Time Management in the Lab: Planning for Progress, Not Panic

Why We Talk About Time

Let’s be honest: doing a PhD is hard. It’s not just the science — it’s the pressure to produce data, publish papers, meet deadlines, and somehow stay sane through it all. We’ve seen too many students around us burn out, especially in their final year, when everything seems to converge at once.

There is a minimum that every PhD project needs to deliver. And when you go about your work without planning, it’s easy to lose sight of that goal — and that’s when stress starts to build. That’s why Andreas and I decided to dedicate part of our group meetings to time management. Not because we want to add another item to the to-do list, but because we want to make the time we do spend in the lab count — and reduce the stress that comes from feeling overwhelmed.

Planning isn’t about perfection. It’s about protecting your energy, your creativity, and your ability to think clearly. And when you plan well, something surprising happens: time opens up. Suddenly, you find space in your day to tackle other tasks, reflect, or even rest.

Treat Planning as a Living Document

At Umeå University, we have to use a mandatory planning document for PhD students. We strongly encourage our students to treat it not as a formality, but as a living document — something that evolves with the project. The aim is to stay ahead, not just catch up.

One thing that’s especially important: when you plan writing tasks, always calculate more time than you think you’ll need. Everyone underestimates this at first — it’s part of the learning process. But starting with realistic expectations can make a big difference.

Involve Your Supervisor Regularly

Another essential habit: involve your supervisor regularly. While we’re deeply engaged in the project, we’re not inside it the way you are — and that distance allows us to offer perspective. I’ve made my fair share of inefficient planning decisions by trying to do everything at once. It worked out in the end, and I came out of my PhD in one piece — but developing these tools helped me stay sane during my postdoc and early PI days.

Define Your Goals — Often

One of the most powerful tools we use is goal setting. It sounds simple, but it’s easy to lose sight of your goals when you're juggling experiments, meetings, and writing.

When your goals are clear, decisions become easier:

• Should I run this experiment today?

• Should I say yes to this meeting?

• Should I spend time optimizing this protocol?

If the goal is defined, the answer is usually obvious.

Stack Experiments and Plan for Failure

We encourage everyone to stack experiments when it makes sense. If you’re waiting for a gel to run, maybe you can start a transformation. If you’re incubating something, maybe it’s time to prep your next PCR.

And just as important: plan for failure. Keep your core strains on plates. Maintain a PCR catalogue. If something fails — and it will — you’ll be ready to pivot without losing days.

Use the Eisenhower Matrix

We’ve started using the Eisenhower method to sort tasks by urgency and importance. It helps us focus on what really matters:

• DO: Urgent and important — experiments with deadlines, thesis writing

• PLAN: Important but not urgent — protocol development, literature review

• DELEGATE: Urgent but not important — paperwork, committee tasks

• DELETE: Not urgent and not important — busywork, unnecessary meetings

This method has helped us reduce stress and make better decisions.

Task Division and Team Efficiency

We also talk a lot about task division. Who’s doing what? What can be standardized? What can be shared?

Using checklists, templates, and shared calendars helps us stay coordinated. It also makes it easier to learn from each other — especially when someone finds a clever workaround or a time-saving trick.

Practical Tips We Use

• Start planning a week ahead, not the night before

• Use a shared lab calendar and color-coded schedules

• Batch similar tasks to reduce context switching

• Include buffer time for delays

• Document everything — protocols, troubleshooting, decisions

Time management isn’t about squeezing more into your day. It’s about making space — for deep work, for learning, for collaboration, and for rest. We want our students to finish their PhD proud of their work, not exhausted by it.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. There are tools, strategies, and people who can help. And sometimes, just talking about it is the first step toward making things better.

Why I Supervise: Challenging with Care, Learning Together

“I also want to thank you again for letting me do a project with you. During that time, I really learned a lot about myself. Right now, I’m doing many things outside of my comfort zone, and I’ve even managed to speak up in meetings :)”

I received this email from a student who spent two months in our lab. It made me really happy—not just because it was kind, but because it reflected exactly what I try to do when supervising:

I don’t just want students to complete a project—I want them to grow. I want them to leave with more confidence, more independence, and ideally, a few tools they can use in their future academic or professional life.

How I Try to Support Growth

I try to challenge my students—but with care. That means I observe what they need. Sometimes it’s a lack of confidence: they don’t believe in themselves, and they need reassurance. In those cases, I encourage them to take ownership of their work. If they planned something, I want them to follow through. I’m there, but I won’t take over.

Other times, it’s about speaking up. Especially in group meetings, less experienced students might feel unsure. I try to make it measurable: I tell them, “Try to learn one new thing per meeting.” That’s already a lot and a great win. And with that tip, many students started asking questions.

Then there are students who are very confident—sometimes too confident. In those cases, I show them (gently!) that asking questions early can save time. A non-essential experiment that had to be repeated often makes that point clear.

I always tell my students: You can talk to me.
If the challenge feels too much, or if you need more, I want to know. This is a shared process.

Learning Through Struggle

One common challenge is the daily lab calculations. I could just give them the formula—but I usually don’t. I give them time to figure it out themselves. And yes, after a few days of struggling with daily lab calculations, it often becomes easier for them. They understand it better. They remember it. And they feel proud of having solved it on their own.

Giving students space to learn on their own is not less work for me. I have to be present, observe, and step in when needed. We talk about their challenges and progress in our 1:1 meetings. I point out what I think they can improve, and in our final offboarding meeting, we reflect on whether they reached those goals.

It’s not always easy. It can be frustrating—for them and for me. But so far, most of my students have developed, and we’ve seen real improvement toward the end. That makes me proud.

Why I Do This

The reason I do this is because I experienced it myself.
During my master’s at the University of Graz, my supervisor challenged me. It was frustrating at times. Just asking and getting the answer would have been so easy. But instead, I learned how to think, how to plan experiments, and how to solve problems.

I’m thankful for that experience.
And now, I try to pass it on.

It doesn’t always work the same way for every student. I’m learning with each one I supervise. But when I see growth, when I see someone step outside their comfort zone and realize they can, it makes me happy. And when they appreciate it—like in that email—it reminds me why I do this.

Sharing Experiences

I’m sharing this not because I think I’ve figured it all out, but because I want to reflect and learn. I’m just starting my journey. My lab is still small, and most of the time I’m in the lab myself, doing my own experiments—so I see the students, I’m around. And for me personally, I want to keep it that way. I want to have a lab size where I can really focus on every single member. That’s what feels right to me.

There’s absolutely no judgment if others run bigger labs—there are many different approaches, and I’m sure I’ll adapt and learn more over time. This is just where I am right now. So I’m also happy to hear how others do it—if you have thoughts, experiences, or ideas, I’d love to hear them.