How you spend your time is important. Whether you’re a student, an employee, or run your own business, your time can be used more effectively to get more of the things you want in life — whether that’s success at work, spending more time with family and friends, or saving money.
In fact, an hour spent well could save you hours spent down the road on other tasks and projects, resulting in better time management overall. Here are 10 ways you can use your time more effectively so that you can accomplish your goals and dreams faster than ever before.
1. Sleep better
Getting more sleep is one of the easiest ways to improve your productivity. Even a few hours can make a huge difference in how you feel and perform at work. So why don’t more people prioritize it? Despite what you might think, most people can actually get more done during their waking hours if they spend the better.
Oftentimes, we feel like there aren’t enough hours in our day to get everything done. A recent study found that most Americans only sleep a little more than 6 hours per night on average — even though most of us know that more sleep is better for our bodies and minds.
If you want to make better use of your available time, try going to bed earlier, so you can wake up refreshed and ready to take on your daily tasks.
Sometimes, when we don’t have time to do something, it’s because we’re not prioritizing our sleep. Sleep is absolutely essential — when you get enough of it, your energy levels increase, and you can focus more clearly on what needs to be done.
This is why one of Arianna Huffington’s 21 Habits for Thriving is: I fight exhaustion by getting seven hours of sleep a night, using blackout shades and earplugs, and taking 10-minute power naps when I’m under enormous stress.
2. Eat better
When you eat better, your brain works better. These foods are loaded with essential nutrients, protein, and healthy fats to fuel your brain and keep it from being easily distracted by hunger.
Eat a fruit-and-yogurt parfait for breakfast, or pack some trail mix for a mid-morning snack to boost your mood and kick-start productivity.
When you’re in a rush, make sure you have at least one smart breakfast staple like Greek yogurt or eggs on hand to make sure your morning doesn’t go off track.
Just by watching what you eat and drinking more water, you can make better use of your available time. Don’t spend too much time sitting in front of a computer — instead, get up and move around. Plan your meals at night, so that when you’re ready to cook in the morning, it will be an efficient process.
I think one of the biggest ways you can use time more effectively is to eat better. When I say eat better, I don’t necessarily mean you need to be on a diet. Instead, try and figure out what works best for your body and lifestyle. For me, that means eating five smaller meals throughout my day instead of two or three big ones.
It also means replacing processed foods with fresh options whenever possible, and ditching fast food for home-cooked meals as often as possible. Your goals may be different from mine, but eating healthy can help put an end to unnecessary stress on your body — both physically and mentally — helping you get more out of each minute in a day!
3. Breathe better
Taking time to breathe can instantly lower your stress levels. Simply take a few minutes each day to focus on breathing slowly in and out through your nose.
Make sure that you are inhaling fully, filling your lungs all the way. You should never feel like you’re short of breath when taking deep breaths during an exercise such as yoga or meditation;
If you do, it’s likely that you’re holding your breath for too long. It’s also important to think about what types of thoughts may be causing undue stress.
For example, if you find yourself dwelling on one negative event too much, stop and take a few deep breaths to calm down before proceeding with a more positive attitude.
Exhale fully. Even when you’re busy, there’s time to take a few seconds to breathe properly. When exhaling, count one-and-two-and three-and. Up to five or six and then inhale normally for two counts, hold for two more counts and finally exhale for three more counts before beginning your next breath.
If breathing out longer feels uncomfortable at first, you can always stop after three or four counts. Take some time to meditate, take a walk, or find another way to calm your mind. Studies have shown that reducing stress can improve your breathing dramatically.
And better breathing will help you feel more energized, making it easier to do more with your time. Spend 10 minutes a day just focusing on slowing down and relaxing — and you’ll be amazed at how much energy you have leftover for other things.
4. Exercise more
Regular exercise is a great way to ensure you are using your time effectively. Exercise not only helps you burn calories, but also improves heart health and strengthens muscles.
The more fit you are, the easier it will be to use your time wisely. Don’t let exercise fall to the bottom of your priority list — remember that you can use time more effectively by exercising regularly.
