Making the Most of 16 hours

24 hours in a day but it’s still not enough to do everything we want to do. It’s a perpetual problem. We’re recommended 8 hours of sleep per night, so really it’s only 16 hours. But is that where it ends? Not quite. Take away another 8 hours stuck at work, 2 hours stuck commuting, 2-3 hours eating… now you have 3 hours. 3 hours left over for you. Fortunately, on weekends you may fare a little better without that 8-hour chunk of work eating into your me time.

Unfortunately, there’s not much that can be done to increase the time that you have. However, there are a number of ways in which you can do more with your time – even better, they don’t take much effort to implement in your daily routine either. And no, none of them entail reducing the number of hours of sleep you get each night.

But before you skip down to the tips and tricks, do a time audit first.

A time audit is an evaluation of the amount of time you spend doing things each week – working, commuting, household chores, cooking/eating, watching Netflix, mindlessly scrolling social media… It’s important to be honest while you’re doing the audit, and frankly, the results may not be what you want to see, but they will show you where all your time goes. It could even reveal to you how much time you actually do have on your hands. With the time audit complete, you can now jump into the methods to make the most of your time.

1) Stop multitasking

Contrary to popular belief, the human brain is incapable of what we know as multitasking. Your brain can consciously focus on a single task at a time so instead, of ‘multitasking’, it is simply rapidly switching focus between the two or three tasks you are working on. While the switch is not something we think about, it actually decreases your overall ability to concentrate and reach higher orders of thinking. So while you may be chipping away at multiple tasks ‘simultaneously’, your productivity and efficiency drops compared to if you only did one thing at a time.

2) Cut out your distractions.

Some distractions are inevitable – especially if something urgent needs your immediate attention; however, the little distractions that pop your concentration bubble can be just as disruptive as the bigger ones that take up more of your time to deal with. Little distractions are things like pop up notifications on your phone, or the temptation to check your email inbox. These digital distractions are a huge contributor to your loss of time and productivity as they break your train of thought and give you that dopamine hit associated with the ‘ping’ from your phone that gets you wanting more. If unchecked, you’re left wondering what that notification was, making it hard to focus on your actual task... If checked, you run the risk of getting stuck scrolling on Facebook for the next hour or two. The solution to this? Switch it off, chuck it in another room, or set it on Do Not Disturb. You can do this on both your phone and computer and once you’re done with your task, you can spend as much time catching up on all that you missed in the digital world.

(Pro tip: If you find it hard to resist the temptation of switching apps and surfing the web, you can use focus apps to block certain applications or websites on a schedule/timer.)

3) Change up your environment

If working from home is contributing to your distractions, try changing up your environment. Use a dedicated office space with only your work related items, visit a coworking space or café to help with concentration. Using items dedicated for work use only (e.g. specific stationery, work PC/laptop) can also help you create a boundary between your work and personal time. You might even consider dressing for work rather than staying in your PJs – the mental switch can help get you into a working mood too.

4) Set up a routine

There’s nothing better than a set schedule to help keep you on track and boost your motivation to do things. Why does it work? Simply through building consistency and keeping your goals clear. It also stops you from having to think about when you can fit things in. The mental hoops you jump through while winging your schedule can take more out of you than you think. It can also stop a chore from turning into a dreaded chore – routine is easy because there is minimal thinking required, and over time it becomes a habit which makes it even easier.

Lastly, reserve some time to unwind!

No matter how productive you try to be, there will be a limit to how much you can physically and mentally cope with the need to get stuff done. It doesn’t matter if it’s work or personal life – pushing yourself beyond your limit will result in burnout and fatigue – that’s something you absolutely want to avoid!

Productivity isn’t about being a workhorse, keeping busy or burning the midnight oil… It’s more about priorities, planning and fiercely protecting your time. – Gary Keller