There are several ways for time management - block timing/timetable, discipline (with no timetable), etc.
I am currently looking for flexible time management (to have time for mental/emotional health and rest) - so am currently using a to-do list & Forest but I feel that it is too rigid and not realistic, even with the due dates.
What are some time management applications on Andriod/PC used for flexible time management?
I couldn’t find anything other than schedulers that allow for moving appointments or tasks. One way of looking at it is to decide how many hours you want to spend working, then set aside a larger number of hours in which you can fit the number of hours you want to work. For example, decide on working 30 hours a week, but the time slot for doing that is 50 hours. You can do ten hour days or 4 eight hour days and one 14 hour day, or whatever.
I went from lists to paper planners to spreadsheets to online calendars. I did a ton of appointment moving. As a home health nurse, missing appointments was not an option. Even when patients cancelled, I had to figure out how to reschedule them, even if there wasn’t enough time left in the week to do so without working ridiculous hours.
The biggest problem I had was grossly underestimating how long it took to do things. I think the only way to make a schedule flexible is to allocate a lot more time than is needed to do a task. For me, it was no small challenge to overcome my chronic desire to procrastinate. I was known for setting aside two hours to do a 30 minute job, then waiting an hour and a half before starting it. It’s kinda like putting off homework till the evening before it’s due. Incredibly, for the past few years, I’m finally starting projects long before their deadlines. It feels good to have something out of the way before panic time.
It’s usually helpful if a person knows when they’re feeling the most alert and motivated. For me, it’s mid-afternoon. For my wife, it’s first thing in the morning. If you can flex your investment of time in the direction of your most productive hours, it’ll be easier to make deadlines.
I hope this helps. I did keyword “flexible time management,” and Google said, “Huh?” There were tons of hits related to “flex time” meaning choosing which hours to work, but nothing related to changing such schedules “on the fly” except moving appointments or tasks within predetermined hours.
Good luck. Let me know if you find what you’re looking for.
Hi Friend, Thanks for posting, It can be hard to find exactly what you need when it comes to just the right way to plan your time so that you always have those self care moments cant it and they are so very important. I have to say straight off, I do not use apps like that but my friends here have many suggestions for you and I am going to say that I hope you find one of them useful for you and you are successful in finding a work and self care routine that suits you. Best of luck. Lisa x
hi faith,
welcome to the heartsupport community; i hope you can feel the support and encouragement from this forum! when it comes to time management, an app i use daily to hold me accountable to personal self-care and mental rest goals is Finch: Self Care Pet (on iOS and google play store). if you grew up on tamagotchis, a virtual pet bird sends you push notifications for times you set to meditate, do chores, journal, take a walk, hygiene, work/life balance, fitness goals, etc… with every goal you meet, you can earn points in the app to grow your bird. you can pace yourself and manage what you do on each day of the week. personally, it’s a fun way for me to do the things needed to manage my own depression and anxiety. wishing you the best of luck on your journey to set a comfortable balance between managing mental health and daily responsibilities! you got this, my friend!
love,
twix
I’m not really savvy when it comes to apps using time management, I tend to wander off and forget or not look if it’s not on the calendar! But having a look there are a few websites that list suggestions and the details of what are the pros and cons.
And
are two I’ve found, but I guess everyone is different and has individual needs and sometimes those apps don’t cater to that.
Has there been something that has worked in the past and maybe needs tweaking? Looking forward to seeing how you’re going with this!
Hello faith09 and welcome to HeartSupport! You goal is admirable and I really hope you find something that helps you focus on you in the time that you have in your life. I cannot personally vouch for this site but it looks like a possibility for something that may help you in the way you are hoping.
Please feel free to continue sharing about your journey and progress whenever you wish 
Faith09,
Welcome to Heart Support! I’m glad you’re here. It’s good that you are looking for better ways to prioritize your mental health and self care. I understand that you are looking for apps and systems to help you but there is one thing that helps more than anything else. It’s having it be a priority. The higher your self care is on your priority list the more likely you’ll MAKE time for it. Not just try to find time. When you choose your app - put your self care in first. I understand if you have work hours that change or classes that are at different times - yes put that in the schedule and you need to work around it. The key is actually making time for self care and then put the other unscheduled things around it. Make you more important. You have 168 hours in a week. How will you choose to use them? I would love to hear what you choose to use for an app and how you prioritize your time. I’m rooting for you.
Hi there @faith09,
Nice to have you here! That’s a great question, and I’m glad that you’re already using a todo list and Forest – I use and love both!
If you want an option that’s similar to a standard todo list, you could try the app/website Todoist. It’ll allow you to set recurring tasks including prioritization, for free. The nice thing about this option is that you can say “P1” (Priority 1) is what you must do on any given day. Then “P2” can be what you want to do. Once you prioritize your tasks, you can also add tasks like “Go on a walk” or “Have fun with friends,” and can set the priority of that task too.
Alternatively, I like Google Calendar because you can simply mark an hour and say “Fun Hour”, “Dinner”, or “Work on xyz.” This “forces” me to be doing what I should be doing at any given time.
Personally, I mostly use a combination of Todoist and Google/Outlook Calendar to manage what I need to do.
It’s good to hear that you’re trying to improve your time management, while still prioritizing your wellbeing! That’s a wonderful goal, and I’m wishing you the best.
Please keep us updated if you’d like to share anything in the future.
<3 Tuna
Yes, I did find what I was looking for 
-Allocating a duration to complete the task
-Which time management tool works for me: Be it an Online calendar, paper planners or spreadsheets, etc
-Optimal time of alertness: Morning, afternoon
Right now, I have a lot of tools for time management - discord server/body doubling, to-do lists, etc. Most of the time, I am currently using Fiveable personal/group room, google calendar for PC & phone. At times, body doubling and Forest.
Hi Twix,
I’ve checked out the Finch: Self-Care Pet app on Play Store. In the preview, it shows that the app has Mindful goals and exercises, and self-care for every mood which I would find useful. And 1M+ downloads!
I’ll try out the app
Hi there!
I am currently using Fiveable personal/group room, google calendar for PC & phone.
Yes, there are many tools for time management such as discord server/body doubling, to-do lists, Forest,etc
I’m trying to figure out what works for me best and I would like to stick to them
Hi @Mamadien,
I agree with you that self-care is important and it has to be a priority. If so, self-care could be placed first and the work/classes be placed later on. However, the work/classes timings have to be placed first and I have to work around my self-care around those timings.
I am currently using Fiveable personal/group room, google calendar on PC & phone most of the time. I may want to try out Forest or Discord group VCs to study with others.