5 Ways Moms Waste Time Every Day

I don’t have enough time in the day to do….? Have you ever found yourself saying this? I know I have. But then I look back on some of the things I did throughout the day and realized where I could have been doing more of the things that would get me closer to my Best Lyfe goals.

Check out the most common five ways you waste time every day. Do you find yourself doing any of them? You’ll also find some time management strategies. They can help you become more efficient and productive and be able to get the most out of your day. Let’s get started.

5 of the Biggest Timewasters of Your Day

Even if you’re one of the more dedicated and organized people out there, you still waste time. Whether you work from home or in the office, we’re all guilty of getting distracted and losing focus. It may not be deliberate and you probably don’t even realize you’re doing it until it’s too late.

Here are five ways you waste time every day. See if you can relate.

1.      Social Media/Emails/Texts

It’s become a vital part of our lives. But the world won’t stop turning if you don’t look at your social media for 15 minutes.

Another big distraction is hearing that too familiar ‘ding’ that comes with a new email or text message. It prevents you from finishing the task at hand because you keep looking at your phone every five minutes.

Picture this scenario: you’re in the middle of work when your phone beeps. You reach for your phone to see your incoming message. So, you go from message to email to Facebook to Instagram. Then, when you’re done, you notice that 20 minutes have gone by.

Research shows that each time you get distracted, even for a couple of minutes, your brain needs more than 20 minutes to refocus. Imagine how much wasted time that amounts to at the end of the day!

The Fix: Avoid randomly checking social media, emails, or texts. Instead, set up a certain time during your day for doing just that. In the meantime, turn off any notifications or mute your phone.

2.      Organizing and Preparing

You’re probably wondering: how is this a time-waster? But too often we fall down the rabbit hole of ‘organizing’ our day. Sometimes, we take too far that we actually run out of time to do any of the things on our list. Are you organizing to avoid something else?

The Fix: Find an online planner and to-do-list. Then, pick one day out of the week where you plan out the whole seven days in advance. Schedule in work-related projects, meetings, and deadlines. You can also include a workout schedule and get-togethers with friends.

3.      Multitasking

Multitasking: another thing that we do to trick ourselves into believing we’re being productive. Yet, the sad truth is, multitasking wastes a ton of time and it’s not even beneficial!

It’s counter-productive when your attention is divided among several tasks at once. In other words, it’s just another form of distraction.

The Fix: It’s simple. Just put all your attention and focus on one task at a time. When you’re done, move on to the next task, and so on.

4.      Checking the News

In this day and age, it seems something is happening in the news every five minutes. So, it’s easy to use the news as an excuse for procrastination. After all, we all want to be in the loop when it comes to politics, sports, and local news.

The Fix: Force yourself to stay away from checking news updates every half hour. You can use sheer self-discipline, or you can use a site blocker.

One great example is the Stay Focused Chrome app. It helps you ‘hide’ certain websites for, say, 45 minutes. Then, tell the app you want to spend 20 minutes on the so-and-so website. After the 20 minutes are done, the app will block you again until your next break.

5.      Errands and Chores

The problem isn’t with the errands or chores themselves; it’s when you do them. Running errands during rush hour is one of the biggest time wasters ever!

Doing chores is another. You might be sitting at your desk, working away when you notice a dusty shelf or a cluttered drawer. So, you do the responsible thing and start dusting and decluttering.

You tell yourself that it’ll only take five minutes. Then, when you’re done cleaning the entire room/office, the day is over! And you still haven’t finished what you’re initially working on.

The Fix: Plan your errands ahead when you know there’ll be less traffic. Also, try to do your shopping when you know the stores won’t be as crowded and they’re in their least peak hours.

As for chores, set up one or two days during the week when you do all the dusting, cleaning, and decluttering. This way, even if you see catches your attention, you can push back in your mind and wait until ‘chore day’ rolls around.

A Final Note

We all get the same amount of time each day: 86,2400 seconds, 1,440 minutes, or 24 hours. It’s up to you to figure out how you’re going to spend that time. Sadly, many of us spend our days doing things that don’t really add any value to our lives—or anyone else’s for that matter.

