Our lives have become more and more hectic due to unwanted work pressure. It has become impossible to check off tasks from the to-do list and spare some time for friends and family. These lifestyle changes have put us in isolation that impacts our happiness and health. But by working smarter, you can save quite a bit of time to focus on time on yourself and your loved ones. Working efficiently, cutting on unproductive hours, and by making small adjustments, you will be able to take out time from your busy schedule. Use this time to invest in hobbies and people you enjoy most.
Table of Contents
1. Limit time on social media
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Social media takes a significant amount of time. People tend to sit for hours browsing through Instagram stories, Facebook posts, and other similar content in the digital domain. Binge-watching has become a trend, everybody wants to become a part of. A lot of productive time is wasted in all these activities. Keep aside 1 to 2 hours per day for browsing social media websites. Switch off phone’s notifications and delete social media apps when you want to concentrate on some important task.
2. Plan your week’s schedule upfront
If you are aware of what tasks you need to complete in the coming week, you can plan it well. Use organizing apps like Google calendar to plan your hourly schedule. Compile all your commitments for the forthcoming week and prepare a plan upfront. This will save you from over-committing and make you more productive throughout the week.
3. Use apps for running errands
From managing your groceries to important documents and bills, use mobile applications. There are a lot of good mobile apps that will do these tasks for you. Most of the important bills like water, electricity, etc. can be paid through apps. Moreover, there are services that deliver your household items like groceries, kitchen needs, etc. by taking an order through their apps. Using these apps will lessen your load and free up a lot of your time to focus on more important things.
4. Morning schedule
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Optimizing morning routines saves a lot of time and energy. Set a strict start time so that you don’t keep sleeping till noon. Pre-stock all the essentials on your work bag the night before. You won’t have to worry about the important things in the morning. Make a cereal or coffee bar in the kitchen so you don’t have to spend more time making breakfast in the morning. These small changes will make you more productive in the day and reduce a lot of your morning stress and anxiety.
5. Coffee pods
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Brewing coffee in the morning can be a cumbersome task. And if you are a coffee lover, you might also be wasting time running to the nearest cafe to get coffee during work breaks. All this unproductive time is saved by buying coffee pods online from here. These are pre-packed coffee bags that can be used to make coffee by dipping in hot water. One pod makes around 40 ml of espresso. Since these are small in size, you can carry them around as well. They come in a variety of flavors, hence you won’t have to compromise on taste also. The best part is that these pods are biodegradable and are easily disposable.
6. Set reminders
With the busy schedule that you have, you can forget completing some critical tasks. Chores like paying bills, getting groceries, etc. are easy to forget. Set recurring reminders on your phone so that you don’t forget important tasks. You no longer will have to pay fine or miss appointments for important tasks. You can even set reminders for work deliverables to focus to align work priorities.
7. Develop routines
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Discipline in life changes it for the good. If not hard to complete tasks if they become a habit. Establishing routines will help you increase your productivity. Making critical tasks a normal part of your chores will save you a lot of energy and time in figuring out the logistics every time. Your stress and anxiety levels will also reduce once you have a set routine in place.
8. Auto-email replies
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If you are a business owner, then setting up automatic replies will save you a lot of time. For example, setting up response time expectation and out-of-work intimation will save a lot of notifications on your smart device. You won’t have to spend time scanning your emails by interrupting other important tasks that you are doing.
9. Learn to say ‘No’
Many of us find it tough to say no to people. Due to this reason, most of us get overburdened with work and unwanted tasks. These tasks can be energy-draining and time-consuming. Thus, you must learn to say no in a polite manner. You will then be able to prioritize your task and save up time for other important engagements.
10. Hire help for home
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The time you spend at home is valuable. So, you shouldn’t be spending your spare time finishing house chores. You can buy housekeeping services for the bigger jobs at home from any of the local services available near your house. You will be sending less money and won’t break your budget.
11. Optimize cooking time
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Batch-cooking is a good way of saving time and the hassle of prepping and cleaning on weekdays. You can cook single grains along with veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, etc. By using this strategy you can create several meals at once. Your cooking time reduces significantly and you will also be able to increase intake of vegetables which is good for your health. You can also buy frozen food items to reduce food preparation time. Heating the pre-prepared food in the microwave for a few seconds is good enough to prepare your dinner.
House chores and work tasks are a necessary part of life. But optimizing your approach in completing these will save you time, money, and energy that can be spent on what you love. Try implementing some of these tips, and see the change happening in your life.
