It’s easy to find yourself staring at a pile of homework long past your bedtime on a school night. Sometimes, the quick break after school, practice or the club meeting turns into an extra hour that you didn’t plan on. The obvious solution would be to cut out the break that you take from school and continue your schoolwork at home without pause, but there is a healthier, more efficient way to manage your tasks, and the secret lies in excelling at time management.

There are several methods to becoming a pro at time management, and they all require different degrees of discipline. However, the most effective and relaxing way to do 20 math problems, finish your essay and complete the lab assignment due tomorrow only takes one quick and easy calendar. This calendar, however, does not track days, weeks and months, rather minutes.

Create a calendar that begins from the minute you get home for the night and ends at the time that you want to go to sleep. Then, block off every single five minute segment in that time. For every single five minute section, plan a very specific activity. This would go as far as specifying that you are finding key terms for the thesis of an English essay from 7:05 p.m. to 7:10 p.m. or doing problem 22 in the math homework from 8:35 p.m. to 8:40 p.m.. The more specific and realistic for the task, the better.

This method will allow you to focus a single thing intently until completion. The five minute time blocks do not extend to only schoolwork either. If you have dinner, then set aside the number of five minute blocks that eating will require. Knowing exactly what you need to be doing at a given time is a built in form of discipline.

Relaxation is also an important part of your night. Doing homework from the time you get home to the time that you sleep is unrealistic and unhealthy, so include a few segments that force you to take a small brain break. Do this carefully, however. Use only the number of blocks that you need to eat your snack, scroll through Instagram, or watch a video.

All in all, the mountain of things to do can become far more manageable with the right strategy. Sticking to a tight, minute-by-minute schedule will make the mountain seem a little smaller.