Wasting time online? Time management tips to stop wasting time!

Wasting time on the internet? In 2016, a survey found that Australians spent more time on the internet than they did at work. This might seem impossible if your work day always seems never ending but the figures don’t lie. There was a total of 19.8 billion hours on the internet compared to 17.7 billion hours spent at work. In fact, another study has determined that Australians spend an average of 10 hours and 24 minutes on an internet-connected device each day! That’s over 60% of the time that we are awake, assuming that you get a good 8 hours of sleep every night. Or essentially 5 consecutive months a year that you’re on the internet! This just goes to show how dependent we are on the internet and how big our appetite for content is. However, how are we spending our time online? Is it useful or is it more of a waste of time?

HOW DO WE SPEND OUR TIME ON THE INTERNET?

According to Sensis, a national Australian Statistics company, in 2017, 84% of Australians went on the internet on a daily basis. But how was this time online utilised? Wasting time is essentially time that we spend on non-value added activities.

Social media sites used in 2017 in Australia

1. Facebook (94%)
2. Youtube (51%)
3. Instagram (46%)
4. Snapchat (40%)
5. Viber (34%)
6. Twitter (32%)
7. LinkedIn (18%)
8. Whatsapp (18%)
9. Pinterest (10%)
10. Google+ (10%)

Activities done on social media in 2017 in Australia

1. Watched a video (61%)
2. Shared someone’s post (46%)
3. Posted a selfie (45%)
4. Posted a picture of food (40%)
5. Deleted friends (39%)
6. Accepted friends (31%)
7. Posts about Donald Trump (29%)
8. Other browsing activity (25%)
9. Online dating (5%)
10. Online breakups (2%)

When Australians used social media in 2017

1. Evening (71%)
2. First thing in the morning (57%)
3. Lunchtime (47%)
4. Break time (47%)
5. Before going to bed (39%)
6. At work (21%)
7. While on the go (18%)

Social media usage by Australian territory in 2017

1. Northern Territory (96%)
2. South Australia (90%)
3. Tasmania (89%)
4. Australian Capital Territory (88%)
5. Queensland (85%)
6. Western Australia (83%)
7. New South Wales (83%)
8. Victoria (83%)

These are some alarming stats! Not just because we’re wasting time by being unproductive but also due to the negative effects of blue light.

WHAT IS BLUE LIGHT?

Blue light is a type of high-energy light that is emitted by screens. This could be your computer or phone screen. Research has shown that exposure to blue light increases alertness and is, therefore, a problem at night. For the 39% of Australians who use their phones or computers before going to bed, this behaviour could cause sleep problems. This is because the blue light suppresses melatonin, which makes us feel sleepy and helps us get to sleep. Those memes about browsing the internet until 5 in the morning are all true!

In the short-term, this disruption to your sleep can cause problems with your memory, concentration, focus, communication and work in general. However, if you’ve got long-term exposure, these effects can add up. The build-up effects can lead to heart, metabolic and weight issues. Essentially, using your phone or computer at night can make you fat!

While there are lenses that claim to block out blue light, the only real means of avoiding this is abstinence. Try to stop wasting time on your phone or laptop before you go to bed. Switching off early is not just good for your physical health but also your mental health. Take that time to de-stress, meditate and relax! You’ll also sleep better and longer when you’re not wasting time.

HOW TO STOP WASTING TIME ON THE INTERNET

Block the sites that you regularly visit

Firstly, you’ll have to identify what sites your visit the most when you want to stop wasting time. This can be difficult because checking social media has become second nature to us. We might not even realise how many times a day we check our phones. It’s almost subconscious. The idea here is to make procrastination difficult and hope that you are lazy enough to stop wasting time and get your work done. Freedom is a useful tool that can help you block out distracting sites and apps like Facebook. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac and iOS so anyone can use it!

Block out all notifications

Sometimes the quickest way Australians are wasting time on the internet is when they have to stop for an interruption and then start on their task again. Many a time, when our concentration is broken, we are tempted to also grab a quick social media update. However, this is also very draining on your energy levels. Notifications are usually the bulk of these interruptions. Switching off your phone notifications when you want to focus on a specific task can be very useful in minimising distractions. Close your email window and see how much more productive you become! When you’ve completed your task, you can deal with all these notifications and other interruptions together.

Track what and where you spend your time

Not sure where you’re wasting time on the internet? Or think that you’re not wasting time, yet don’t have time? Track what and where you go on your laptop or your phone to be sure! There are many apps and programs that can help you with tracking how you are wasting time if you have poor accountability. RescueTime is a free software that generates a report for you that even shows you when you waste time. This way you can see exactly where you’re wasting time and decide how to cut back! Another similar program for your phone is the Hours app. With Hours, you can put in tasks and time how long it takes you to complete them!

Go online with a purpose or not at all

When we’re on the train or relaxing on the couch after work, there is an overwhelming tendency to just browse. Perhaps look up a couple memes or stalk a couple of exes. However, this type of internet use can turn really ugly really fast. It can lead to you on your kitchen floor in tears with a tub of ice cream. Always begin with a specific purpose when you go online. Stalking your ex is not a purpose, it actually will serve you no purpose. Break the cycle of aimlessly wandering around for content if you want to stop wasting your time on the internet!

TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS

Make a list and stick to it.

Sometimes all the things that you have to get done can be overwhelming. Write them out and see what you can group together, relegate away and what’s pressing. This way you can break up your tasks into more manageable bits. It’ll also help you allocate your time so that you’re not wasting time deciding what to do next.

Clear your desk of clutter.

A messy space is reflective of a messy mind. This may or may not apply to you, but it does mean that there are more opportunities for distractions. Get rid of all unnecessary magazines, Knick Knacks, electronic gadgets and even people who might divert your attention. Not only are you removing temptations, you give yourself the space you need to think and focus on the task at hand.

Don’t multitask.

Do one thing well rather than many things sloppily. Focus all your concentration on your current task. Sneaking away to take a break, even if for a few minutes, can quickly add up to hours of wasted time.

Create a plan.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. This is how those tasks accumulate quickly. Create a weekly plan so that you know what to do each day! This will help you stop wasting time in the mornings when you get to work. If you know what you have planned, you can jump right into the daily grind and get much more done!

Set a deadline.

Deadlines are the best time management tips you can adopt! Set regular deadlines for your tasks so that you are not only tracking your time management but also regularly completing your goals! You can even set a deadline for your day, which means you know exactly when you’re going to stop working. This can help you boost your mood throughout the day as well!

Use the Pomodoro method.

The Pomodoro method is a means of focusing your concentration by breaking down a task into intervals. Each interval is typically 25 minutes long and they are spaced out with short breaks that increase productivity and aid time management. There are many apps out there that can help you adopt this method in your daily life!

Know when you are most productive

We are all productive at different times of the day. If you know when you are more productive, maximise that time by planning your most important tasks then. This way you’re less likely to wander online and wind up wasting time.

HOW TO ORGANISE YOUR TIME

Only you know how to organise your time according to what you need to prioritise. You will need to monitor and plan your activities. Here are several questions to ask yourself when deciding how to organise your time.

• What do you have to do today?
• When does it have to be done by?
• How productive were you the previous day?
• What do you have for the week ahead?
• Have you created your ‘to do’ list of the tasks you have dedicated to the day?
• Have you set clear realistic objectives that you can stick to?

When you’re not wasting time on the internet, you can accomplish more in a shorter amount of time. You also become a more valuable employee because you are mentally focused and efficient! Cutting out habits that waste time is a great way to improve yourself in 2018.

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