How to deal with high workloads

With the busiest few months of my life ahead and ever building pot of guilt for neglecting my poor blog, what better than to combine the two and send forth another 'How to' post. This time, it's all about managing all those niggling little jobs you have to do and stopping it from getting on top of you. These are my tips and tricks to staying 'meltdown-free'.

1. Keep a Calendar
My number one tip is to keep a calendar, anytime a date pops up in your head, write it down. I manage my deadlines between a calendar in my room and a day to day diary I carry around with me. That way I have a constant reminder of things that need doing and the timescale they need doing in.

2. Make A To-Do List
Keep a realistic to do list always to hand. Writing down everything you have to do for the next year of your life is not going to make you motivated, it will do the exact opposite. I aim to have no more than a week long to do list, and that's only if time management is going to be an issue. It's best to keep a day to day list, with realistic, achievable tasks that you can keep crossing off.

3. Actually DO the things on your list
This is always the hardest part of a to-do list, actually getting things done. I always find myself reluctant to make a start on things I know I'm not going to enjoy, statistics for example (hate the stuff). But the sooner you start chipping away at those tasks, the sooner you're free to do the things you actually want to be doing.

5. Set realistic Goals
I have had so many scenarios where I've said I'm going to write an essay in a day, or two and they never happen. Why? Because they are completely unrealistic. Setting goals you can't reach is only going to de-motivate you further. I always double the time I actually think something will take, then I know i'll have pleanty of time.

6. Make time for you.
Unfortunately, this is the step I've been missing out on lately but it's as important as getting work done. It's all good and well having a fantastic essay finished but if you're a twitching mess on the floor because you've not slept in 8 days and lived off nothing but Redbull and crisps, you're doing it wrong. A positive and happy person will get much more done in the long run than a stressed out mess ever will (I know, I've been in this place far too many times).

So work hard, get jobs done but remember to look after yourself in the process. These are all tips I am forcing myself to stick to and despite having more work than I've ever had in my life, I'm quite happy and on top of things. Once again, I'm sorry for not writing more posts (It's almost comical how little I've blogged this month) but I literally have nothing new to say as my day consists of work, lectures and more work. I do have some makeup reviews in the pipeline which I promise I will get up as soon as I can. In the mean time, stay healthy and happy!

Laura.