Whether you’re a CEO, a full-time student, or stay-at-home mom, you’re probably pretty darn busy. In addition to juggling our responsibilities, we are expected to always look our best, which requires a lot of our time and effort. #Exhausting
There are hundreds of ways to save time in your day, ranging from meal preparation to multitasking, but we’ve identified some areas where you might be unknowingly wasting time.
Learn to say no
Two habits that are essential to a balanced schedule are:
- Knowing when to say no
- knowing when to ask for help.
Taking on too many responsibilities will lower your performance and stress you out. Just be honest with yourself and others by asking for help instead of trying to conquer huge tasks alone.
Estimated time saved: Infinite
Don’t obsess over your inbox
No matter what your life looks like, you’ve probably got your smartphone in hand. Don’t sabotage your productivity by constantly checking your phone. If you’re waiting on an important call/email/text turn up your ringer volume and make sure your notifications are turned on. Leave your phone in another room and fight the urge to check it until you’ve completed the task at hand.
Estimated time saved: 1.5 hours per day
Schedule monthly beauty maintenance
Shave time off of your everyday routine by staying on a beauty maintenance schedule. A trip to the salon once a month could trim hours off your daily beauty regime.
- Get monthly waxes, instead of shaving daily.
- Tint your brows once a month or book a micro-blading appointment so you don’t have to draw them on every day.
Estimated time saved: 5 minutes shaved off of your morning
Reach for multi-use makeup
Scrambling around in your makeup bag is both frustrating and a waste of time. Simplify your makeup routine by opting for double-duty products.
- Switch to duo lip and cheek tints instead of blush and lipstick.
- Glide on some tinted sunscreen instead of foundation.
- If you need to touch up throughout the day, keep some lightweight concealer and powder in your bag.
Estimated time saved: 10 minutes per day
Automate your chores
Thanks to all the new technology around us, some of the errands that used to take up a few hours of our day can now be done in a few clicks. Here are a couple of examples we recommend trying:
- Curbside pick-up or online delivery for groceries.
- Set up auto refills for toiletries and prescriptions using services like Nurx or Amazon Pantry.
- Splurge on a laundry service to save time if you dread doing laundry.
- Invest in a Roomba to cut down of time spent vacuuming.
Estimated time saved: 4 hours per week
Use a planner to map out your schedule
Writing out your goals, responsibilities, and time commitments is a great way to keep yourself on track. When you’re busy, time flys and it’s easy to forget what you need to get done and when. Maintaining a routine may improve your mental health and will help you stick to healthy habits. Try these planning exercises:
- Plan your day in segments and prioritize important tasks in the morning.
- Take notes during meetings to save time on clarifications later on.
- Start every day by writing down your gameplan.
Estimated time saved: 30 minutes a day
Make your commute work for you
Your daily commute doesn’t have to be wasted time. No matter how you get to work, school, etc. you can fill that space with productivity:
- If you drive to work, listen to relevant podcasts, or call clients and friends to get ahead or wrap up the day.
- If you take public transit, catch up on emails, read the news, connect with your network, or whatever else needs to be done virtually.
- If you’re close enough to your destination that you can bike or walk, use that as your daily exercise.