You only have a certain amount of time in your day, and without realizing it, you may be wasting some of it. For example, over one-third of Americans watch TV for 2 hours or more per day, and people who watch 4 or more hours a day are at greater risk for obesity than those who don’t watch any TV at all.
Your brain doesn’t really distinguish between watching TV and doing other things — so you could be exercising, eating better, or spending time with friends instead!
Most experts will tell you that daily exercise is necessary to combat fatigue. At a minimum, get 10 minutes of moderate exercise every day. A brisk walk will do wonders for your energy levels and your overall outlook. If you have more time available, dedicate those extra hours to something strenuous like strength training or running.
Those activities will provide more physical benefits than a quick walk around your neighborhood, but they’ll also build confidence as well as provide a break from work and other stressors in your life.
Exercise can keep you fit and help you manage stress — both key components of being an effective communicator!
5. Develop a mindfulness practice,
learning how to focus your attention on one thing at a time, is an important skill for any entrepreneur. And learning how to do it better can help you manage distractions and increase productivity. One powerful way to develop these skills is through mindfulness meditation;
Focusing on your breathing as you slowly inhale and exhale can slow down your thoughts, relax your body, and make you more present in whatever activity you’re doing.
Practice mindfulness by following a guided meditation or making up your own routine that includes focused breathing.
Sit for five minutes every day in a quiet place with no distractions and follow along with a video or audio guide (or use an app like Insight Timer). Mindfulness is a way of paying attention, non-judgmentally and in a non-reactive manner.
It is about knowing what’s happening in our own minds, but also recognizing that we don’t need to act on everything — and we can choose which experiences are worth paying attention to and which aren’t. To get started with mindfulness meditation, follow these 10 steps to get you on your way to a more productive life.
A simple way to manage your time more effectively is to develop a mindfulness practice. Mindfulness is an incredibly important skill for helping you become more effective with your time because it helps you to focus on what’s happening right now rather than being caught up in thinking about either past or future events.
When you do that, when you’re just living in each moment, as they say…you experience life as it happens. In other words, practicing mindfulness frees up time by not worrying about things that haven’t happened yet and not getting wrapped up in thinking about things that have already happened! That sounds like a great deal of time management improvement, doesn’t it?
6. Learn a new skill
Regardless of your current position, odds are there are some new skills you could learn that would help improve your productivity and efficiency. If you’re interested in learning a skill such as public speaking or Excel, sign up for an online course or a class at your local community college.
If you know exactly what you want to do, search out other professionals who have mastered it and ask them to give advice. Pay attention to how they work and note which tips or tricks they use most often. Then try incorporating those into your own work environment.
Remember: Time is always available; it’s just a matter of making better use of it by spending more wisely on where to spend it. Learning a new skill allows you to leverage your time. Find something that interests you and pick up some new skills while increasing your long-term earning potential.
Take an online course or look for classes in your area, sign up for a workshop, or find a mentor who can show you what you need to know. By learning a new skill or developing an existing skill, you’ll be able to get more done in less time.
This may sound like it contradicts our first point about doing one thing at a time, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are a number of things you can do on your own or with others (or both) to make better use of your time and add value to yourself and/or others:
Start exercising regularly: One of the most valuable things you can learn is how to take care of yourself. A regular exercise routine can help relieve stress, boost your energy levels and help make better use of your available time.
7. Meditate every, day,
Meditation is an efficient way to boost your effectiveness with available time. For most people, meditation is not just about clearing their heads and improving their health; it’s about feeling and being more effective.
Many successful entrepreneurs credit mediation for helping them gain clarity in critical moments, especially during times of stressful decision-making.
With meditation, you’ll naturally feel less stressed when something unexpected happens that knocks you off your game — and research shows it will happen many times throughout a given day.
With proper preparation, using meditation to maintain calm amidst a busy schedule can also make all other stressful events seem much less stressful by comparison.
Mindfulness can be a powerful tool in clearing your mind and focusing on your priorities. One of its biggest benefits is its ability to help us manage stress, which allows us to get more done in less time — but only if we practice it regularly.
