What Is Time Management?

Take our Time Management Test

Find a therapist near me

Digital devices constantly expose us to time cues, shifting how we experience and manage daily life.

People may identify as clock-timers or event-timers, which shapes focus, engagement, and task completion.

Constant time reminders can reduce perceived control and disrupt natural rhythms for some individuals.

Reclaiming time agency means balancing structured schedules with moments guided by internal cues.

How long has it been since you picked up your phone and, without intending to, saw the time staring back at you? How often do alarms and notifications tell you it’s time to join a meeting, leave for an appointment, or even take the chicken out of the oven? Whether we notice it or not, we are surrounded by constant reminders of time on our phones, laptops, tablets, and even our watches.

This hasn’t always been the case. A century ago, very few people knew the exact time at any given moment. Personal watches were rare, and most relied on public signals, such as the church bell, the town clock, or even the position of the sun, to orient their day. Time was something you experienced more loosely, often anchored in events rather than precise minutes.

My research on scheduling styles (Avnet & Sellier, 2011; Sellier & Avnet, 2014) identifies two broad ways people relate to time. Some individuals rely on external cues, clocks, alarms, and schedules to guide when they start, stop, and transition between tasks. I refer to them as clock-timers. Others rely more on an internal sense of completion. They begin a task when it feels appropriate and move on when it feels finished. These are event-timers.

This distinction may seem subtle, but it has meaningful consequences for how people experience the world.

For example, event-timers tend to........

© Psychology Today