Combining your stress and time management goals can be beneficial if you struggle with both.

Call it a two for one. Focusing on both stress and time management together will have a much bigger impact on your life than simply focusing on one or the other.

If you are someone with a busy life, not managing your time properly will cause unnecessary stress. And let's face it, our schedules seem to be getting crazier and crazier every year.

At the beginning of my personal stress management journey, I focused on activities and things to relieve my stress. And the more activities I began to try, the harder it was to fit it all in without causing myself additional stress. It's kind of like a catch 22.

Keeping your stress and time management strategies simple will help you conquer your day without adding more to your plate.

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Here are some of my quick and easy tips to master time management:

• Planner. Yes, get a planner. Use it wisely, don't get distracted by all the pretty and fun additional pages and tools you can add. Buy one that you can easily carry around with you. Keep all of your meetings, appointments, and activities religiously logged.
• Digital Planners. Using a computer to keep your stress and time management schedule may be a mistake. Why? You may not be able to have it with you at all times. Go digital if you are able to keep it (or look it up) on your phone or other digital device that can be easily transported wherever you go.
• Use religiously. Write down every activity you have planned. Don't skip one just because you're sure you will remember it. If you get in the habit of letting an appointment or two sit in your brain instead of in your planner, you're bound to eventually land with an empty planner... and a stressfully busy day. Once you get started, don't go back.
• Share it and show it off. If you have a family, especially a busy family, you may want to keep your family members' appointments and schedules in your planner as well... especially if you are expected to be the driver. Also, get a large monthly calendar that you can hang in a high traffic area of your home, such as the kitchen. Let your family members know what your schedule looks like. Get them in the habit of checking your calendar before they ask you to add on an additional activity and possibly leave you over-booked.
• Schedule time for yourself. If you have trouble getting time alone to focus on your much needed stress management activities... schedule them in! Don't be afraid to appear selfish, we all need some time for ourselves.

Spending a little extra time setting up your stress and time management routine will pay off in the end. If you stick with it, and follow these simple guidelines, you will find that this is one less thing you have to worry about.

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