Discover the 12 reasons why you never have time

Is the day over and you haven’t done even half of what you planned to do? Does this situation frustrate you? Of course! Above all, because the hours, days and weeks go by, and it seems that everything will always remain the same: time is never enough for you.

If you don’t know why this is happening to you, continue. reading. In this article, we will introduce you to and explain several reasons why this event could be happening to you. We will also tell you what you can do in each case.

Reasons why you never have time

In general, this phenomenon is reproduced, mainly, by poor organization. You don’t take advantage of every minute due to distraction, spending time on goals that don’t add value to your life, laziness or procrastination. Let’s look at other reasons.

1. You don’t sleep well

You don’t have time because you don’t sleep well. Sleep is necessary not only for your organic functioning, but also for your mental functioning. The absence of quality rest is associated with reduced general well-being, performance and productivity. If your cognitive performance and productivity decline, how do you expect to have time to finish everything you have planned?

A magazine study Sleep has shown that people who sleep an average of seven to eight hours perform better on cognitive tasks of reasoning and problem solving. On the other hand, those who sleep less tend to suffer from problems in reasoning, problem solving and communication skills.

What can you do?

Create a routine with fixed times to go to bed and get up.Keep your room dark and quiet.Do not use your cell phone, computer, television or other screen minutes before going to sleep or while you are lying down waiting to fall asleep.Limit consumption of caffeine or energy drinks before bed.Exercise regularly.Avoid sleeping during the day or evening for several hours.Do a relaxation exercise before going to bed.Try to sleep seven or more hours.

2. You have the habit of working in multitasking mode

If you are one of those people who multitask, it is reasonable that you do not have time, since the multitasking affects cognitive functioning. This prevents you from finishing your chores at the established times, and therefore, from realizing that you don’t have enough time.

Humans have difficulty multitasking due to the way attention and executive control work.

What can you do?

Make a list of your pending tasks.Organize them according to their urgency and importance. Place the most urgent ones first and the least important ones last.Start solving them in order.Avoid doing two tasks at the same time.Finish one activity and then move on to the next.

3. You are disorganized and do not manage your time

The mess decreases your productivity and your chances of doing everything you have planned. However, if you organize yourself, your performance and productivity can improve. Spend a little time planning your tasks and keeping things organized.

If you don’t manage your time, you won’t be able to have any to spare. Practicing management strategies makes you better in this aspect. That is, the more hours you spend trying to manage your day, the better you will do. This way, you will have more control over the minutes that pass and less stress.

What can you do?

Set clear and realistic goals.Start with the most urgent and relevant task.Plan your days.Assign times to each activity you have to do.Use time management strategies, such as the Pomodoro technique.Use applications and tools that help you manage hours. Monitor how you are spending your time and adjust your planning.

4. You have an agenda, but you don’t pay attention to it

When you don’t review your schedules and plans, you end up wasting your time and energy on things that are no longer useful or necessary. As a last resort, living like this will always leave you with the perception that you don’t have time.

What can you do?

Keep your planner in a place where you can see it while you work or study.Set reminders or alarms on your cell phone to remind you to follow the plan you have.Cross off the activities you are carrying out on the agenda.Reward yourself when you finish a task or comply with what the agenda says.

5. You have difficulty prioritizing

The lack of prioritization of activities is closely related to the lack of time that you perceive in your daily life.. You don’t know how to classify tasks by their degree of importance or dedicate the time they deserve.

Try not to start something without first asking yourself, “Do I need to do it now?” If your answer is no, then don’t do it. Focus on what is priority and important for the moment. Then, move on to the other things. Prioritizing helps you use time efficiently.

What can you do?

List the chores you need to do.Use the Eisenhower method to evaluate the importance and urgency of each occupation.Rely on the use of a numbering system (for example, 1 for high priority, 2 for medium, and 3 for low) or labels such as High, Medium, Low for classify activities.Organize the list you made in the beginning in order of urgency and importance..Plan your time to start working on each task.Avoid multitasking.Constantly review your progress.

