Great Lakes Advocate

Time-saving tips: 6 habits to help you find more time in your day

Time-saving tips: 6 habits to help you find more time in your day
Time-saving tips: 6 habits to help you find more time in your day

This is branded content.

Whether you're juggling family demands, studying full-time or dealing with a busy job, modern-day life comes with a flood of responsibilities. So, many of us feel like there's just not enough hours in the day to get everything done.

But there are always ways to make things more efficient. You'd be surprised how much time you can save just by taking stock of your daily routine and adopting some more efficient habits.

Try some of these simple time-saving tips and you'll soon be saying goodbye to wasted hours and hello to extra minutes on your hands!

1 Embrace automation

Despite the technological advances in machinery and artificial intelligence over the past decade, it will be a while until the robot maid's we saw on The Jetsons are able to clean our homes.

However, there are some products on the market that can help reduce the time you spend on chores. For example, investing in a robotic vacuum won't just save you time, but your back as well. This handy device will scoop up dirt, dust and pet hair while you're busy at work, freeing up your evenings to relax or spend time with family.

Speaking of pet hair, self-cleaning litter trays are becoming increasingly more popular. No longer will you have to scoop and sweep your kitty's business before bed. This clever product does it for you, leaving you less mess to deal with in the morning and of course more time.

2 Get unplugged

You probably already know that avoiding social media as much as possible saves time, but why limit yourself? Instead of limiting screen time as a whole, make a habit of turning them off completely.

Unplugging from technology can give you back time to do other things and help switch off your brain for the night. Go out and enjoy some fresh air with the family with a nightly walk. Or why not go analogue and read a book?

You could even try writing in a journal or novel if that's something you've always wanted to take up. Who knows, maybe the time you save by unplugging will give you enough time to start a successful blog.

Sometimes finding more time in your day comes down to reshuffling your priorities and spending your free moments doing something different.

3 Double up during the day

It might sound intimidating, but mastering how to do two things at once is another great way to find more time in your day. And with many Australians switching to remote working, there are plenty of opportunities to multi-task.

For example, while you're in a Zoom meeting, pop in a load of laundry or do some cleaning. If that's not your style, try getting dinner started early while catching up on the office gossip with your favourite co-workers.

4 Monitor your time

As the business guru, Tom Peters, once said: What gets measured gets done. You can't improve what you don't measure, so make it a priority to monitor your time. If you really want to make the most of your day and free up pockets of time, use a programmable alarm clock like Alarmy for iPhone.

This nifty little app has many useful functions - one that monitors how long it takes you to fall asleep and another that keeps track of how much time you spend snoozing. It will also monitor your sleep cycle, ensuring you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.

5. Plan ahead

Not only is planning your day a great way to find more time in your schedule (by cutting out unnecessary tasks), but it will also help you sleep better.

Being organised and knowing what's coming up reduces stress and anxiety, which can lead to a lack of quality shut-eye.

So if you're feeling tired, take the time to plan your day out and divide it into realistic tasks that can be completed in one go.

6. Set yourself some goals

If you want to find more time in your day, it's a good idea to set yourself some goals. Whether they're related to work or personal life, have a think about what you want from your future and the steps required to get there. This could be anything from losing a few pounds to taking up meditation.

Once you've made your list, prioritise the most important tasks and put them into a plan. Small steps taken on a daily basis can drastically improve your overall productivity and help you achieve more in your day.

Now that you've got some ideas for time-saving habits to try out today, it's time to put them into practice! Make sure you keep track of how much extra time you're managing to free up and share your findings in the comments.

This is branded content.