Do you sometimes feel like you’re caught in a rat race and never seem to have enough hours in the day to accomplish everything you set out to do? Well, you’re not alone. As our lives become more and more hectic, it can seem near impossible to check off everything on the to-do list, let alone find free time for rest, relaxation and socializing. So, what is one to do when 24 hours just doesn’t seem to be enough to get everything done? The solution is time management, or in other words — working smarter, not harder. Today we’ll dive into 5 simple tine trimmers Habits that are sure to save you time and add hours back to your week, sit back, relax and read on to find out more!
Best Time Trimmers Habits to Save Time
1. Double Up Whenever Possible
So many of us are often overwhelmed with the number of responsibilities on our shoulders on a daily basis. From exercising to cleaning and cooking, the thought of fitting everything into a mere 24 hours can be incredibly daunting. This is why we always recommend that you double up whenever possible. I mean, who has time to do both the mopping and vacuuming every day? That’s what a 2-in-1 vacuum and mop is for. Only have time for either heading to the gym or to your local café for your favorite coffee? Well, the simple solution could be to jog to the café, enjoy your cupper and then jog back home. You could even listen to your favorite podcast or audiobook on the drive to work (of course, make sure you aren’t getting too distracted or engrossed and that your attention is always on the road). In other words, two is better than one. Do you see what we’re getting at?
2. Meal Prepping is King
You’ve heard all about meal prepping on your Instagram feed, but did you know that aside from making quality grams, meal prepping is also a fantastic way to streamline your week and save a bunch of time that would otherwise be spent slaving over a stove every evening? By creating a menu and prepping your meals in advance (usually on a lazy Saturday or Sunday), you’ll have fresh, healthy, and most importantly quick meals in your fridge that only require a couple of minutes in the microwave before they are ready to be devoured.
Don’t really like the “prepping” bit of meal prep? Well, you’re in luck. There are a plethora of meal delivery kits that now exist to serve you, ranging from Hello Fresh to Dinnerly and Marley Spoon. These services deliver pre-portioned and pre-prepared ingredients straight to your door and include easy to follow recipes that you’ll be able to whip up in under 15 minutes. Most meal kit deliveries also cater to special dietary needs such as low-calorie, low-carb, low sodium, Paleo, gluten-free and more, so you can be sure that you’re nourishing yourself with exactly what your body needs.
Trust us on this one — it’ll save you up to 3 hours which you could otherwise be spending on your self-care routine or catching up on that latest murder-mystery on Netflix.
3. Plan The Night Before
Do you usually spend unnecessary time at the start of each day searching for your keys, chargers, laptop or the perfect outfit? So many of us are guilty of wasting time simply searching for things, which is why planning everything the night before is so helpful. Prepare as much as you can, from your outfit (that includes ironing to save time the next morning) to preparing your lunch, packing your work bags, workout gear and so on. It can also be helpful to make sure you plug all your devices in before you go to sleep so that they’re fully charged and ready to go in the morning. After all, no one likes a flat battery first thing in the day!
By ensuring that you have everything ready and at hand, you’ll greatly reduce the chances of running out of the door in a rush and forgetting a bunch of important things that you need…definitely not a great way to start your day!
4. Log Off That Damn Phone
99% of us are majorly guilty of spending way too much time on our phones (hello dopamine addiction!). Just a 5 minute peek into Instagram, Facebook or Tik Tok somehow almost always ends up becoming 2 hours of mindless scrolling that eats into your precious time without offering any real benefit to your life…I mean, do we really care about what Sally from high school is having for dinner? A great solution to endless scrolling is to turn your phone off completely after a certain time or even setting a strict time limit for each application you use on a daily basis.
If you use an iPhone or iPad, using the “app limits” setting can be incredibly useful. This setting allows you to set specific time limits on any particular mobile phone application category and will alert you when you’ve fully exhausted your designated time limit. A similar function on Android devices called “focus mode” shuts down applications temporarily so that you are not able to access them during certain time periods.
Essentially, what we’re trying to say is that you need to give yourself a little break from your phone or computer. Not only will you save you hours a week, but you’ll also find that winding down and relaxing becomes just that much simpler when your mind is less convoluted with random and unnecessary information that doesn’t really add any significant value to your day.
5. Quit Micromanaging
Last but not least, if you’re someone who is a bit of a control freak, you probably don’t realize how much time your micromanaging addiction actually eats into. Living in extremes is hard and it takes a lot of time, effort and energy to move from one extreme to another. Although it’s a lot easier said than done, going with the flow of life and spending less time trying to control every little aspect of your life is a great way to reduce stress levels and free up precious minutes that you could otherwise spend on more fulfilling tasks throughout the day.
Of course, we know that it isn’t as simple as “just stopping”. If micromanaging is an ingrained habit, you can always start small and work your way up. Instead of going cold turkey, try to make little manageable changes each day. Setting an intention to control less and let go more is always a great start and can help you build a sturdy foundation for long term changes in your habits and routines. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Simply be willing to try doing things in a different way, take notice of how you feel, and then decide if you want to continue exploring alternate ways of living.