So take 10 minutes every day to sit in quiet meditation and let go of whatever’s stressing you out. It’ll allow you to clear your head, prepare for challenges ahead, and remember what’s most important about running a business: working effectively.
Meditation is a practice that can help you stay focused and mentally calm throughout your day. By learning to pay attention to your breathing, you can significantly reduce stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions that eat away at your energy and motivation. Start with 10 minutes each day and build up from there.
If possible, find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed for those 10 minutes. If necessary, get up early in order to have time before work; otherwise meditate right after work or before bedtime if you feel comfortable doing so.
Most people find it easier to begin meditating if they start with just 5 minutes per day until they get used to it. (Meditation apps such as Calm are available for free on both Apple and Android devices.)
8. Reduce unnecessary activities and commitments
Your time is finite, so it’s important to spend it on what matters most. The fewer distractions and demands you have on your time, whether they be hobbies or other activities, the more you’ll be able to focus your efforts where they’re needed most.
If there are a few extracurriculars that no longer bring you value, consider dropping them from your schedule. These things aren’t bad in themselves, but sometimes we fill our days with activities because we feel like we should be doing something or need to fill time — whether it’s actually adding value or not.
Unnecessary activities and commitments may be robbing you of time. Take a look at your schedule, and decide what you can cut out or delegate to someone else. Be ruthless in your decision-making process. Time is precious — don’t waste it!
As human beings, we tend to like things to be orderly and certain. But we also have a tendency to over commit in terms of time. Some situations are unavoidable — for example, it may be impossible for you to say no when your boss asks you to take on an extra project.
However, there are many activities that don’t need our direct involvement and could easily be turned over to someone else (such as cleaning your home or taking care of your pet).
One useful way of determining which tasks can be delegated is called The 80/20 Rule. In general, try to eliminate any activity that accounts for less than 20 percent of your time.
9. Choose your commute wisely
People who drive more than half an hour to work spend about 40 minutes each day in their cars, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. On average, that’s about 90 hours per year.
The same study found that people with commutes of 45 minutes or longer tend to be less satisfied with their lives than those with shorter commutes (18% vs. 11%). Choose your commute wisely, so you don’t lose valuable time every day (and possibly your sanity).
If you commute to work by car, think about ways to make your drive more productive. Listen to an audiobook or an online lecture, or catch up on podcasts. If public transportation is your route, set a goal of reading one professional journal per week.
When possible, walk or bike to work — the extra exercise will help you stay fit and feel more energized when you arrive at your desk.
For example, if you drive 15 minutes to work, take a 30-minute lunch, and spend 10 minutes driving home at 5:00 p.m., that’s 2 hours of non-productive time each day! If possible, avoid that commute and find a closer office or take a walk after dinner in order to get more things done in your downtime.
It may seem like you’re wasting extra time at first, but think about how much work (and stress) you could be doing during those two hours every day. If it makes sense for your lifestyle and career goals, keep moving toward working from home as often as possible.
10. Delegate where you can,
taking on too much isn’t just a surefire way to work yourself into exhaustion — it also means you won’t be using your time as effectively as possible. The more tasks you take on or don’t delegate, for that matter, the less time you have for higher-level thinking and creativity.
Be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day — and if something takes a lot of your energy or requires specialized skills, it may not be wise to assume you can do it yourself. Instead, find someone else who will do it better than you could.
If you’re spending time on a task that can be handled by someone else — or that could be automated by technology — then delegate it. If you run your own business, for example, why not hire a virtual assistant to handle some of your administrative tasks? This way, you can focus on making money and growing your business more effectively.
We all have work that could be done by someone else — and we’re not always great at recognizing those tasks. Luckily, there are a few simple ways to get better at it: Identity what your least favorite tasks are. Make a list of all of them and separate out those you dislike (rather than just find them challenging).
When you do find yourself getting annoyed or frustrated by something, ask yourself if someone else could take over that task instead. If so, either delegate it to them right away or schedule time later in your week to talk about it more.
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