Time is precious, you want to optimize every moment of the day. There are a few things you should be doing to get the most out of every day and a few things you need to stop doing that are simply wasting your time.
Here are five ways on how to and how not to structure your day:
- How to: Plan day your day the night before. Don’t overthink this, just write down a few things you want to accomplish tomorrow. Each day should start with manageable expectations of how you’re going to spend your day.
- How not to: Procrastination. This is a huge time waster. By the time you are done procrastinating a task, you could have already completed it with the time wasted procrastinating. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll finish. Stop wasting time and get started!
- How to: Get enough sleep. Adults need anywhere from 6-8 hours of sleep a night. By doing this you’ll wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.
- How not to: Looking at your phone first thing in the morning. When you check your phone first thing in the morning it can increase your stress level and leave you feeling overwhelmed. Being bombarded with texts, emails, and other notifications right when you wake up is not a good start to your day. This just distracts your mind and sets a negative tone for the rest of the day.
- How to: Take breaks. The ideal work-to-break ratio is to work for an hour then take a 15-minute break. This will help you stay focused on the tasks you are working on without getting distracted by social media or emails. This will help you be more productive and not feel fatigued throughout the day.
- How not to: Constantly checking your email. This is a big-time waster and makes you less productive. When you are constantly checking your email you aren’t fully focused on the task you are trying to complete. When you limit the number of times you check your email, your stress levels will decrease. Try to schedule a few times throughout the day to read and respond to emails.
- How to: Batch tasks together. This means grouping and completing similar tasks all at the same time. For example, planning a time to make/ receive all phone calls. This allows you to focus on what you are doing and improve productivity. This will help you be as efficient as possible.
- How not to: Multitasking. It doesn’t work. When you try to multitask you become less efficient, divide your attention, and are more likely to make a mistake. Your brain can only focus on one thing at a time. When you try to accomplish more than one thing your brain lacks the capacity to perform both tasks successfully. The more you try to multitask, the less you will accomplish. Focus on one task at a time.
- How to: Have a routine. There are many benefits to following a daily routine. This helps create structure and makes us more efficient. You will be able to manage your time better and help you achieve your goals.
- How not to: Mindlessly scrolling through social media. This wastes your time and has a negative effect on your mental health. You do not have to cut out social media entirely but try to limit your time spent on social media. Set your “social media time” and stick to it.
Hopefully, this will help you structure your day and optimize every moment!