You guys know how it is to be crazy busy & stressed; basically when life just feels overwhelming. You go to work and/or classes, come home and make dinner, work on homework/personal projects, watch TV for *one hour* and then head to bed. Then you wake up & do the same thing over again the next day… Believe me, I feel you! That’s why I wanted to share my 3-priority method to reduce stress & have more free time (that changed my life).
The 3-Priority Method to Beat Stress & Have Way More Free Time
I’ve been struggling with time management lately and previously had been searching *far & wide* for a strategy to reduce stress. Let me just give you a little back story first.
I work a full-time job as a legal assistant which can be all-consuming and stressful at times. I am also in an online Master’s program full-time, to become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor. On top of that, I created this blog with Mary & we are constantly putting hours into it, to make it the best we possibly can for you guys.
With all of these obligations, on top of trying to make time for Jeremy, friends & family, and everyday life (cooking, cleaning, groceries, etc.)… It gets exhausting!
I needed a method to reduce stress, quick, or I was going to lose my mind. I’ve tried out a lot of different methods. Planners, online calendars, reminders on my phone, print outs, the works. All of these have been helpful and I still utilize them all, but I needed something on top of that.
Related: If you want to read more about these other time management techniques, check out my post on Time Management & Stress Reduction.
Which leads me to the bulk of the article: my 3-priority method to reduce stress & gain more free time! Let’s start out by chatting about how you can tell when you’re stressin’ out.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This allows us to continue running our site & providing free content to our readers. Read our full disclosure here. Thank you for your support!
What Are the Signs of Stress? (Emotional & Physical)
There are a bunch of different signs of stress, varying from individual to individual. I may have completely different signs that I’m stressed out than you do, and that’s completely normal!
A few major signs of stress include:
1. Trouble sleeping (either with getting to sleep or not sleeping through the night)
2. Changes in weight (gain or loss)
3. Headaches
4. Teeth grinding (in your sleep typically)
5. Soreness/tension in your neck
6. Digestion problems (constipation, diarrhea, etc.)
7. Extreme (constant) tiredness (source)
If you’re experiencing any (or multiple) of the above symptoms, you’re most likely stressed out! Personally, when I’m dealing with stress, I have a lot of trouble sleeping and feel constantly tired.
It takes me hours to fall asleep, then I wake up multiple times throughout the night (sometimes every hour or two), and end up exhausted the next day.
Jeremy also told me I’ve been grinding my teeth in my sleep lately, which was what got me interested in writing this post in the first place. I know that if I’m dealing with enough stress to be grinding my teeth in my sleep, there’s plenty of others out there dealing with the same thing!
What Some Effective Stress Management Techniques?
Besides my 3-priority method (which I will share with you below) there are a few tricks for reducing stress!
1. Exercise
Working out regularly is one of the best ways to beat stress. It doesn’t always have to be an intense gym workout, just going on a 30-minute walk daily is extremely beneficial. Exercise helps to lower cortisol and release endorphins, which are two of the biggest factors for stress management & feeling good.
If you’re looking for a boost in motivation in your exercise routine, check out my 30-Day Fitness Challenge. Or my article on the 15 best fitness products!
2. Essential oils/Aromatherapy
Personally, I’m not a big fan of essential oils. But I’ve heard from tons of other people about them working wonders for their stress levels/symptoms. A few stress-relieving scents include lavender, rose, orange blossom, and bergamot.
3. Cut back on caffeine
This is a really tough one for me because you guys know how much I love my coffee! (Check out my delish iced coffee recipe here.) But sometimes, drinking 3+ cups a day is just not necessary and is hurting my health more than helping it.
The amount of caffeine you should drink is completely individualized, but it’s important to know what works for you and try not to overdo it too often.
4. Journaling
A great way to decrease stress is by simply writing it out! Take 15 minutes in the morning and write out everything on your mind. Then, make a list of the things that you need to get done.
Simply having it written down (and knowing you won’t forget things) helps immensely with reducing stress.
I love to keep a journal just for “brain dumping” and writing everything out. By keeping one journal for this, it helps me to stay organized and not overlap with other information.
This journal from Amazon is a great journal to start out with. Or if you want a more guided journaling experience – the 5 minute journal is amazing as well!
5. Spend time with friends/family & UNPLUG
We are constantly plugged in. To the internet, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, you name it (source). I mentioned in my post on Digital Minimalism how important it is to unplug and take time away from the constant stream of information.
When we are constantly plugged in, we end up increasing stress and decreasing time spent with loved ones. This is not healthy for anyone, especially when done in excess.
