Taking Back Time: Streamlining to Add More Time to Your Day

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By Rachel Derry
Staff Writer LIFamilies

It seems that life is always on fast forward and that there is never enough time in the day to get done what really needs to get done. You always seem to need another half hour before you leave for work or go to bed, your work report always need ten more minutes than you can give it, and the stack of work left at the end of the day always alludes more of the same tomorrow. What if you could catch up with time and save an extra half hour a day? Here are a couple tips to make sure to get that time back (and cut down your stress by getting everything done)!

Write down a full schedule for your days, at least three days in advance. One of the biggest time wasters of our day is indecision. What should we make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; should we go to the gym before or after work; what practice does which child need to be at when? If you take the time a couple days in advance to fully plan out your days, you’ll be amazed the time you save for yourself. Don’t plan too far ahead though: most people end up feeling overwhelmed if they try to plan out their days too far in advance. We’re trying to alleviate stress, not increase it!

To make your mornings more get up and go friendly, make your environment a little more easy to handle. If you are an avid makeup wearer and skin product user: minimize the clutter of your station to clear our mind! Instead of have filled drawers and messy make-up bags, limit your make-up station to the 8 to 10 products that you use and love the most. This will make it easier to make-up and go! Also, make your closet more grab and go ready! Take out all of those annoying, tangled wire and plaster hangers. Replace them with wooden or padded hangers: not only will they make morning grabbing less frustrating, they are also more gentle on your clothing.

Lastly, and especially at work, never stop in the middle of what you’re doing to answer that phone call or email. When you stop the productive flow and train of thought that was focused on the task at hand research says that it can take upwards of 20 minutes to get your thought process back on track! Instead of stopping what you’re doing now to answer the message, wait the 15 minutes until your work in completed. In the long run everything will be completed more efficiently AND thoroughly. (This is barring emergencies, of course!)

Long Island Home & Lifestyle Articles > Taking Back Time: Streamlining to Add More Time to Your Day