Have you ever had 5 minutes between one thing and the next and wanted to be productive but couldn't think of what to do? Then by the time you finally think of something useful to do, the 5 minutes are up?
We have all been there!
When we have a few minutes we either give up any hope of being productive and just jump on social media, or we spend the whole time thinking of what to do and then have no time left to actually do it.
Well, I'm here to help you out.
I've put together a list of useful tasks that can be done when you just have a few minutes.
1. Exercise
The 5 minutes between tasks is the perfect opportunity to squeeze some fitness into your day. It can be hard to find a 30 minute chunk each day to exercise. Some days you wake up early and get it in before the kids get up. Others, each kid takes a turn waking up during the night and you are just too exhausted to get up early and workout.
So, why not intersperse exercise throughout your day. There are plenty of exercises for which no equipment required and it can even give you an energy boost for whatever you have to do next. BONUS!!
Some equipment free exercises you can do are:
plank
squats
jumping jacks
tricep dips
pushups
crunches
glute bridge
2. Clean Out Your Inbox
Do you leave emails in your inbox because you think the info may be valuable but you just don't have time to read it at the moment? Then you end up with hundreds of emails in your inbox that would take hours to go through.
Use you 5 minutes to read through a few emails and either trash them or place them in an appropriate folder. You definitely won’t get through them all, but you’ll be ahead of where you were.
3. Break Down A Project
Another great use of your time is to write out the steps you need to do to complete a project. Whilst 5 minutes is generally not enough time to complete a project, you can definitely do some planning for one.
When you have 5 minutes think of a project you want to complete for example: planning a party, making a scrapbook, preping for school. Then use the time to brainstorm and write down everything that you need to do to complete the project as individual tasks.
On another 5 minute break, you can order the tasks in the way you actually need to complete them. Now when you are ready to start the project you will know exactly what you need to do.
4. Text a Friend You Haven't Talked to in a While
One thing that is actually way more productive than you might think is interacting with the people we love. As moms, it can be hard to find time for our friends, especially when our kids our young. There’s just so much to do to keep our kids cared for, our house maintained, our work done, and our spouse loved.
Unlike a call, a text is quick and responses don’t have to be immediate. Send a quick text to someone you haven't talked to in a bit. Check in on how they are doing. It may incite a conversation or plans for a future get-together. At the very least, it will let them know you are thinking of them.
5. Meditate On An Inspirational Quote or Personal Affirmation
I am not a super woo woo person. I am not flowery or overly expressive. However, I have benefited from daily affirmations and contemplating inspirational quotes.
I have found that the more time you spend thinking positive, inspirational thoughts about yourself, the more you believe them. So why not spend 5 minutes empowering yourself.
Look up a motivational quote and spend some time thinking about it, repeating it to yourself. Sometimes even writing it down can help it stick in your brain and keep you motivated for the day.
All 5 of these are really great ways to spend a random 5 minutes of free time. They can benefit both you and others and bring you to whatever you have to do next with positivity and power.
Which one do you you like the best and might try out? Let me know in the comments.
Cheers,
Emily
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