If you’re interested in learning more about Digital Minimalism, check out my article mentioned above and/or read Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. This book completely changed my mindset on modern technology, social media, and the impacts that too much screen time can have on our overall health. It’s absolutely worth a read!
So now that we’ve gone through a few of the well-known strategies for reducing stress… It’s time to get into my 3-Priority Method!
Why Use The 3-Priority Method?
My 3-Priority Method involves figuring out the most important things on your to-do list. I used to just write everything out on one sheet of paper, with no due date or sense of urgency for any of it. It was just one messy column with a bunch of things I needed to get done at some point.
This was ineffective because it didn’t give me any idea of what to-dos were most important. I would have something that needed to be done by today, right under something that wasn’t due for 3 months. It just didn’t make any sense or have any sort of organization.
Since I went for years writing my to-do lists like this, I’m sure it’s a common thing that many people do! We think we’re staying super organized because we’re writing everything out, but in reality, we might be overwhelming ourselves more.
So I bring you… The 3-Priority Method!
The 3-Priority Method to Reduce Stress and Gain More Free Time
This method involves writing out what is most important to you now and must be accomplished ASAP. Then, in a separate box, what can be accomplished this week, but doesn’t necessarily need to. & in a third box, the to-do’s that don’t have a deadline anytime soon, but could be accomplished if you have the free time.
Make sense?? Okay, you’re good to go do it now! 😉
Just kidding. You can use my 3-priority method printout for free right here. At the beginning of each week, you’ll fill out what you need/want to get done in the coming week. I break down how to use the printout, step-by-step, below.
Box 1: Top Priority
In the first box, you’ll fill out your top priority. Something that absolutely needs to be done by the end of the week, no questions asked. This box is the task you will want to accomplish first before you even think about the rest of the tasks on the list.
Box 2: Second Priority
In the second box, you’ll write out the tasks that are second priority. This can include things that are due later in the week, next week, or just upcoming to-dos that you want to start working on. After you’ve checked off your task in the top priority box, you will start working on these items.
Box 3: Goals That Can Be Pushed Back
In the third (bottom) box, you write out goals that can be pushed back for a while. These are tasks that do not necessarily have a due date, but that you would like to get done if you have time.
For example, I’ve been needing to go to the DMV for months now to get a new license. It’s not something that is actually urgent at this point, but if I keep putting it off, it will eventually become urgent.
I put my DMV trip in the third box, because it’s a task that I know I need to get done eventually, but not immediately or anytime this week. But, if I have extra time after completing boxes 1 & 2, it would be a great thing to get done!
Why Does This Method Work & How Does It Help Me Gain More Free Time?
Well, I’m glad you asked! 😉 The 3-priority method works because it helps you to visually understand what your priorities are and take action on them.
It doesn’t allow for urgent tasks to be pushed off til next week while spending time on nonessential to-do items. It makes you certain that you’re completing tasks in the order that’s most aligned with your values and priorities.
By completing this at the beginning of each week, you know what your priorities are. Once you’ve completed Box 1 (top priority), you already feel good about the week because you know you’ve accomplished the most important task.
If you complete Box 1 & Box 2 (second priority), you feel awesome because you’re getting things done that weren’t entirely essential. If you complete all 3 Boxes (which is not necessary every week), you feel incredible and know that you knocked out your entire to-do list in the best possible sequence.
I love this method because it’s the best way I’ve found to gain free time every week. Once I’ve completed my top priority box, I know that everything else is not as important. This allows me the freedom to focus on other things (spending time with loved ones, self-care, etc.), because I know my most important task for the week is already completed.
This will help you gain free time as well because you have completely organized your week and know where your priorities lie. This allows you so much more freedom to decide what is urgent vs. what can be put off for next week.
By filling this out every week, you will reduce stress, gain free time, and take your life back in a way that other methods just don’t do!
In Conclusion
I hope you guys end up loving this method as much as I do! I really think you will. 🙂
Let me know in the comments or reach out via email or Instagram, to let me know how things are going for you! Do you have more free time now? Are you feeling less stressed/overwhelmed? Let me know after a week or two of trying this out!
If it doesn’t work for you, I totally understand that as well. Reach out to me and let me know what didn’t work, and maybe we can figure out some updates to make it work for you! Everyone deserves less stress and more free time in their lives, so I want to figure out a strategy that works for you. 🙂
Comment Below With:
1. What signs/symptoms of stress do you typically experience?
2. What are a few of your favorite relaxation & stress reduction techniques?
3. Name one thing that has been stressing you out lately (and how you plan to deal with it)!
