Here are three ways to recapture blocks of time:
Batch Cooking for Meal Prep:
Though I love to cook and bake far more now than I did when I was younger, it can be a major time-suck. When I am busy and need to recapture some of the time I lose in cooking meals each day, I prepare meals in advance for a few days.
Even if I don’t thoroughly cook the meals, I chop vegetables, season and store proteins, and assemble everything to pop the meals into the microwave, Instant Pot, or oven and have dinner ready in minutes.
The meal-prepping process takes time, but I never regret it because it allows me to make better dietary choices, eliminates the need for last-minute takeout, and gives me back valuable time.
Cleaning and Organizing:
Another way I use my time blocks is by batching cleaning and organizing tasks. I set aside a chunk of time each week for a deep clean. Then, I perform two to three mini-cleaning sessions that last 15 to 30 minutes each.
To gamify the process, I usually set a timer for 30 minutes and tidy up as much as possible in my main living areas and bathrooms. These mini-sessions enable me to keep my home presentable.
**I sometimes do laundry during a session to reduce what feels like a forever-growing mound.
Email and Communication:
Managing emails and communication can be time-consuming. I allocate specific time blocks to stay on top of my inbox without letting it dominate my day. Whether in the morning or afternoon, I devote 30 minutes to an hour to responding to emails, making phone calls, and engaging with clients.
This focused approach prevents distractions and ensures that my communication remains efficient without infringing on other tasks.
Please let me know in the comments how you batch tasks to save time.