*Collaborative post.

Though it is something that controls us, time is one thing we can’t control. You might often wish you had an extra hour in the day. Regardless of how many to-do lists and tools you leverage to schedule your day, things often don’t go as planned. Unexpected tasks can pop up, meetings can go on, and problems might keep happening throughout the day, preventing you from accomplishing whatever you had planned.

Before you know it, the day is over, and you have more unfinished items than you started with. Fortunately, there are time-saving hacks to make the most of your time.

1. Set Productivity Timers

If you constantly end up daydreaming when you should be actually completing tasks, it may help to consider using timers. Setting timers will help you stay focused on a specific task and give you incentives to work faster. For instance, when you set up a timer for an hour, you will know that you have no time to waste. It will also serve as a reminder to prevent you from daydreaming and get back to work.

You should ideally set timers for work, break, and leaving the house every day. Taking breaks is a counter-intuitive way to save time. While you might feel like you are wasting time by taking breaks, you will actually save time as you will be reducing stress, recharging your batteries, and averting exhaustion.

Furthermore, Parkinson’s Law states, “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” Meaning, when you have a strict time to leave the house, you will likely spend less time getting ready every morning.

2. Shop for Items Online

It is pretty evident that online shopping is one of the easiest ways to save more time and resources. You can avoid long queues, access a wider array of products, and compare prices more easily. Currently, there are so many e-commerce platforms on the web where you can shop for glasses online, place a grocery order online, or even schedule meal deliveries. The time you save can thereafter be invested in ticking tasks off your to-do list.

3. Clean a Little Each Day

By doing just a 15-minute cleanup every day, you will be able to save a lot of time throughout the week. For instance, you can clean one room every day or do small things like wiping down the bathroom counter and the sink once you are done using it, tidying up a room before leaving it, and sweeping up just a few minutes every day.

When you clean every day, your home is less cluttered, so you won’t have to spend valuable time cleaning and repairing unnecessary items. In addition, it makes the task of cleaning the house during the weekend less overwhelming.

4. Block Distracting Apps or Websites

If you closely observe how you spent a workday, you will find there are various spots for improving your time management. First, consider eliminating time wasters, such as browsing social media, sitting through pointless meetings, multi-tasking, checking new websites, sending unnecessary emails, and constantly checking your inbox.

If necessary, use a website blocker, and silence notifications. Emails and social media are two classic time wasters. It is often tempting to check your account every five minutes and become distracted by something new that pops up. If you want to take this time back, schedule dedicated times of the day to check your social media handles and emails. Additionally, when investing in the tools to do tasks, find ones that feature minimal overlap between tools.

5. Get a Handle on Emails

Chances are the number of emails reaching your inbox can grow quickly and you might have to spend a whole day just reading emails. If you wish to save time, it is essential to create a system to deal with emails quickly and efficiently. For instance, you can ensure that you check your email only twice a day and limit email sessions to 25 minutes. Rather than putting aside an email, decide what to do with it right away. Also, spam unnecessary emails to avoid clutter.

If possible, find more effective ways to communicate. For instance, if your team constantly sends emails to ask you questions or cc you on email conversations, it can considerably eat up your time. Instead, simply ask your team to speak to you directly about anything important that needs immediate action.

Start Applying the Time-Saving Ideas

Time-saving isn’t rocket science. It is easy when you use the proper techniques. When put into practice, time-saving hacks can improve productivity and reduce stress. It can be beneficial to try out these various time-saving hacks and learn how you can implement them in your everyday life.