Busy seems like an understatement these days. I’m not on the go and I know most of you feel the same way. Somehow we are supposed to have perfect skin, be great wives/daughters/girlfriends, work out, cook food, and excel at our careers + be “cool” and watch sports and binge on Netflix shows – all while getting 8 hours of sleep a night. Honestly, I’m exhausted just typing that. With everything that is going on, we are all looking to find more hours in the day and get more done. Realistically, we are all struggling and maybe we are taking on too much. But we have the same amount of hours in the day as Beyonce, so it’s possible. Here are some tips on how to find more time in the day.
Tips To Find More Time In The Day
Wake Up Earlier
Okay you knew it was coming, so I might as well get it out of the way. Need more time? Start your day earlier. There’s nothing like the silence of when everyone else is asleep to get things done. Some people say to do the hardest thing on your to-do list early in the morning, others say to do things that aren’t so bad so that you look forward to getting up. For me, I love to clean and do housework first thing in the morning. It lets me stay focused all day when the sink is clean, the dishwasher is unloaded and the counters are pristine. It is time well spent.
Take A Lunch Break
Seems counterproductive, I know. However, breaks were designed for a reason and we need to stop being afraid of them. Don’t wallow at your desk for hours and instead get off of your bum and opt for a change of scenery. You don’t have to head to the gym (although it’s a good idea) but just a conversation with a friend or just a change of scenery, taking a break can help you move physically “out” of your state of mind and in turn allow you to be more productive by returning with a fresh set of eyes.
Related: How To Work Out During Your Lunch Break
Break your day into blocks
You know those times where it seems like your day has dragged on, but you got nothing done? Yeah, me too. You need to see your day in time blocks. There are 6 blocks in the day and while you don’t need to plan to be productive in each one of them – give yourself the option to be. For example, you didn’t make it to your morning workout (boo!) that’s okay, they are 6 other times that you can make that up.
I know what you’re thinking: “I have a job, I can’t go during the morning slot of the earthly afternoon or even afternoon.” Totally get it, you still have lunch, evening and night. That’s three more options to get things done. Apply this concept to things like running an errand or completing a task.
- Early morning block (7-9)
- Morning (9-12)
- Lunch (12-1)
- Early afternoon (1-3)
- Afternoon (3-6)
- Evening (6-9)
- Night (9-12)
Related: Why Everyone Should Have A Side Hustle
Not just Satan works at night
We fall into a routine based on what we know. If you’ve always gotten up early to do tasks maybe you haven’t tapped into what you can do while the world is still asleep. I’ve found that I do my most productive physical work in the morning ie: I can clean the entire house, steam mop the floors, load and unload the dishwasher and clean out the fridge before 9 AM- but after my afternoon block it’s pretty much impossible. Similarly, my best creative hours are at night. I do my best writing when there are no distractions and I can think to myself. Your day doesn’t need to look like your roommate or partner’s day. Find how you thrive and block in tasks accordingly for your day.
Related: Things You Need To Start Saying No To
We all have days where time slips away from us and other days where we are GD superheroes. It’s completely normal, don’t fret too much about a lazy day- take it as a rest day – make a list and kickass tomorrow. You got this!