Time Management Tips for Better Mental Health

The Link Between Time, Stress, and Mental Well-Being

Have you ever wondered why being short on time leaves your mind feeling cluttered and drained? How does the pressure of racing against the clock really affect your mental health?

• When you’re short on time, your body goes into the fight-or-flight mode, characterised by a racing heart, rapid breathing, and tensed muscles.
• Constantly being in this state increases cortisol, the stress hormone, which affects your mood and contributes to negative emotions.
• When you manage time poorly, there is almost no time for self-care – you don’t eat well or get enough sleep or exercise.
• When you’re disorganised, your brain is in overdrive, making quick decisions, switching between tasks, or worrying about what’s next, causing mental fatigue and irritability.
• When you can’t complete your tasks on time, such as a late deadline,  it adds more stress and can lead to feelings of guilt or not being “good enough”.
• Poor time management leads to stress, and being stressed, in turn, creates poor performance, leading to a cycle that will eventually lead to anxiety or burnout if you don’t intervene in time.

Mental Health Issues Caused by Poor Time Management

Poor time management can contribute to mental health issues such as:

• Chronic stress
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Mental fatigue
• Low self-esteem
• Poor sleep
• Procrastination

Ayurvedic View: Time, Rhythm, and Mental Clarity

Dinacharya (Daily Routine) for Mind-Body Balance

Ayurved focuses on the prevention of diseases, of which Dinacharya, or the daily regimen, is an inseparable part. 

Dinacharya includes a set of habits such as waking up early in the morning, brushing your teeth,  oil massage, eating at consistent times, exercising, and sleeping at appropriate times to balance the body and mind. 

All of these habits create a sense of fixing and regularity, fundamental components for cultivating a relaxed mind.

Why Do You Need to Follow a Daily Regimen?

Following a daily routine helps you stay in sync with the natural rhythm of the day, which promotes a sense of mental clarity, balance, and calmness. 

Following this routine supports Dosha balance and improves digestion (Agni) and vitality (Ojas). 

Vata Imbalance and Scattered Schedules

Vata Dosha in your body is like the wind in nature – it governs all movements. When Vata is balanced, it carries out functions like healthy circulation, transport of nutrients, movement of body parts in the body and enthusiasm and creativity in the mind.

An abnormal increase in Vata Dosha can result in anxiety, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and a scattered mind.

When you’re constantly hurrying, stressed, or managing time poorly, this stress further aggravates Vata, making this condition worse.

Read more about Balancing Vata Dosha: Ayurvedic Vata Diet.

Cultivating Sattva with Predictable Routines 

There are many studies that demonstrate how following a routine in daily life can have significant effects on health and well-being, including the prevention and treatment of mental health disorders. 

How does Ayurveda frame it? 

Sattva is understood as goodness, a quality of positivity, purity, and peacefulness that Ayurveda strives to cultivate. 

When you embrace a regular and predictable routine, you cultivate the Sattva guna, a mental quality of clarity, harmony, and balance. 

A consistent routine provides predictability for your mind to remain calm and gathered.

Practical Time Management Tips for Mental Clarity

We have seen how time management is necessary for mental health and how poor time management can lead to mental health issues. Let’s move to the interesting part. Here are some tips for practical time management.

Begin Your Day With Serenity

• Begin your day with a clear idea about what you intend to achieve. 
• Avoid using your phone as soon as you get up from bed.
• Take a few minutes to do breathwork (Pranayama) or Yoga to set the tone for a calm and focused day.

Prioritise Your Tasks

It’s not possible to do everything, and that’s okay. Prioritise your tasks and focus on what truly matters. Categorising your tasks or preparing a to-do list can help.

Time Block Your Activities

• Ayurveda divides the day into three main energy cycles based on the Dosha’s predominance.
• Kapha time begins from 6 AM and lasts till 10 AM. This is not the best time for tasks that require high performance, but instead, use this time to do gentle exercises or your daily morning routines.
• Pitta time lasts from 10 AM to 2 PM. During this time, your mental fire is the strongest, making it the perfect time for deep work, decision-making, and strategic thinking.
• Vata time extends from 2 PM to 6 PM, during which your mind is more creative and imaginative and also prone to distractions. Avoid tasks that require heavy concentration during this time.

Avoid Multitasking

Focusing on too many things at once can cause brain clutter and scatter your energy and concentration. Focus on one task at a time to work more efficiently.

Schedule Breaks

Work is important, but so are breaks. They help reduce stress and boost productivity. You can do this by pausing to take breaks every 90 minutes, enjoying a quiet walk, sipping a glass of herbal tea, or just taking a few deep breaths to relax.

Tools to Support Mindful Time Use

There are many different tools to consider that may help you remain focused and present throughout your day and organise your time. Here are some tools which may be helpful: 

Journaling:

• Writing down your thoughts for the day can help create clarity and self-awareness.

Reflective Planning:

• Setting aside some time in the morning or evening to reflect on your day can help you plan ahead, be focused, and avoid distractions.
• You can also use tech-based digital planners or calendar apps, time-tracking apps, or mindfulness apps.

Ayurveda-Aligned Digital Planning

According to Ayurveda, the 24-hour day is divided into six parts based on the predominance of Doshas.

• Vata Time: 2 PM to 6 PM and 2 AM to 6 AM
• Pitta Time: 10 AM to 2 PM and 10 PM to 2 AM
• Kapha Time: 6AM to 10 AM and 6 PM to 10 PM

Digital health platforms or apps plan your day based on these time blocks to help you organise your activities based on Ayurvedic principles – it can tell you the ideal time to eat, work, and rest.

The Nirva Health app can serve as your companion on your journey toward better time management and mental health. The app consists of features which include habit trackers, an eating schedule tracker, prompts for when to do Yoga throughout the day, and daily self-check-ins, which will help you develop a rhythm to aid in your mental and emotional health. Click here to download the app.

What to Let Go of to Protect Your Mental Space

You can’t control everything or get everything done. Sometimes, you just need to relax and learn to say no to unrealistic expectations or anything that pulls you into stress and hinders your peace of mind. 

Guilt-Driven Multitasking:

Overly high expectations and pressure lead to guilt-driven multitasking and, eventually, stress, distractibility, and burnout. 

Emotional People-Pleasing:

Similarly, when you take on tasks that do not align with your values or goals but do so out of fear of disappointing other people, it can be mentally draining and leave you feeling burnt out and overwhelmed.

Remember, emotional people-pleasing is not productivity - rather, it is a need for someone else’s validation or acceptance that takes away your mental health and well-being. 

Perfectionism:

Perfectionism is another substantial barrier to productivity and a peaceful mind. Perfectionism can give the feeling of high standards but tends to trap you in a spiral of not being good enough, affecting your mental well-being.

Wrapping Up

Time management is not just about crossing tasks off your list - it’s actually a method of safeguarding your mental peace, staying sharp and focused, and showing up as your best self. 

At Nirva, we encourage mindful time management through holistic methods to support and build a balanced daily routine and manage stress through Yoga and meditation. 

You’ll receive live expert guidance and ongoing support, in addition to app-based notifications and nudges, to keep you consistent and on track with your journey for better mental health through good time management.