Do you know the magic amount of free time for maximum happiness?
A study conducted by a UCLA professor shows that people’s ratings of their life satisfaction SOARED when they had about 2.5 hours of free time a day.
What’s more interesting is that if you had less or more free time than that, your happiness tended to go down!
So there’s a Goldilock’s rule at play.
What this shows me is that carving out 2.5 hours daily is totally achievable. But we need to be intentional about creating that space and maximizing your time!
Here’s my top 5 tips on how you can hack this!
1. List Time-Wasters. Write down a list of things you know you waste time on, and keep the list nearby when you are working. When you notice a new time waster, add it to the list. Keeping this top of mind will help steer you away from unproductive behaviors.
2. Delegate. You don’t have to do everything yourself, so start handing over some of your tasks that someone else can do, particularly if they are better at it or enjoy it more. Delegate at both home and work - this is a great time to teach your kids some responsibility!
3. Use positive no. Do you feel bad saying no to people? Well, don’t. We all need to create boundaries, and saying no to lower criotiies helps you to avoid overload and burnout. Really think through if you have the energy and motivation to commit to something before you do. Consider using positive no - say no to the request but offer an alternative or compromise that you feel better about agreeing to.
4. Create rituals. Take a few minutes to lock in habits for repeating tasks, and tether them to existing rituals to make sure they get done. Here’s one example: I write my to-do lists every morning when I enjoy my coffee (which is a ritual that happens daily). This way, my to-do lists always get done.
5. Attack open space. Whenever you have 5 minutes of free time, ask yourself, “what can I do in the next 5 minutes”? Consult your to-do list, or take the time to do a 5 minute mindfulness activity or a quick stretch.
For more productivity hacks, follow me@drjudyhoand subscribe to my SuperCharged Life podcast.