The good news is you can train yourself to focus more and have fewer distractions. Make a conscious effort to add purpose and value to your life and follow through. You’ll soon notice you’re getting more done during your day than ever before!

Join our Best Lyfe Facebook community where I teach you tips and tricks to live your best life and save time in the process. Healthy body, growing relationships and a fulfilling career is possible and you can do it all while enjoying your life. Join us today!

How to Lose Weight Without Ruining Your Social Life

Living your Best Lyfe certainly does not include sitting at home being afraid you can’t have self control when you are out. Maybe you find it easy to stick to your diet when you’re at home, but parties and eating out throw you off track. Suddenly, you’re surrounded by temptations. You want to have fun with your family and friends instead of thinking about counting calories and measuring portions.

You can make healthy choices while enjoying a social life. However, you’ll have a difficult time keeping weight off unless you’re able to keep your goals in sight when you’re out in public.

Try these ideas to help you turn your family and friends into allies and prepare for many of the most common challenging situations.

Dealing with Your Family and Friends:

  1. Ask for help. Experts say that social support is one reason why groups like Weight Watchers have so many success stories. Let your loved ones know what kind of practical and emotional assistance you need. You may want to join an official support group too, especially if you’re losing significant amounts of weight. Best Lyfe has a great group available for you where you are surrounded by like minded women supporting each other every day.

  2. Team up. You probably know someone who shares your desire to slim down. Collaborate so you can keep each other company and hold each other accountable for working out and eating your vegetables. Accountability partners help keep you honest with yourself.

  3. Change the subject. There may also be people who tend to undermine your positive intentions or just lack much interest in what you ate for breakfast. You’ll be more fun to be around if you talk about things other than your diet.

  4. Plan the agenda. Seek entertainment in places other than restaurants and bars. Invite a friend to go rock climbing. Bring your children to a science museum instead of an ice cream parlor. Our family loves to go hiking year round. The kids especially have a reset button when they are out in nature. It naturally calms them and brings them back to their childish life again.

  5. Take responsibility. Remember that you control what you eat and drink, and you have to live with the consequences. It will help you to keep any peer pressure in perspective.

Dealing with Eating Out:

  1. Preview the menu. Most restaurants post their menus online these days. Plan what you will eat prior to going out. Find out what your options are so you can decide what to order without being tempted by having to look at the specials and other fattening dishes.

  2. Shrink your servings. Many restaurants serve jumbo portions. Eat half of what’s on your plate and take the rest home for breakfast. If you think you’ll be prone to gobbling it all down, ask the server to pack up half in advance. My husband and I typically order one meal and one small appetizer to split. That way we don’t have a ton of extra food and even that usually is a lot.

  3. Pick the venue. Some restaurants offer a wider selection of delicious low-calorie items. Have a list of local favorites handy so you can recommend where to go for date nights or weekend brunches.

  4. Make substitutions. Ask your server if you can customize your meal. For example, you may be able to get extra vegetables or a green salad instead of French fries or order your fish grilled instead of fried. If your meal includes sauces, see if you can get them on the side.

  5. Circle the salad bar. You might think that salad is a safe choice, but it depends on the ingredients. See what’s available at the salad bar before you order. Go easy on the shredded cheese, bacon, and heavy dressings. Load up on leafy greens and other vegetables and opt for a light vinaigrette dressing.

  6. Have a snack. If you know that you tend to overindulge in birthday cake or barbecued ribs, curb your appetite before you leave home. Eat a cup of yogurt or hummus with baby carrots.

  7. Limit alcohol. Cocktails contain a lot of empty calories and can make you crave cheeseburgers and buffalo wings. Draw the line at one drink and make it wine or spirits with a zero-calorie mixer like club soda. Or try a low sugar seltzer! My new favorite!

Planning ahead and building a strong support system will help you to slim down and still enjoy hanging out with your loved ones. After all, healthy eating and close relationships both play a big role in your happiness and well-being. Once established, you’d be surprised how your close circle respects your choices and understands. This is just one step in living your best lyfe. Choose to hear from like-minded women just like you. Join our FREE Facebook group today where women help women lose weight, save time and live their best lives.