Tidying’s Tips for Time Management: Getting Things Done When You’re at Home

Written by : Danielle Ashley
Our mission here at Tidying is to help you clean, declutter, and organize your home for a more harmonious environment, but even the most balanced and beautiful living space is hard to enjoy when you have a never-ending task list looming over your head. Whether that list is filled with cleaning, laundry, homework, or working from home, it can be hardest to stay on track when you’re being distracted by the temptations of television, bed, family members, pets, or you name it. Keep reading for a few strategies to stay on task and have more time left over to enjoy your hard-earned home!

Find a workspace that works. When your list involves work items or studying, your bed or couch may seem like the coziest option but set up instead in a spot that is conducive to good posture, organization, and focus. Keeping your work out of your relaxing zone will also help you compartmentalize and enjoy your downtime even more. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your workspace- just keep is separate and structured! 

Figure out what time of day you are most productive and plan accordingly. Scientists have learned that above preference or lifestyle choice, your genetics largely influence your circadian rhythm and therefore your most productive time of day. Are you a morning person struggling to see through dreary eyes at 10:30 to finish a paper or presentation? Rather than chugging coffee or energy drinks only to produce marginally acceptable work, get some beauty sleep and wake up and hour or two early to do your best bright-eyed and bushy-tailed work. If you must allocate work time during your less productive time of day, use that time for tasks requiring less focus and mental acuity, such as folding laundry or walking your dog.

Block your time. Have more than one item in the queue? Do you tend to get lost in the details of the simplest job? Does organizing your closet take three hours when it should only take one? Even if you have a solid five hours to get things done, you can all-too-easily get bogged down with a single project and find your time is up with only one item on your list completed. Before diving into a project, grab a pen and paper and block out your time , assigning different tasks to each time frame. Keep a clock nearby or even set a timer! Predetermining the time needed for each task will increase your efficiency and focus and prevent you from putting undue time and effort into any one item.  

Schedule breaks. Breaks go a long way to prevent burnout and keep you fresh and motivated. When you are blocking your time, include breaks for a quick walk, power nap, or other activity you enjoy. Most importantly, make sure your breaks involve a change in environment. If you are a student studying for an exam or a professional practicing a work presentation, breaks will also benefit the memorization process. The serial-position effect describes our tendency to remember the first and last thing studied the best. Scheduling short, frequent breaks will increase the number of “firsts” and “lasts” and will therefore maximize your recall capabilities. 

Start out small. When planning your work time, it may seem natural to put the biggest tasks first since they will require the most time. In actuality, starting with quick, simple items will (1) provide the satisfaction of immediately striking things off your list and (2) bolster your self-confidence going into larger projects.

Save the best for last. Maybe there are no “favorite” jobs on your to-do list, but there are almost always “least favorites”. Getting these out of the way as soon as possible will eliminate the looming dread that may cause you to procrastinate or linger too long on other items on your list. In other words, rip the band aid off- clean out the litter box first thing so you can move on to more pleasant chores and enjoy your day.  

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