Making Productive Use of Small Chunks of Time
In this fast-paced world, it’s likely that you have multiple small pockets of time that you could use productively, but you are instead wasting on endless scrolls and clicks. Here’s a list of positive and productive tasks, actions, and activities that make intentional use of those small bits of time. Try one of these the next time you’ve got 5 minutes!
Keep reading to find out how to download your free printable list of all 50 ideas. Download and post the cheat sheet or save it to your phone for easy reference whenever you need to fill 10 minutes!
Where To Find Your Pockets of Time
Spend a week paying attention to all the times you are required to wait for something. Here are some possibilities.
- waiting for the microwave
- waiting in the school pick-up line
- waiting to pick up kids from extracurricular activities
- waiting for a meeting to start
- waiting in line
- waiting for an appointment
You may also find yourself reaching for your phone at regular intervals just because it’s habit and you want to take a break from the task you’re involved in at the moment.
In addition to the time you spend waiting for something, consider using the brief periods of time when you naturally want to take a break to move toward a goal, refresh your mind, or check something off your to-do list.
Ways to Use Your Pockets of Time
Move Your Body
Exercise counts even if it’s only for a few minutes. Multiple studies have shown benefits to even a minute or two of physical activity, especially if the intensity is high.
You’re not likely to use exercise as a productive time-filler while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store, but those minutes can add up if you purposefully exercise every time you’re waiting for the microwave!
Exercise is also a great option when you find yourself reaching for your phone just to give your brain a break.
You’ll find a downloadable cheat sheet in my printables library, and I’d recommend printing out a list of productive time-fillers to post on the inside of a cabinet door next to your microwave.
You can choose to do a random variety of exercises, or focus on one or two for an entire month each time you find yourself waiting for the microwave.
- jumping jacks
- squats
- lunges
- calf raises
- knee raises
- pushups (wall pushups, counter pushups)
- plank
- burpees
- jump rope
- stretch (side bend, toe touch, cat/cow)
- take a quick walk
Read: 7-Minute Morning Stretches
Refresh or Recharge Your Mind
As an alternative to exercise, taking a few minutes to calm and focus your mind or connect with a friend is a valuable use of your tiny pockets of time.
- deep breathing
- call a friend
- text a friend or family member to check in
- write a note of encouragement or thank-you note
- journal
- pray for specific people or situations
- listen to a short podcast
- learn a new word
- read a book
- knit or crochet
- memorize poetry or scripture
- add to a gratitude journal
- draw in a small sketchpad
- watch a YouTube video on a topic you want to learn about
- allow your mind to wander with no screen distractions and jot down any ideas that come to mind in a notebook
- engage someone in conversation (ask what they’re interested in, excited about, or what’s making them happy)
Complete Micro-Tasks
Keep a list of small tasks that you frequently do, or tiny projects that you need to accomplish.
- wipe counters
- wipe down tables
- rinse out coffee maker
- wipe faucet
- wipe doorknobs
- wipe steering wheel
- clean windshield
- load or unload dishwasher
- refill soap dispenser
- clean a mirror
- brain dump
- delete photos from phone
- delete unused apps
- group apps into folders
- create categories for storing Notes on your phone
- make an appointment (doctor, dentist, hair, massage)
- make a grocery list or meal plan for the week
Read: How to Organize Your Phone
- declutter your purse
- clean out a pen holder
- declutter magazines
- toss old socks (trash or toss in rag bin)
- declutter email inbox
- clean out the glove box or door pocket of your car
Proactively Plan to Use Those Minutes
Once you’ve determined where your pockets of time regularly appear, your next step is to proactively consider how to use those minutes.
Grab a pen and paper and jot down your list of regularly occurring time pockets. Then, ask yourself the following questions.
- How long a time period do I have for each of these?
The time period of daily recurring time pockets might be anywhere from 2 minutes of waiting for the microwave to 15 minutes waiting in the carpool pick-up line. Less frequent time pockets, such as waiting in a doctor’s office or waiting in a long line at the gas station should also be considered.
- What kind of activity could fit into this time that makes sense and appeals to me?
Think through the list of activities above and make note of any that make sense to fit into the given time period and that also appeal to you as a way to spend the time. After reading through my list, you’ll probably be prompted to think of several additional activities that make sense for your life.
- What systems or tools do I need to put in place to actually follow through with my plan?
For regularly recurring pockets of time, you’ll want to create some kind of habit or routine. For less frequently occurring pockets of time, you will need to keep a list of ideas or plan in advance for how to spend that time when it happens.
This might mean keeping a list of productive time-fillers in a Notes app on your phone. Or planning the night before to bring a project with you to the dentist’s office. You might want to keep a book in your car that you only read during the pockets of time you find yourself waiting in the car.
Examples of Thinking Through How to Use Your Time
TIME POCKET EXAMPLE #1: Microwave
How long? ~ 2 minutes, 4x/day
I generally microwave my coffee at least twice before lunch, along with another one or two additional times I microwave something throughout the day.
What activities make sense that I would like to do?
It makes sense and appeals to me to spend some of that time doing exercises right next to the microwave. Also, I like the idea of using that time to pray for a specific person.
What systems or tools do I need to make this happen?
I can post a list of exercises near the microwave and choose one to do each time I heat my coffee in the morning.
I can also post a list of people I’d like to pray for and choose one to pray for each time I microwave something else throughout the day.
TIME POCKET EXAMPLE #2: Waiting to Pick Up Kids After Extracurricular Activities
How long? ~ varies
Some days I only have to wait a couple of minutes, and other days I wait 10 minutes, or even more if I arrive early.
What activities make sense that I would like to do?
Listen to a podcast, read a book, write a note to a friend, respond to email, sort and delete photos on phone.
What systems or tools do I need to make this happen?
In order to be productive and not have to figure out what I’m doing each time, I need to narrow it down to one or two choices, or stick to a schedule. Like, check email on Mondays, delete photos on Wednesdays, and read a book on Fridays. Or, choose one activity to do for the month of September, and then switch it up for October, etc.
Why You Should Use Pockets of Time Productively
By thinking through the details of when your time pockets happen, how you’d like to use them, and how you need to prep or plan to use your tiny pockets of time productively, you intentionally push back against mindless time-wasters.
Even if you only find 5 minutes worth of time pockets in your typical day, that adds up to 2.5 hours of time each month. That’s a lot of time. And almost certainly, you’ll find more than 5 minutes a day that you spend waiting or wasting.
Trade in checking text messages, email, Facebook, Twitter, or whatever you unconsciously select, for minutes that add up to hours of boosting your focus, creating connections, or organizing your life.
The key is to create a routine that is triggered by something. Do squats while you brush your teeth, memorize scripture while you make your morning smoothie, or learn a language on Duolingo while you wait to pick up your grocery order.
After enough repetition, it will become automatic to do that thing instead of reaching for the mindless scroll.
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Using Small Pockets of Time Productively
