Some extra time, please! The issue of modern times… Are you wandering the topic of this post? As it is always harder to find time to read a book, have a walk or finish your tasks on time, we have collected for you time management techniques.
By managing your time properly, you can have some extra time to spend pleasant moments with your flatmates. A shared flat is actually a chance to learn new things, to spend time discovering new cultures and to create great memories. These are very good reasons to save time and enjoy these activities. Therefore, forget about your smartphone and talk with your friends face to face.
Let’s get down to brass tacks. This month helpValencia has collected some interesting tips to manage your time and to get the most out of your day. Once you will have read this post, you will not have excuses anymore. You will have time to study, to go to the gym, to have a coffee with your best friend and even to have extra time to read your favourite novel. Are you ready for our ultimate time management techniques?
1# Wake up earlier
We are away that it is hard, but it the simplest way to earn some hours and to begin productively your day. If you wake up early, you have definitely less distractions: no one will text you, social media still sleeps, etc. By waking up 1 hour earlier, we save one hour of our day (it means 7 hours per week). What can we do with these seven extra hours? Read your favourite book, go to the cinema, have a walk, do some physical exercise…
2# Track your time
Second step: track your time. Once you have gained your extra time, you have to understand when you waste your precious time with useless activities or with your smartphone. This is the very first technique to improve your productivity. Try to do it for a week, analyse your time management and remove any waste of time.
3# Eliminate distractions
Internet, YouTube, television, Netflix, Instagram… Both loved and hated! They are distractions that should be avoided. Actually, distractions lower your productivity and this will make you waste your time twice: the first time checking the profile of an influencer and the second time to get back to the task after getting distracted.
Social Media are the worst distraction ever, such as WhatsApp or Telegram. In order to reduce the time we spend with our smartphone, we use two techniques that work for us (actually they work both very well). The first one consist in leaving the phone in another room: you will realize that nothing will happen if you do not check it every ten seconds. The second one is an app called “Moment”: by reporting you the time you waste with your smartphone, it will induce you to waste less time and, consequently, to be more productive.
4# Biggest tasks should be the first of the schedule
Big tasks take not only a good part of your time, but also your energy. Therefore, do them first. In this way, you will not have to worry about it all day long and you will do it when you are still fresh (you will certainly save some minutes). Furthermore, this technique will prevent you from procrastinating it to another day (see point 7#).
5# Set time constraints
Allocate a certain amount of time to a specific task. Set a countdown timer and work hard to the task trying to finish it. This may be an option, but, if it is too strict for your daily routine, you can divide your day in blocks. The block “work” from 10 am to 19 pm, the block “work out” from 20.00 pm to 21 pm, the block “book” from 22 pm to midnight, etc. Let us know which one works for you!
6# Single task
Which is one activity that will make you waste time? Multitasking! Unbelievable ahahah. It is true though and it is all about the time your waste for the task switching. In order to force single tasking, many researches provide us with an extremely efficient hack, the Pomodoro Technique. Set a timer for 25 minutes and in that time work on a single task. If you want to know more about this technique, check this link!
7# Do not procrastinate
Do you remember the wise sentence that our mothers repeated us every single time we did not want to do something? Do not put off till tomorrow what you can do today! So true... If you have a task, do it and never procrastinate; especially if it requires few minutes or seconds! There is actually a rule called the 2-Minutes Rule that says: “If it can be done in two minutes, do it”. By doing this, you we clean your mind and you will work easily and without thoughts. The proof is in the pudding!
8# Take advantage of gap time
Often (we would say always), we use our gap time to scroll Instagram or Facebook. This is the worst way to spend your precious hours and to use your energy. What can you do instead? If you are on a bus, read your novel or send the email you had to. If you are waiting for your dinner, clean your house. If you have nothing to do, start a new lesson on Duolingo. There are so many things to do! Do not waste your gap time on useless activities such as Social Media; use it wisely.
Well, draw your conclusions! Those are very few of the several techniques you can actually use to manage your time in Valencia and we really think you should try to put them into practice. By doing it, you will have more time to study or to stay in your shared flat reading a good novel.
Time flies and the show must go on! Today we are into clichés ahahah By the way, it is time to say goodbye as we need to save time! Posts and social media are waiting for us and, actually, for you, too! If you are not doing it, follow helpValencia and stay tuned (moderately).