Please answer this questions:

1. Describe how you may use the strategies in the readings to better organize your day to establish more order and less stress in your life. Be specific.

2. Think of a time you procrastinated which impacted completion of a task. What was the task, what led the procrastination, , and how would you approach this task differently based on what you learned from the readings and stress management thus far in the course? Be detailed.

Stress Relievers

One Simple Thing

Think of one thing that could make your life easier. What if you put a hook up to hold your keys so you don’t spend five minutes searching for them every morning? What if you backed up your files to the Cloud every night so you’d never again lose a draft? Taking action, however small, boosts your sense of control and lowers your stress.

Don’t Hit the Sack

You’ve finally finished your last assignment, and you’re absolutely, utterly exhausted. You look at the books stacked on the floor and the papers strewn over your desk. “Forget it,” you think. All you want to do is crawl into bed.

Don’t. Take 10 or 15 minutes to put your work space back in order. Gather the notes for your term paper into a file. Put your textbooks back on the shelf.

Taking the time to put your work space in order produces many benefits, including creating an inviting space to which to return. You’ll love yourself for it in the morning.

The 15-Minute Cleanup

Who has a whole day to clear out an overstuffed closet or haul months’ worth of gear out of the trunk of a car? Of course, you don’t. But surely you can snatch 15 minutes from the time you’d otherwise spend surfing the net or streaming videos. That’s all you need to get started.

Don’t wait for more disorder to accumulate. And don’t fall into the trap of telling yourself that there’s no point in starting until you can get it all done at once. You only create more disorder by putting off a task. Make whatever headway you can in 15 minutes every day during your regular week. On a weekend, set a timer to alert you every hour. Spend 15 minutes organizing and the other 45 minutes however you choose. Before long you will finish. And if you keep up the same pattern, you will maintain order.

Block out 15-minute slots for targeted bursts of organizational energy on your daily and weekly calendars. Why? Scheduling moves you from “someday, I’ve got to do this” good intentions to taking action in real time. A schedule, along with a specific commitment to always follow it strictly, will keep you focused.

Learn How to Tell Time

Of course, you know about the big hand and the little hand. But do you think you can knock off six calculus problems in an hour? Plow through The Divine Comedy in an evening? Prepare a PowerPoint presentation in 20 minutes?

Many students have a wishful-thinking view of time. They so underestimate how much time they need for their work that they overestimate how much time is available for streaming a game live on their smart phones.

To teach yourself how to estimate time accurately, compare your predictions of how long a task will take with how much time it actually demands when you do it. Identify one assignment, such as reading a chapter or outlining a class presentation. Then just do it.

Don’t take shortcuts. Work intensively and with concentration. Keep track of how much time you spend on the outline, subtracting time off for breaks or interruptions. Then see how this compares with your estimate.

Begin

The single most effective antidote to procrastination is starting. Don’t flog yourself to tackle the chore you hate most; just do step one. If the long-delayed job is cleaning the bathroom, tell yourself that all you are going to do now is take the basic equipment—cleaning solutions, brushes, rubber gloves, whatever—into the bathroom. Once you get there, having started the process, you will find it much easier to go ahead and complete the job.

Eavesdrop on Your Excuses

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you may not even be aware of the thoughts that run through your mind when you put something off. Every time you balk at writing the first sentence of a report, doing a literature search, making a certain phone call, or reading the first page of the assigned novel, stop and listen to what you’re telling yourself. Here’s what you are likely to hear:

• “I’m too tired. I’ll rest first, watch a little TV, and then start.”
• “There’s no point in starting. I’ve got to meet my friend Navi in ten minutes.”
• “I’ve got plenty of time to do it later.”
• “I’ll organize my desk first.”
• “It’s too nice to stay inside.”
• “I don’t have everything I need.”
• “I’ve been working really hard. I deserve a break.”
• “I’ll do a better job tomorrow.”
• “I need a good idea to inspire me.”
• “I should exercise before it gets dark.”
• “Why do it on Friday? The instructor won’t get it. It’s not due until Monday.”
• “I can read that book in a few hours.”

Think of rebuttals to yourself. For instance, you might say, “Yes, I’m tired. I’ll just work for half an hour, and then I’ll go to bed.” Or you might tell yourself, “I’ll see how much I can get done in 10 minutes.” Or you could say, “I’m tired of making excuses. I choose to take time every day to focus and study because I am choosing to succeed and feel good about accomplishing something.”

Do I Need This? Or do I Just Want It?

You need to buy a bus pass or gas for your car. Do you need a morning latte? A cool phone cover?

Get in the habit of distinguishing between needs and wants. After a few months on campus, track your expenses and put a plan into action. For instance, you might give yourself a weekly cash allowance rather than carry a debit card, and when that week’s allowance is gone, wait until next week for your “wants.” Also consider using those “wants” as rewards for yourself when you accomplish tasks and meet deadlines.

No-Stress Banking

• Find out when your bank processes transactions. If you make a purchase on the weekend, will it show up as a pending charge until the bank opens on Monday?
• Make things automatic. Set up direct deposit for your financial aid and paychecks and auto bill pay for all your routine services so you don’t forget pay them.
• Take advantage of notifications. Many banks will email or text you if your account balance is low or something’s changed on your account.
• Password-protect everything. Set up different passwords for your online bank account, email address (where you’ll receive any statements or notifications from your bank), and smartphone and mobile banking apps.
• Monitor your spending. Review your online transactions and be mindful of your account balance at all times (you don’t want to spend money you don’t have).
• Balance your account each month. Verify each transaction on your statement and review your spending line by line. You want to make sure you didn’t get double-charged somewhere and that your account hasn’t been compromised.