Ever find yourself in a bit of a kerfuffle? Five thousand things to do and ten minutes in which to do them?

Time management can be a challenge, especially when we have a lot on our plates. As a culture, we are growing busier by the second. Instead of moving at a peaceful crock-pot pace, we’re now moving at anxiety-ridden microwave speed.

Such a harried life not only produces stress and isn’t good for our health, but it’s also not the kind of life God intended for us. How, then, can we better manage our time? Here are nine suggestions.

Ask God to orchestrate our day. Giving thanks first thing in the morning, followed by the prayer that God would guide our steps and lead us to do those things He would have us do, rather than an overloaded plate of things we think we need to do, can set our entire day on the right path.

Organize our workload. I recently purchased a spiral notebook that includes several sections on the 6.5″x9″ paper. Some of those sections include the top priorities, notes, a running list with a spot for check marks, and items for tomorrow. It has helped me considerably with managing my workload.

Speaking of which…we need to prioritize. What is the most important? This one can be tough. When we’re overwhelmed, everything is a priority. But if we take a few minutes and think through what must be done today and what can wait until tomorrow or a later date, our day will go more smoothly. I am not advocating for procrastination. Instead, I’m suggesting we mindfully consider what takes precedence and act on that.

Make a list. This goes hand-in-hand with organizing our workload. I find that if I construct a list and am able to cross off the things finished, it offers a sense of accomplishment.

Do one thing at a time. Fellow moms, I’m especially talking to you here. We are usually going ninety miles an hour with five hundred tabs open at any given time. It was my oldest daughter who once told me, “Mom, you need to just finish one thing at a time before you move on to the next on the list.” She’s so right, and when we do that, we’re more able to focus and give each chore our full attention.

Seek accountability. If we are in this constant state of stress, much like a hamster on a wheel going round and round attempting to do it all with little progress, maybe we need someone to help hold us accountable. Social media, scrolling, and doing other mindless activities can put a damper on our productivity. Accountability can be another person, such as a spouse or friend, or it can be the kitchen timer. There’s nothing wrong with spending some time seeing what everyone’s up to on our favorite social media platform. But if we waste away hours, we’ll never be effective at time management for the things that are truly important.

Ask for help. Why is this such a challenge? Because we can be prideful and want to “do it all”? If so, we need to push that pride aside and seek assistance when needed. Or maybe we can’t ask for help because those closest to us aren’t willing to assist us? In that case, a gentle discussion (after much prayer, of course) with the one unwilling to come alongside us may be in order.

Are we just too busy? If we take a good, hard look at our lives, are we just too busy and need to let something go? Is this constant state of frantic upheaval harming out health? If so, we need to seek for God’s assistance in learning to say no or seek His wisdom in discovering what it is we need to let go of.

Take care of ourselves. I know for me personally, if things get crazy hectic, I’ll put some things on the back burner. Things like exercise, eating healthy, and spending time in the Word. We need to take care of ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually. Good health is valuable and God is the Author of rest.

So next time we’re mentally listing off the things we need to accomplish and attempting to go to bed before midnight, let’s turn it all over to Him. Every task, every chore, every request of us.