Types of time

Personal empowerment, Time Leave a comment
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How do you spend your time?  Do you balance it for your needs?  Photo by Icons8 Team on Unsplash

Your time divides into several types of time.  This is because your body has different reactions, depending on the environment.

Here are some of the main types.

TYPE 1 – SELF-GUIDED, NO-AGENDA TIME

This is where you have nothing to do, nothing in the diary, and no one is telling you what to do.  Your reaction to type 1 time depends very much on your personal situation and inner state.

  • If you have been busy, and are now exhausted, then it may quickly turn into switch off time, and you will find little to do except lie down like a zombie
  • If you have been busy, and have energy left, then it may turn into a kind of play time, where you indulge in everything you have been stopped from doing while you were busy
  • If you have not been over-busy, and have some energy, then your reaction depends on how you face free time.  Some will melt in anxiety on having free time.  And some will quickly move to a preferred activity reserved for such occasions
TYPE 2 – OTHER-GUIDED, NO-AGENDA TIME

This is where you have nothing in the diary, and you allow others to determine what happens next.  Again, your reaction depends on your situation and inner state.

  • If you are tired, and have had an overdose of other-controlled time, then you may become restless and frustrated, and show signs of anger and rebellion.  An example would be someone who comes home from a busy working day, and is given chores to do by someone else
  • If you have had a lot of self-guided time recently, you may welcome some time being guided by others.  An example of this might be being given the chance to attend a course, where the time is organised
TYPE 3 – SELF-GUIDED, FIXED-AGENDA TIME

This is where you are undertaking an activity which you yourself have decided upon and diarised.

  • If you have self-motivation towards the task, this can be enjoyable and focused time
  • If you aren’t really in to what you are doing, then it can be boring, and full of dysfunctional behaviour, as no one is supervising
TYPE 4 – OTHER-GUIDED, FIXED-AGENDA TIME

This is where you are undertaking an activity supervised by, or dominated by relationships with, others, which has been decided upon and diarised.  An example is many people’s jobs.

  • If much of your time is spent doing this, and you enjoy it, then it can be supportive and reduce anxiety
  • If the job becomes not enjoyable, or the dominant relationships become strained, then it can turn unsupportive and increase anxiety
AN EXERCISE

Have a think about how you sculpt your week.  Does it include a balance of the following:

  1. Time with no agenda, in which you supervise yourself (e.g. down time, free time)
  2. Time with no agenda, in which you allow others to shape or influence how the time is spent (e.g. casual free time with friends)
  3. Time with a fixed agenda, in which you supervise yourself (e.g. time spent doing creative work you consider important)
  4. Time with a fixed agenda, in which you allow others to shape or influence how the time is spent (e.g. jobs with a high supervisory or customer-service element)
It is important to find a good balance between self-guided and other guided time; also between no-agenda time and fixed-agenda time.

If your time gets lopsided, then you will get dysfunctional and frustrated.  Find out what is right for you.

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SUMMARY

Your time can be divided into 4 types:

  1. Self-guided, no-agenda time (down time)
  2. Other-guided, no-agenda time (casual time)
  3. Self-guided, fixed-agenda time (creative time)
  4. Other-guided, fixed-agenda time (job time)
You need a certain amount of all of them, in order to keep healthy.  Try not to become lop-sided, but to have a balance that suits you.