Don’t get me wrong, I am a movie-watcher. I am a Netflix-watcher. In college, if I got home from a long day, I wanted to pop in a movie and veg. It’s a stress reliever for me most days, and that’s fine. But I’ve realized having the tv on has become a crutch for me to be productive. If I’m cleaning, Gilmore Girls is usually on. If I’m home along, drawing or folding clothes, I usually put something on. Not saying I’ll never do it again after this moment, because I certainly will.
Even with social media, I will sit on the couch and scroll a feed for a good 20 minutes, before getting up to do something. Not saying it’s a bad thing, sometimes it’s relaxing, but… how many other things that would do my tomorrow a favor could I be doing in that 20 minutes?
I’ve also realized how much more productive and clear-headed I am when I don’t have the television on, or my phone right beside me. It got me thinking about all the small things I could do with time that I’m tempted to procrastinate. When I get home from work, or on a lazy Saturday afternoon…
- Paint your nails
- Walk around the house thoughtfully: rearrange, throw out, donate
- Exercise
- Plan recipes for the next week
- Sketch out a garden plan
- Take 30 minutes and practice your hobby (for me, photography)
- Organize your recipe files
- Catch up with a friend via phone call, email, or text
- Talk a walk around the neighborhood
- Put on worship music and sing your heart out
- Clean out the ‘catch-all’ drawers (everyone has them)
- Take a few minutes and make a list of your blessings
- Brainstorming Christmas gift ideas
- Write a couple letters to distant friends or family
- Create a recycling system for your home
- Clean out your pantry
- Write a family manifesto for the year
- Memorize a Bible verse
- Spend some time in dedicated prayer for someone, or a people group
- Do something creative (for me it would be probably doodling for a little while)
- Create a budget for the upcoming month
- Organize your closet, getting rid of clothes you haven’t worn in a year
- Play with your hair and figure out a new way to wear it, just for fun
- Find an adventurous dessert recipe and make it
- Make a list of goals for the month
- Deep clean the bathroom (not anyone’s favorite, but marvelously helpful in the end)
- Plan a spontaneous evening out for your husband, or your friends
Most of these things range from 5 minutes to 30 minutes, not a huge deal when considered within 24 hours, right? But, it can truly make a great deal of difference in the overall month or year. I find the quote below interesting:
“Most people don’t think in terms of minutes. They waste all the minutes. Nor do they think in terms of their whole life. They operate in the mid-range of hours or days. So they start over again every week, and spend another chunk unrelated to their life-time goals. They are doing a random walk through life, moving without getting anywhere.” Alan Lakein
These are great ideas, and I love that they really can be done in 20-30 minutes. When I have an odd chunk of time, I tend to waste it scrolling my phone. I need to get better about getting up and just doing something quick — usually it ends up leading to a burst of productivity!
I really, really, really love this. I’m seriously considering printing it out and putting it on my wall!
Oh my goodness! These are some great ideas! I am so bad about veging out in front of the TV and scrolling on social media. There are so many times I’ll sit down “just for a minute” and then later I think “where did the time go??” Definitely keeping this list handy!
Charlene, I hear you loud and clear, friend. Time flies by far too fast sometimes, and I’m not intentional with my time. Then I’m bummed or discouraged, which is never fun.
It DOES end up leading to a burst of productivity, Brittany! I wholeheartedly agree.
You and me both, Daisy!!
Love this list! I’ve definitely been trying to unplug from technology when I come home from work these days. I actually LOVE cleaning (channeling my inner Monica Gellar, haha) but I usually save it for the weekends. A mid-week clean would definitely help me destress and unwind. :)
Ahh I really need to *not* sit in front of the TV all the time. It’s so easy to just do brainless activities! I have found I enjoy my evening more with some mood lighting, candles, and journaling or what not. Why do I sit in front of the TV then? It’s a problem. I blame Netflix. and my lack of self-control.
You channel that inner Monica, Rachel! I’m the same way about saving deep cleaning/organizing for the weekends. My favorite thing is to wake up on a clean-slate Saturday morning and go to TOWN. Haha.
Haha, Nina, my friend you are certainly not alone. I am the exact same way.