Emergency Time Management: 13 Tips for Surviving Your Busiest Weeks

Honestly? I am so tired. So tired because last week was a lot.

Work deadlines, prepping a presentation on YouTube copyright claims, my parents visiting, AND my sister's baby shower. I don't know how I made it through.

We all have time management strategies we use daily. But then there are those few times a year when everything hits the fan and we need to pull out our super time management strategies. This is what I did this past week.

Here’s what worked for me.

1. Sleep Comes First. Always.

No matter how busy I got, I did NOT cut out sleep. It's like a super drug—when I'm well-rested, I work faster, think clearer, and honestly just get so much more done. Skipping sleep to get more done? Total trap. It actually costs me more time in the long run.

2. Figure Out What Actually Matters

I had to get real with myself about priorities. Work deadlines? Non-negotiable. Other projects that could wait until this week? Those got pushed. It sounds simple, but actually doing it made a huge difference.

And here's the thing—priorities aren't just work. My sister and I had planned a walking tour a few months ago, and even with everything going on, I went. We'd been looking forward to it, and that time together was important. So I didn't skip out on the things that really mattered to me personally, either.

3. Good Enough is Good Enough

My presentation isn't as polished as I wanted. But you know what? It's solid, and I'm going with it. I just didn't have time for perfect, and that's okay.

4. Outsource What You Can

My parents were coming, and there was no way I had time to clean. So my cleaning lady came. Best decision ever. Sometimes spending a little money saves you a ton of stress.

5. Cut the Non-Essentials

I cooked way less. Didn't do my nails. Basically anything that wasn't essential got cut. Every little bit of time helped.

6. Move What You Can

I rescheduled meetings and activities that didn't absolutely have to happen last week like my dentist appointment and haircut. Just moving a few things bought me so much breathing room.

7. Multitask Smartly

This one's been so helpful for me. I'll go for walks and just talk out loud into AI chats —outlining blog posts, drafting emails, and working through content ideas. I then use AI to turn those voice notes into actual written content. It's incredible how clearly I can think and how much I can get done while walking around.

8. Use Little Pockets of Time

I also squeezed tasks into small windows I wouldn't normally use. For example, I had 30-45 minutes between activities, so I used it to polish and post a new blog post. Normally, I'd block out a longer chunk of time for that, but I was able to get it done quickly and fit it in. Those little pockets of time really add up when you’re focused.

9. Delete Distracting Apps

Do I really need to check my email 4587x a day?! Nope. That’s why I temporarily deleted distracting apps from my phone to eliminate the temptation, including email. When every minute counts, removing those little attention-stealers made a surprising difference.

10. Use Focus Music and Time Blocking

I played my focus playlist on repeat to help me buckle down and work efficiently. I also used the Pomodoro timer method—though I prefer 15, 45, and 90-minute blocks rather than the traditional 25 and 50minute blocks. This is my favorite timer, btw. Having that structure kept me on track.

11. Move Non-Time-Sensitive Tasks

My blog posts could be posted anytime next week, so I moved them. Anything that didn't have a hard deadline got pushed without guilt.

12. Cut Activities That Don't Move the Needle

Even my 15-minute HIIT workouts got cut. As much as I value strength training, this wasn't the week for it. I focused only on activities that directly moved me toward my most critical goals.

13. Master the Art of Prioritized List Making

Lists, lists, and more lists. I made lists and constantly reprioritized them. Having everything written down and organized by importance kept me from getting overwhelmed and helped me develop an efficient task strategy for each day.

What I'd Do Differently Next Time

I survived last week but I could have done even better. Here’s what I would do next time:

Look at My Calendar More Long-Term

Looking back, I really should've seen this coming. I'm pretty good at looking at my calendar on a weekly basis, but I need to start looking at it more monthly or even a few months out. If I'd done that, I would've seen everything piling up way earlier and could've tackled some things ahead of time.

Every Hour Counts

One more big realization: every little hour counts. Anything I could do to save an hour here, save half an hour there—it all really added up. Looking back, I could have done a better job of cutting out unnecessary things sooner like cutting out online shopping. Those small time savings would have made a huge difference in how stressed I felt throughout the week.

I Need to Protect My Downtime

I know some people really thrive in super busy environments. I am not one of them. I need a more balanced schedule with downtime built in, because otherwise I become a very grumpy person. Having some time to myself for leisure is really important for my mental health and well-being—and honestly, my productivity too. This week reminded me of that.

Your Turn!

What do you do when you have an absolutely crazy week? I'd love to hear your strategies in the comments below!