Women in America have (understandably) become obsessed with mastering their personal and professional time management and productivity skills. On a daily basis, individuals are overwhelmed not only by the pressures of work, family life, self-care to-dos, and so on, but they are also consistently reminded of how much time they have the potential to squander.
Experts recently estimated that between planning and thinking about future activities, to using social media, to watching TV, the average person frequently gives up hours doing things that ultimately don’t make life easier, healthier, or happier. With the increasing number of demands and pressures on everyone’s schedule, having the ability to skillfully manage your life is becoming more important than ever before.
As a freelance writer and author, I am guilty of regularly obsessing over how I schedule my days. Although there are plenty of amazing perks that come with the laptop lifestyle (e.g. taking my office to the beach whenever I feel like it), there are also a few downsides that can create stress if they aren’t handled properly. For example, when you are self-employed, the pressure to make every minute of your work day count is intense. With no vacation time, paid holidays, or sick time, not working means not earning a paycheck.
In addition to this, there are plenty of tasks that need to be done that do not immediately deliver income. This was the case when I was writing my book The Overnight Freelancer: Go from 9-to-5 to Self-Employed Now! It took time without income to write it, but now that it is done it generates passive income for me!
Also, when you are free of a set work schedule and office location, people in your life occasionally forget that your work is just as urgent and important as those who are working in a traditional corporate role. It’s no surprise, then, that the task of eliminating time wasters can reach obsessive levels for me.
No matter whether you are a freelancer, an aspiring freelancer, corporate manager, or stay-at-home mom, every woman can quickly become exhausted by this same obsession. When taken to an extreme, the very skills and strategies that are supposed to provide freedom and control can rob us of joy, peace, and even our health. As you work to be as productive and in control of your time as possible, it is essential to recognize the value in the activities that ground you, give you energy, and make you feel better when conquering your to-do lists.
While many of us set aside time for important activities, such as spending time with family and exercising, few make it a point to engage in what could be considered as healthy “time wasters.” Learn more about what research says on four activities that, while not directly productive, can improve both your health and well-being.
Catching Up With Those Who Aren’t Close Family or Friends
Almost everyone makes it a point to routinely spend quality time with their spouses, children, friends, parents, and other close relatives. However, it is also beneficial to make time to sit and catch up with individuals who are not as close. This could include people such as a neighbor, an employee or owner of an establishment you visit routinely, or someone with whom you volunteer.
Although these interactions often boost your mood, they can feel like a time waster (especially when unplanned). Rather than viewing these social interactions through the lens of guilt, it is important to see the proven benefits that they bring to both you and these individuals in your life. Researchers have found that social interactions like these can boost your immune system, provide an enhanced view of the world, improve your mood, and increase your cognitive capabilities.
Sleeping In
The latest figures show that the average American gets roughly 6.8 hours of sleep per night. While this may sound reasonable enough, getting under 7 hours of sleep can cause your memory to suffer, weaken your immune system, and even put you at an increased risk of premature death. Despite the many articles about successful individuals needing just 4-5 hours of sleep per night, current research shows that this simply isn’t healthy for your mind or body.
If you tend to feel guilt for the time that you “waste” when you get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night, it is time to stop those feelings immediately. Routinely getting adequate sleep will actually help you be more productive throughout the day, reduce the risk of having to take sick days, and will help you feel happier.
Spending Quality Time With Your Pets
If you have one or more dogs or cats, you likely interact with your pet(s) when your schedule permits. Aside from their morning walk, or the occasional weekend trip to the dog park, it can feel like spending more time with your pets isn’t a wise use of time. Thankfully, researchers have given pet owners concrete evidence showing that the opposite is true. Psychology Today reported in late 2018 that your dog or cat can actually play a vital role in your self-care routine. It was stated that spending time with dogs in particular can lower your blood pressure, decrease your anxiety, and even improve symptoms of PTSD.
Taking Time to Explore a New Hobby or Passion
Exploring your creativity is not only beneficial for your health and wellbeing, but it can also provide a massive boost to your professional life as well. Activities such as coloring, drawing, painting, playing a musical instrument, singing, dancing, chess, and even quiet time can significantly enhance your creativity levels.
If you are stuck on a project for work, for example, it is of more value to engage in a creative “time waster” than to push through with frustration, anxiety, and doubt. Spending just one to two hours on an activity like those listed above can refresh your mind, help you think of new solutions, and decrease negative feelings that are impacting your overall health.
With such a massive push to be as productive and efficient as possible, it is necessary to define what is and is not a waste of time. Too often, activities that are actually beneficial are be deemed as unimportant, and pushed aside completely. No matter what your current role in life is, give yourself the permission to schedule in healthy activities that you may have previously considered to be time wasters. Although it will take some time to make this shift, it will be 100% worth it in the long-run.
Take time for these supposed “time-wasters” and your health will thank you for it. And here’s a nice little worksheet to help you figure out how to find the time to do these things!
With All My Best!
Valerie
Valerie Jacobsen is the author of The Overnight Freelancer.
Her passion is helping people achieve their dream careers by showing those in traditional work roles the best strategies for transitioning into full-time freelancing.
She is also a professional writer, working with entrepreneurs and small businesses to meet their content and marketing needs.
Valerie earned her bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Marquette University, and her master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University.
She lives in Moncks Corner, South Carolina with her husband and three lovable (but spoiled) dogs.
