Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
Time Anxiety: Fighting the feeling that there’s never enough time
Excerpts from article by AYTEKIN TANK, published in fast company.com
We all know the feeling: The sun has long since seeped from the sky and the hour is growing late, but you still haven’t accomplished all you set out to do today. Your chest tightens as you look at your to-do list, only half-finished. Where does all the time go?
This sense that there’s never enough time to do everything—both on a day-to-day level, but also in the larger sense—is known as ‘time anxiety’. Are we making the most of the time we have? And what if we’re not? Is it too late?
Dr. Alex Lickerman, author of The Undefeated Mind, writes for Psychology Today that anxiety about time actually stems from anxiety about meaning. “I worry constantly that I’m spending my time on things that are meaningless,” he writes.
Forms of Time Anxiety
- Daily time anxiety is the feeling of never having enough time in your day.
- Future time anxiety is dwelling on the “what ifs?” Every action you take today has a dizzying number of potential outcomes, making you feel paralyzed with worry.
- Existential time anxiety is the sense that you only have a limited amount of time in your life and it’s slipping away.
Tips to manage Time Anxiety
1. Create a schedule that serves your goals
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Body. What do you like to do to feel healthy and active?
- Mind. What pushes your mind in a good way?
- Love. Who do you love spending time with?
- Work. What work or tasks make you feel good?
- Money. How do you want to use the money you do have?
- Play. What hobbies or rest activities do you really enjoy?
Now, create a schedule that brings in the key elements of these. The notion of balance doesn’t just apply to your life as a whole, but your day-to-day routine also.
2. Eliminate Distractions
Ask yourself this: How many TikTok videos or Instagram stories have really contributed to your overall happiness? Probably not very many. Not only are the minutes or hours you spend mindlessly scrolling actively distracting from more worthwhile activities, it’s also contributing to time anxiety.
If you’ve lost what feels like months of your life to the screen, you’re not alone. In the U.S., people spend an average of 2 hours and 3 minutes on social media. Add to that the five hours on average people spend checking their email, and you can see how entire days slip away unaccounted for.
Pay attention to what distractions you most often fall prey to, so you can catch them sooner.
3. Don’t try to do it all
It’s all well and good to have an ambitious to-do list, but failing to check off every item on it usually just leaves us feeling stressed. Instead, accept that you don’t need to do everything. As entrepreneurs, we pride ourselves on wearing multiple hats. But research shows that workaholism is, frankly, unhealthy. Not only does it double the risk of depression and anxiety, it actually lowers productivity and decreases work performance.
If you maximise the value of your time, meaningful days will turn into meaningful weeks, and so on.
Career
Considering a career change? Don’t miss these 8 tips for success.
Excerpts from article published in thisismoney.co.uk
If you’re thinking of a career change because you feel your role is no longer the right fit or the opportunities in your specialist sector are dwindling – you’re not alone. A large chunk of professionals have found themselves in the same boat and have overhauled their career triggered by the pandemic, according to research from TopCV.
Amanda Augustine, careers expert at the CV writing service, says: “Whether Covid-19 forced certain individuals to look for work in different industries or it ultimately prompted others to reconsider their work-lives and seek a change, we’ve seen a noticeable uptick in professionals making career pivots over the past year.”
Considering an entirely new career can be a daunting experience but there are things you can do to make the transition and the job-hunting experience easier. Here are some tips:
1. Explore your options and research well
TopCV says some industries have suffered more during the pandemic than others. Take a look at the job boards and contact those in your network to get a better understanding of who is hiring and what skills are in demand. Take some time at the beginning of your job search to sort out what you want in your next job.
2. Network (digitally)
Traditional networking events may not be possible right now, but that shouldn’t stop you from reconnecting with old contacts, meeting new people that work in your desired industry or sector, attending informal interviews and virtual job fairs using programs like Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
3. Find your bridge
TopCV says it’s important to find your ‘bridge,’ — a common denominator between your previous experience and your new career direction.
4. Upskill
Look for online courses that will help brush up on your skills or qualifications. Many are free.
5. Adapt your CV
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of global job search engine Adzuna says: “Carefully analyse job descriptions for roles you’re interested in applying for to identify the key skills and requirements. Then, make sure to play back these skills within your CV. But don’t just repeat the key words from the job description, you should also add examples of how you’ve demonstrated these traits.”
6. Don’t be embarrassed about being furloughed
Don’t be afraid of an empty space on your CV. If you’ve been made redundant or furloughed due to the pandemic, it’s not your fault and you don’t need to cover it up. Employers will understand.
7. Showcase your leadership skills
A growing number of jobs adverts are asking for leadership skills like coaching, onboarding and decision making. Hunter says: ‘Job hunters seeking top tier pay packets should demonstrate their leadership experience, first and foremost, to stand out from the crowd.
8. Consider being coached
You could hire a professional careers coach to advise you. If there’s confusion at any level, don’t shy away from taking expert help.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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