance of fulfilment. 

Limited time is one of the biggest causes of stress. Any task, stressful or not, can be made a million times more stressful by placing time constraints on it. When you have to work against the clock, the pressure builds against you and you become stressed.

How you spend your time can be another cause of stress. When you spend time doing things that you’re not passionate about, you drain your energy and this causes stress. When you spend time doing things that inspire you, you increase your energy and this makes you feel good. 

Anxiety is another cause of stress related to time. Anxiety develops from a fear of the unknown. This unknown is a moment of time in the future. It can be reduced by creating a plan. With a plan you have a picture in your mind of what to expect. The future becomes more certain because you can see how it can work out. 

5 Ways To Get Your Time Back

1. Understand what makes you tick. Figure out what energises you. Do more of the activities that make you excited and happy, and less of the activities that are a drag. These activities only drain your energy. Spend more time doing the things that give you energy. 
   
   
2. Schedule everything. Be more productive with your time by entering absolutely everything into a calendar. Schedule your tasks, appointments and responsibilities for the week ahead. Ensure there’s enough time scheduled for personal things like hobbies and family, as well as your usual responsibilities, such as cooking dinner and cleaning the house. 
   
   
3. Incorporate rest. Take regular, good quality breaks. This will make you more efficient and you’ll complete your tasks much faster. Ensure you encompass mental, physical, spiritual and social rest into every day. Rest will also foster more creative thinking and ideas. 
   
   
4. Learn how to say no. When you’re asked to take on a task, check in with your weekly and daily schedule first. If there’s time available that you’re willing to give up, then say yes; otherwise say no. Remember, when you say yes, you’re saying no to something else, which might be important. 
   
   
5. Outsource. This is probably the most impactful strategy, but only if you create good habits in the first four. Think about what tasks, from gardening to responding to emails, you can hire someone to do for you. I used to have a limiting belief that cleaners were only for rich people and PA’s were only for CEO’s. There are people out there who would love to do the stuff you don’t like or can’t do.

Creating more time for yourself is possible by managing yourself better. To create more time for the things that truly matter, do what energises you, schedule your time, allow yourself to rest, say no to say yes, and outsource what you can.

How do you make more time for yourself? 

Leave your answer to that question in the comments section below.