Maybe your school term isn’t going as well as you were expecting it to. Not only that, but it seems as if your study workload is heavier than previous semesters’. I’ve been there. It was only the 4th week and I was already feeling so stressed and overwhelmed.

I kept thinking, “If only I had more time, I wouldn’t need to rush through my assignments. If only I had more time, then I could accomplish what I set out to do. If only there was more time…” Do you feel the same way?

You know intellectually that you should diligently follow through with your plans, have 100% focus while working and not overcommit on activities. Despite this, you still can’t help but wonder how someone can ‘do it all’ in 24 hours a day.

Having more time will not solve your problems.

Imagine what you could do if you had an additional hour every day. What would you do with that extra hour? You could fill it by doing a hobby you’ve always wanted to try, spend it with your loved ones, take a scenic walk in nature, watch your favourite show or simply sleep in. The possibilities are endless.

Now, what if I told you that you already have this hour available every day? Just look at how much time you’re currently saving when your daily commute only involves taking a few steps to your desk. Even if you still go to school, you are most likely attending fewer events or outings physically, which ultimately saves you some travelling time.

But what do we actually do with this extra time? (Hint: Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.)

It may seem as though having more time will help you to work on more tasks, but it is not necessarily true. After a few weeks of tracking how I use my time, I realised that I’ve been taking longer durations to complete activities. If I find myself having a pocket of free time, I automatically use it to check emails or social media. I took it for granted that I still have time to accomplish my plans. However, when the day comes to an end, I scramble and get anxious over the number of things I still have left to do. Like me, you may also find yourself in a similar situation more often than not.

Be, instead of do.

When you are stressed out and overwhelmed, you may choose to dive right into the work and finish it as fast as possible. When I take this approach, I usually produce ‘sub-par work’ and feel more drained than before.

Another approach you can take is to sit with the feeling of overwhelm first. Observe how it is making you feel. How does your body react? What thoughts do you have?

You may be thinking, “Wouldn’t this be counter-productive? If I don’t take any action immediately, it means I am procrastinating and time will be wasted.” Well, that could be true, but I often find after acknowledging these stressful feelings, the sensations eventually fade away. I can then have better focus on my next steps.

Take action from a place of clarity, not as an achiever.

It may also help to guide your mind by repeating thoughts and affirmations that give you a sense of calm and confidence. Here are a few examples which have helped me:

• I have so much time in a day.
• I am the most productive when I’m calm and confident.
• I have enough energy to get everything done.
• I focus on my priorities and everything works out.
• I know I can figure out exactly what to do.
• I can handle this.
• I got this.

It may seem hard to believe these thoughts at first. It is perfectly fine, especially in the beginning. Feel free to create other affirmations of your own and choose to be patient with yourself.

Ditch your all-or-nothing mindset.

If you find yourself with a plate full of commitments time and time again, thank yourself for being so enthusiastic in saying “yes” to these opportunities. I know I have found myself in this situation many times.

Perhaps you wish you could ‘do it all’. In this case, you are not very clear on your goals and priorities. You can implement all the time management strategies and still feel disappointed for not completing what you wanted to do.

You may ask, “What if everything is a priority?” I know sometimes it can be difficult to identify what is most important because everything seems like they are. However, if you were to carefully rank and categorise them, you will be able to narrow down the things which have to get done before the day ends. Identify only one to three things at a time, and review them every morning and night.

Be careful not to discount your small efforts. Even though you may only have 10 minutes to spare, you can still make some progress.

Give yourself time to adjust and move into flow. Don’t get too hard on yourself if you find that you are going back to your old habits. Remember that you always have a choice in what you think and feel about the overwhelming situation. Embrace this busy season and find joy in what you do. You only need to know what your next best step is.