Time

and Stress
Management

CS7001 Workshop
Idris Hsi
November 15, 1999
 Time Management
• Step 1 - List Your Tasks.
• Step 2 - Fill In Schedule
• Step 3 - Stop When Day/Week Is Full
• Step 4 - If Tasks Remain, Remove Time
From Nonessential Tasks (i.e., Sleeping,
Eating), Go To Step 2.
 Stress Management
• Happy Hour - Friday at 6!
 In Conclusion
• You All Know How To Manage Your Time
and Stress.
• But wait……
– Are there less masochistic ways to use time?
– And what is this stress thing anyhow?
 Goals of this Workshop
• Examine Different Ways of Viewing Time
• Review Some Heuristics For Using Time
• Dealing with Stress (And Dangers of Long
Term Stress)
• Grad School Survival Guidelines
 Task not Time Management
• Time - Constant or Variable?
• Managing Time a Problem of Estimation
– Difficult to Estimate Variable Tasks
– Difficult to Account For Sources of Noise
• Better to Manage Around Tasks
 Covey’s Time (Task)
Management Matrix ©

Urgent Not Urgent

Important I II
Crises Prevention
Pressing Problems Planning
Deadline-Driven Relationship Building
Projects Research
Not III IV
Interruptions Trivia, Busy Work
Important Email Time Wasters
Phone Calls Pleasant Activities
Meetings
 Heuristics for Organizing Tasks
• Priority Order
• Task Duration
• Category Order
• Traveling Salesman
 Using Small Bits

• Optimize for Large Chunks

– Small Bits are Unavoidable (5, 10, 15 min)
• Making Them Useful
– Planning (At least 10 minutes a day)
– Cleaning / Organization Chores
– Communication - Email, Phone Call
– Creativity / Brainstorming
– Small Tasks
 The Art of Procrastination
• Art of Delaying the Inevitable
• Where can you lose time?
– Worrying about finishing on time.
– Worrying about the final outcome.
– Distractions.
– Doing “unimportant” things first.
The Zen of Time Usage

“When You Wash The Dishes,

Wash the Dishes.”
 The Principle Of Immersion
• “All Tasks Require A Period of Immersion
in Direct Proportion to Their Difficulty.”
• DeMarco and Lister Peopleware, (1987)
– Context Shifts in Work
– Interruptions require 15 minutes of
reorientation.
• Important to Consolidate by Context
 Some Days Are Impossible
• In spite of best efforts - It’s still impossible
to get everything done.
• Partly the Environment or too many
commitments.
• This can lead to stress.
 What is Stress?
• In the Good Old Days on the Serengeti….
• Flight or Fight Mechanisms (Adrenaline)
• Problems with Modern Life
• Survival Still Threatened
 Manifestations of Stress
• Sources
– Personal Pressure to Succeed
– Financial Problems
– Relationship Problems
– Holidays
• Manifestations
– Increased Heart Rate, Sleeplessness, Anxiety,
Variable Appetite
 Long Term Stress
• Being in Panic Mode all the time
• Learned Helplessness
• Can lead to numerous health problems
• Can lead to Burnout
 Managing Stress
• Redirect it into your work.
• Exercise.
• Keep a Regular Schedule (Eating, Sleeping,
etc.)
• Eliminate or Reduce the Sources of Stress
– Most things aren’t THAT important.
– Seek help / advice from others.
 Active Inactivity
• “Music is the Space Between Notes” -
Claude Debussy
• Creating Empty Spaces in Life is Essential.
 Artifacts for Staying on Track
• 10 Minutes a day for planning.
• Flexible Scheduling
• Automated Schedulers - Netscape Calendar,
Microsoft Schedule, Outlook, Palm Pilot
• Pad of Paper - Running to-do list, place for
unloading.
• A Watch
 Developing The Habit
• Takes Discipline and Practice to Have Good
Time Management Skills
• Develop Skills Incrementally
– Start by developing a realistic schedule
– Build in reward system for finishing things
• Over time, it’ll become second nature.
 The Big Picture
• Important to know when you’ve done all that
you can.
• Don’t schedule more than is humanly
possible.
• Don’t stress about things that you can’t
control.
• Keep the long term goals in mind. (The PhD)