1.
Time and Stress Management CS7001 Workshop Idris Hsi November 15, 1999

2.
Time Management <ul><li>Step 1 - List Your Tasks. </li></ul><ul><li>Step 2 - Fill In Schedule </li></ul><ul><li>Step 3 - Stop When Day/Week Is Full </li></ul><ul><li>Step 4 - If Tasks Remain, Remove Time From Nonessential Tasks (i.e., Sleeping, Eating), Go To Step 2. </li></ul>

3.
Stress Management <ul><li>Happy Hour - Friday at 6! </li></ul>

4.
In Conclusion <ul><li>You All Know How To Manage Your Time and Stress. </li></ul><ul><li>But wait…… </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Are there less masochistic ways to use time? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>And what is this stress thing anyhow? </li></ul></ul>

5.
Goals of this Workshop <ul><li>Examine Different Ways of Viewing Time </li></ul><ul><li>Review Some Heuristics For Using Time </li></ul><ul><li>Dealing with Stress (And Dangers of Long Term Stress) </li></ul><ul><li>Grad School Survival Guidelines </li></ul>

6.
Task not Time Management <ul><li>Time - Constant or Variable? </li></ul><ul><li>Managing Time a Problem of Estimation </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Difficult to Estimate Variable Tasks </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Difficult to Account For Sources of Noise </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Better to Manage Around Tasks </li></ul>

7.
Covey’s Time (Task) Management Matrix ©

8.
Heuristics for Organizing Tasks <ul><li>Priority Order </li></ul><ul><li>Task Duration </li></ul><ul><li>Category Order </li></ul><ul><li>Traveling Salesman </li></ul>

9.
Using Small Bits <ul><li>Optimize for Large Chunks </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Small Bits are Unavoidable (5, 10, 15 min) </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Making Them Useful </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Planning (At least 10 minutes a day) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Cleaning / Organization Chores </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Communication - Email, Phone Call </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Creativity / Brainstorming </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Small Tasks </li></ul></ul>

10.
The Art of Procrastination <ul><li>Art of Delaying the Inevitable </li></ul><ul><li>Where can you lose time? </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Worrying about finishing on time. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Worrying about the final outcome. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Distractions. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Doing “unimportant” things first. </li></ul></ul>

11.
The Zen of Time Usage <ul><li>“When You Wash The Dishes, </li></ul><ul><li>Wash the Dishes.” </li></ul>

12.
The Principle Of Immersion <ul><li>“ All Tasks Require A Period of Immersion in Direct Proportion to Their Difficulty.” </li></ul><ul><li>DeMarco and Lister Peopleware , (1987) </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Context Shifts in Work </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Interruptions require 15 minutes of reorientation. </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Important to Consolidate by Context </li></ul>

13.
Some Days Are Impossible <ul><li>In spite of best efforts - It’s still impossible to get everything done. </li></ul><ul><li>Partly the Environment or too many commitments. </li></ul><ul><li>This can lead to stress. </li></ul>

14.
What is Stress? <ul><li>In the Good Old Days on the Serengeti…. </li></ul><ul><li>Flight or Fight Mechanisms (Adrenaline) </li></ul><ul><li>Problems with Modern Life </li></ul><ul><li>Survival Still Threatened </li></ul>

15.
Manifestations of Stress <ul><li>Sources </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Personal Pressure to Succeed </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Financial Problems </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Relationship Problems </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Holidays </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Manifestations </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Increased Heart Rate, Sleeplessness, Anxiety, Variable Appetite </li></ul></ul>

16.
Long Term Stress <ul><li>Being in Panic Mode all the time </li></ul><ul><li>Learned Helplessness </li></ul><ul><li>Can lead to numerous health problems </li></ul><ul><li>Can lead to Burnout </li></ul>

17.
Managing Stress <ul><li>Redirect it into your work. </li></ul><ul><li>Exercise. </li></ul><ul><li>Keep a Regular Schedule (Eating, Sleeping, etc.) </li></ul><ul><li>Eliminate or Reduce the Sources of Stress </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Most things aren’t THAT important. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Seek help / advice from others. </li></ul></ul>

18.
Active Inactivity <ul><li>“Music is the Space Between Notes” - Claude Debussy </li></ul><ul><li>Creating Empty Spaces in Life is Essential. </li></ul>

19.
Artifacts for Staying on Track <ul><li>10 Minutes a day for planning. </li></ul><ul><li>Flexible Scheduling </li></ul><ul><li>Automated Schedulers - Netscape Calendar, Microsoft Schedule, Outlook, Palm Pilot </li></ul><ul><li>Pad of Paper - Running to-do list, place for unloading. </li></ul><ul><li>A Watch </li></ul>

20.
Developing The Habit <ul><li>Takes Discipline and Practice to Have Good Time Management Skills </li></ul><ul><li>Develop Skills Incrementally </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Start by developing a realistic schedule </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Build in reward system for finishing things </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Over time, it’ll become second nature. </li></ul>

21.
The Big Picture <ul><li>Important to know when you’ve done all that you can. </li></ul><ul><li>Don’t schedule more than is humanly possible. </li></ul><ul><li>Don’t stress about things that you can’t control. </li></ul><ul><li>Keep the long term goals in mind. (The PhD) </li></ul>