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As a freelancer and working at home we can still feel burn out and stress. In this trying times, we still need to find time to manage everything from household chores to meeting client deadline.
I'm sharing the 3 time management technique I have been using since I started my BPO career and shifting to freelancer.
1. Pomodoro Technique
Developed in the late 1980s by Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro Technique is centered on the idea that work should be broken down and completed in intervals separated by short breaks. That is, you work for 25 minutes, then take a five minutes break. Each of these 25-minute periods is called a “Pomodoro”, named after the Italian word for tomato. After 4 Pomodori, you take a longer break of 15–20 minutes. Of course, nothing should interrupt an ongoing Pomodoro. I used this technique when doing some administrative work during my stay in the BPO industry. It helps me de-stress, the short and long break give me enough time to relax. It helps me in minimizing distractions like Messenger and Twitter. You can respond to emails and messages on FB messenger or DM's in your Instagram which gives the 25 minutes to mainly just being productive in your assigned task as freelancer.
2. Pareto Analysis
Also called the 80–20 rule, this principle states that 80% of the tasks can be completed in 20% of the time, while the remaining 20% of tasks will take up 80% of the time. In other words, 20% of your work will constitute 80% of your achievements.
This principle help me to determine where I'm currently spending my time and making sure that I'm spending my time wisely. I use this technique when running some errands.
3.Caffeine Nap
This last technique isn’t a time management technique per se, but it’s a useful tip to feel refreshed so that you can keep going on. As oxymoronic as it sounds, a caffeine nap is actually backed up by scientific evidence. Studies have shown that the sleep-deprived need only a cup of coffee and 15 minutes of nap to feel amazingly refreshed.
After drinking a cup of coffee, immediately close your eyes and relax, limiting your nap to 15 minutes. Caffeine takes roughly 20 minutes to have an effect on your body, and so not only will it not hinder your ability to sleep, but it will kick in about the time when you are awakening. The result is a heightened state of alertness when you wake up, helping you to concentrate better. So, if you’ve been either downing cup after cup of coffee or sleeping the afternoon away, a combination of the two could work better for you.
As a freelancers you can use either of the 3 techniques which you think will make you feel comfortable. I have used and proven these time management technique and its effective.