15 Things You’re Doing Every Day That Are Wasting Your Time
Time is precious. Everyone gets 24 hours a day, but how we each spend ours is what truly matters. There is a chance we might not even notice just how much time we squander on petty little things that do not mean anything. Without realizing it, we rob ourselves of hours in the day with these habits.
Below are the 15 most common time-wasting activities you might be doing every day – and the solution to fix them!
Excessively Scrolling Through Social Media
Social media is fun. You can find dashes full of photos of friends, funny videos, or the latest news. Though, how many times do you pick up your phone to check one thing and end up scrolling for an hour?
It is highly time-consuming behaviour by the way. Instead of being on social media all day set a timer. Allow yourself 15–30 minutes several times each day to examine it. The other part of the time is spent in a real job or among individuals. You will be surprised at how much free time you will have!
Not Planning Your Day
Without planning your day, you tend to get distracted. You may get started on one thing and switch to another. And before you realize, it is already the end of your day and you haven’t completed any important task.
Use to spend 5–10 minutes just to plan your day out every morning. Before you even start writing, jot down the three most important tasks you must do that day. Focus on those tasks first. Applying this small habit you will get to use time judiciously and have sense of more success.
Checking Emails Too Often
Whenever you get the notification, you feel like checking the email. However, switching back and forth between email and other tasks slows you down. You become unfocused and take longer to get back to work.
Save time, if you want to check your email, do it two or three times a day. Disable alerts, and check your inbox only so many times a day (like once in the morning, then again in the afternoon). So that you can do what actually matters, without distractions.
Saying “Yes” to Everything
When do you say yes to things even when you are too busy? It might sound gentlemanly to always say “yes,” but the risk is that you will get overwhelmed with a lot of things that you don’t even appreciate, and in many cases, you will be wasting your time.
Give yourself permission to say “no.” You are allowed to protect your time and your energy. By declining the less important, you create time for the most important things in your life.
Investing Too Much Time on Minor Decisions
Do you take 10 minutes to decide what to wear or 20 minutes to decide what to eat? Time is occupied by these relatively small decisions, surprisingly.
Simplify Your Options to Save Time. For example, lay out your clothes the night before or create a meal plan for the week. AnswerThis will save a lot of decisions you make, you can use that energy to do bigger things.
Multitasking Too Much
Most believe they can accomplish more through multitasking. But the reality is that it slows you down most of the time. Shifting focus from one task to another means your brain needs time to reorient. This extends the time for all.
Instead, do one thing at a time. Do this and you can move on to the second. In this manner, the tasks get done quickly and with minimal errors.
Worrying About Things You Cannot Control
Are you worrying over things that you can’t control? It could be the climate, another person’s thought, or a blunder you made previously. This kind of thinking is exhausting and prevents you from putting your energy towards what you can control.
Stay focused on solutions rather than problems. If it is out of control, then let it go. Focus your time and energy on things you can control or enjoy.
Too much time on TV or streaming
When you are indulged in your favorite shows, time goes by really quickly. An episode, quick but then you watch four hours of it instead. Although entertainment is good, it can distract us from our other duties.
Divide screen time by the maximum duration that can be spent per day. At least consider watching a single episode or reserve your binge-watching for the weekends. Take this time that you have gained, read, exercise, or work toward your goals.
Leaving Tasks Half-Done
Wasting time by not completing something you started You may have to redo some pieces of it or take additional time to recollect where you were. This delays your development.
Once you start, you always finish. If any part of your job seems too big, then break it down into easier steps. This helps you remain focused and not leave things incomplete.
Not Taking Breaks
Surprising as it may sound, breaks save time. Constant working decreases your energy and ability to focus. However, it does not help fulfill tasks in an efficient manner.
Give yourself short breaks to recharge throughout the day. Get up from your seat take a brisk 5–10 minute walk or do some stretches to help energize yourself. Then, when you dive back into your work, you can feel refreshed and able to concentrate.
Overthinking Small Decisions
Do you ever sit down to have a long argument about what to eat, wear, or do next? So if you are literally trying to think about these micro things, it is taking away precious time from you.
Simplify your choices. This will bring us to our second power core: Use routines or pre-prepared decisions, such as planning your meals for the week or having a go-to outfit for days when you wake up rushed.
Not Organizing Your Space
Disorganization, whether in your desk, your room, or your kitchen, can delay you. You may take an additional moment to hunt for things or shift stuff around.
Spend a few minutes every day to clean up. Establish dedicated locations for your belongings to increase their retrievability. You can concentrate on your work and spend less time.
Doing Everything Yourself
Even when we do need help, we fail to request it. Doing all of this by yourself can take various days compared to splitting away the work.
So establish your circle of close family and friends to help you out if need be. Be it work or chores at home, splitting tasks saves a lot of time as well as stress.
Using Your Phone Before Bed
Are you scrolling on your phone at night because you think it will help you to bed? More often than not, you end up wasting time and could be awake for a bit longer. Lack of sleep can affect your work performance the following day.
This is less about how long you spend on screens during the day but instead is about screens at least half an hour prior to going to bed. Instead, pick up a book or meditate. Sleep Well — A good night’s sleep will help you make worse use of your time the next day.
Procrastinating on Hard Tasks
Avoiding a tough task does not mean that the task disappears. In fact, the more time you spend postponing, the more anxiety they create. You might fret about them instead of writing them.
Mornings with high energy are always the right choice to tackle hard tasks. When they have finished, you will feel refreshed and will have had time for other things.
Small Steps, Big Changes
All of us have habits for wasting time, but they need not govern our day. Recognize them and gradually implement little changes. Start with ONE habit at a time, and see how your days become more productive and meaningful.
Your time is valuable. However, put it to good use and you will reap great rewards!