6. You seek to please others

You never have time because you fill your schedule with activities or tasks that meet other people’s needs, but not yours.

Sometimes you would rather stay home on your couch reading that novel you bought or watching that movie they recommended, but you can’t because you don’t have time. You have so many commitments to fulfill and overdue tasks to complete because you have spent time pleasing others.

What can you do?

Identify your values, needs and goals.Reject requests that interfere with achieving your goals.Establish clear and precise limits.Give higher priority to your needs.Celebrate your triumphs.Seek professional help if pleasing others significantly affects your life.

7. You don’t know how to say “no”

You don’t know how to say “no” to a project, a commitment or someone’s request. This lack of assertiveness ends up taking away time that you could have for other important things you want to do. Finding time for yourself should be your main goal.. Prioritize yourself and your well-being above others.

What can you do?

Don’t rush to respond.Be clear about why you want to say “no.”.Stay calm and use a soft tone of voice.Communicate in a respectful manner.Use clear and direct language when saying “no”Avoid giving too many explanations or apologizing for refusing. Offer an alternative if possible.Enforce your limits assertively.

8. You are afraid to be with yourself

By filling your work schedule and taking up all your time and mental space doing things, you have no chance to think about your existence. Thus, that “I don’t have time” serves as a mechanism to not be alone with yourself, with your shadows and with those questions and existential anguish that torment you when you pause.

Your lack of time helps you get rid of those uncomfortable concerns: “Is this the life I want to lead?”. The noise of activities allows you to avoid such a question. However, someday you will have to come face to face with yourself.

What can you do?

Accept that you are afraid.Explore your feelings and examine why you don’t want to be with you.Practice meditation or mindfulness so that you learn to be in the present with you.Plan short times alone.Don’t saturate yourself with entertainment activities because you will end up distracting yourself.In the time to be with yourself, try to do nothing or do a non-demanding activity, like walking in the park. The idea is that you have time to connect with what you think and feel. Take time to reflect on your life.Be kind and compassionate to yourself.Take care of your physical and mental health. Seek professional help.

9. You don’t delegate tasks

“I don’t have time,” that’s what you say, possibly because you don’t know how to delegate. You want to have complete control of your activities that you are not able to delegate or ask for help. Consequently, you become overworked and do not have hours available to do other things.

What can you do?

Identify tasks that do not require your constant attention and that you can assign to someone elseFind someone you trust and ask for their help in a kind and assertive manner. Make sure the person has the resources and capabilities to meet the demands of the task.Express the result you expect, but without being too perfectionist or rigid. Clarify what needs to be done and resolve any doubts that arise. Stay informed of progress and offer feedback. Be grateful for the support you have received.

10. You get trapped in perfectionism

Seeking perfection in everything you do is counterproductive, especially when it is obsessive. Although it is a good quality when moderate, it can take a long time to reach the standards it demands when it goes outside the norm.

What can you do?

Set more realistic goals and expectations.Remember that not everything has to be perfect.Allow yourself to feel satisfied with what you do, even if it is not perfect..Set time limits for each task and respect the deadline you set.Identify tasks that do not require a high level of perfection.Be compassionate to yourself and accept that imperfection and mistakes are part of human nature.

11. You lack a structured routine

Not having an organized and well-distributed routine makes your daily life seem chaotic.. When you work or study without structure, at the end of the day you will feel that you did not have time to fulfill or advance the pending responsibilities of that day.

What can you do?

Take time each night to plan the next day. You can also do it when you get up in the morning.Write down the tasks you must complete and assign them a time.Use task management applications to keep track of them.Identify and prioritize the most important and urgent activities.Organize your day into segments of time dedicated to specific tasksThink about the possible distractions that may arise and prepare a strategy to confront them. Define, briefly so that you don’t forget, how you will solve each task. You can also write down what strategies you will use to manage time in each one.

12. You interrupt your activities

Constant interruptions cause you to fall behind and time passes without you being able to advance in your activities.. Unexpected calls, social networks, emails, conversations with other people, etc., fragment your time…