{"id":7621,"date":"2021-11-10T12:49:40","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T04:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/?p=7621"},"modified":"2022-02-02T13:07:07","modified_gmt":"2022-02-02T05:07:07","slug":"how-to-find-more-time-in-your-day-so-you-can-do-more-of-the-good-stuff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/how-to-find-more-time-in-your-day-so-you-can-do-more-of-the-good-stuff\/","title":{"rendered":"How to find more time in your day, so you can do more of the good stuff"},"content":{"rendered":"
We’d all love to practise more mindfulness. How often have you said to yourself, or someone else, “but I don’t have time”? It’s a common hurdle to overcome. The truth is, if we want to spend more time doing the good things, then we have to save time where we can.<\/p>\n
Here are six tips you might not have thought of which might help you win back some time in your day.<\/p>\n
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Just remember, the time you get back needs to be put to good use!<\/p>\n
Have you ever jumped on your laptop to look for a new recipe to try? How about skipping onto Facebook or Instagram to find out what your friends are up to?<\/p>\n
We’ve all been there – next thing you know, close to an hour has passed and you’re still scrolling.<\/p>\n
Some activities just have a knack for sucking us in and distracting us from our main task or goal.<\/p>\n
For these activities, set a timer on your phone. 15 or 20 minutes, you decide.<\/p>\n
Be strict – when it goes off, close your apps or get up and walk away.<\/p>\n
READ ALSO: How your TV viewing habits affect weight gain<\/a><\/p>\n This can be a little counter-intuitive. After all, what if you don’t have time to plan your meals?<\/p>\n This is where we work on changing our mindset. By investing <\/em>some time in planning our meals, we save time and accrue it back during the week.<\/p>\n Write a list, do your shop – buy what you need.<\/p>\n Then, when you get home, prep your food to make life easy. Cut up your fruit, wash and trim your vegetables. Portion out your foods into pre-measured packs that you can grab for your lunch.<\/p>\n Enjoy smoothies in the morning? Bag and freeze your ingredients in single-servings so all you have to do is throw the contents in the blender.<\/p>\n Perhaps you can cook up several batches, particularly of staples like grilled chicken or rice. Look at items that can be re-heated quickly and easily during the week, or even served cold.<\/p>\n This effort upfront will ultimately save you time and energy throughout the week.<\/p>\n All that mental energy and effort you’ll save not having to think about what to make for dinner. Or knowing you’ll have to stop off at the shops for last-minute items on your way home from a tough day at work. You’ll also become less reliant on highly processed, high-calorie foods and takeaway meals.<\/p>\n READ ALSO: Healthy Eating on a Budget: Guide to Saving Money at the Supermarket<\/a><\/p>\n Unfortunately, in a lot of workplaces, the drama and gossiping are no different to that of an average high school. Getting sucked into it wastes not only time but a lot of mental and emotional energy.<\/p>\n Walk away.<\/p>\n The next time a conversation shifts towards talking about someone in a less-than-flattering light, excuse yourself. Find somewhere else to be. Likewise, when you’re forced to endure yet another draining, self-pity story from an acquaintance.<\/p>\n No good comes from surrounding yourself with negativity and drama.<\/p>\n All you’ll lose is time, with little to show for it.<\/p>\n Rather than trudging through a mundane treadmill session, slogging away at the same pace, mix it up. Run for some short, fast bursts, even for just 10 to 40 seconds. Then slow back down to your normal pace for the next couple of minutes.<\/p>\n Repeat this for your whole session.<\/p>\n You’ll create more of a training stimulus and increase the effort and intensity of your session.<\/p>\n The result? You won’t have to stay as long to get the same benefits.<\/p>\n You might get all the results of a 1-hour workout condensed into just 45, or even 30 minutes instead.<\/p>\nUse a meal plan to create a weekly menu<\/h2>\n
Walk away from the drama and the bull**it<\/h2>\n
Get more done in less time – employ interval training in your exercise sessions<\/h2>\n