To hate how much time I waste every day

[nonono1]

Does anyone else feel like this? Now for example, I'm sitting Mumsnetting instead of tidying up the kitchen, sorting the laundry, weeding the garden and all the other 101 things that need to be doing. In my defence I'm feeling a little tired today but that's not an excuse really is it. Does anyone else feel like this and how do you resolve it? Is it just a question of willpower?

I’m guilty of this too, so I try very hard to complete 1-2 tasks at a time then have some downtime if needed. Sometimes I have more energy and happy to keep going.

I've been feeling the same lately.

I'm the complete opposite in Summer and can't sit still!

Because they're not especially interesting tasks!! And it is overwhelming and never ending.

The best thing is to write a list or set a timer but make it doable and make sure you add in fun stuff too.

If you have ehat you've just written as your list, likelihood is that you won't even get started because it is huge.

So break it down into 3x 20 min tasks and have the rest of sunday off. Do whatever 3 tasks you fancy in whatever order.

So sort the laundry into colours. Do 1 load of laundry. Weed for 20 mins. Or weed the front. Or weed 2 flower beds. Tidy the kitchen worktop. Or clear out the fridge. Or sort 1 cupboard.

It may seem like you've got lots to do still but if you do 3 of these a day, you'll have it all done in a few days whilst still giving you free and fun time and not be overwhelmed.

(Disclaimer: I do this too and I have adhd. But doing small bite sized lists really works and you end up feeling accomplished and when you know that you only have to do it for 20 mins you work fast and it passes in a jiffy. 20 mins isn't at all overwhelming)

No, you can’t constantly be moving and doing all the time. You need to decompress and chill. If that’s by scrolling then that’s how it is.
No one is made to be 100% productive at all times. You’d burn out immediately

I’m exactly the same OP.
if it makes you feel any better, I’m not even out of bed yet, and been mindless scrolling MN, the News, playing Boggle all day, since waking up at 10am!
I try to have several days of high activity for both work and other stuff, then have a day of total relaxation whenever possible.
But I still waste insane amounts of time on my phone (mainly on MN!) most days!

I am the same. There’s an illusion that others are highly motivated 90% of the time but I don’t see how that is true.

If I didn't make lists and timetables I don't think I'd get anything done.

The problem that I have with mindlessly scrolling and putting off tasks when I know I should be being productive is that I don't really enjoy it and relax. So I find if i accomplish a short list I am more productive and I enjoy my downtime.

Could the key be to accept that downtime is something I actually need to do (like all the other tasks on my list)? Then perhaps I won't feel so guilty and like I'm slacking off.

It just feels like the day to day stuff (cooking, cleaning, sorting, laundry, food shopping) is never ending doesn't it?

I waste soooo much time faffing on my phone it's embarrassing. I go to Google something and next thing I'm watching videos of tornados in Okhloma

*Oklahoma

I'm the same - I could probably rule the world if my phone was irreparably broken.

Also OP, you probably don't realise how much you actually are doing. It is ok to take breaks too.

If you write a list in the morning and cross off each item, it is somehow more satisfying.

I think the trouble with the tasks you mention is that they are never ending and only noticed if they are not done. If you do something like paint a wall, repair something that looks a broken or install a new shelf. Everyone notices and is grateful. Once they are done they are done for years. But all those small day to day jobs, you can never get on top of them and it is easy to feel behind.

I also spend so much time tidying up after my toddler DC. But that is clearly unavoidable! I wonder if there's any way to spend less time doing that but I'm not sure there is.

Same.

Top tip though. If you are watching tv (like me today) then each ad break get up and tidy a room. An ad break is approx 6 mins and I find I can tidy a room, make beds; clean the bathroom and it looks to all intents and purposes I have been working hard.

Im literally going to do that now 🤣

I use timers for boring chores.

I feel like this too. But what works for me is doing tasks while I'm waiting for things.

So this morning while waiting for the kettle to boil I unloaded the dishwasher and put the breakfast stuff in.

Usually I stick a wash load on and then blitz the cleaning. It takes 28 mins so plenty of time to wash up, clean the bathrooms, hoover and dust. Then hang it up. All done within 35 mins!

Oh jeez, me too. I feel guilty about it, and yet here I am. I have a house to clean and things to do, and yet here I am pissing about on my phone.

Haha - thought this was just me!

Take a look at block scheduling op. I’ve found it hugely helpful to mentally manage that sense of unending drudgery that ends up paralysing me instead of motivating me

You assign certain types of tasks into defined periods of time during the day or week. So cleaning chores belong in one block, and things like gardening, painting, fixing in another.

It’s never all done but I don’t feel as swamped as I used to. And there’s a limit at any given time of they type of job I could be doing. So if I decide to mend the fence now, I only have to consider that against weeding the flowerbed and painting the skirting; but the fact that the floor needs mopping, the laundry needs folding and there’s a funky smell in the fridge isn’t competing for my headspace in this particular moment.

I also find I can be more focused in shorter bursts. I schedule downtime and this week I’m going to start scheduling scrolling time too because it’s a huge time suck. I’m thinking that I could scroll when I’m stuck waiting to collect the kids from places. The problem is that I pick up my phone for other legitimate things and get sucked in, waste ten minutes on mumsnet while I’m trying to remember what I was supposed to be doing

Yep and I hate myself for watching other people on tiktok cleaning their house when I could be using the time to hoover or sort out something in my own house!

@WinterLobelia I do this too! Surprisingly effective. Wouldn't it be great if the phone /Internet (except maybe when you're working 😂) had ad breaks!?
Actually, there's probably an app for that...

It;s amazingly effective isn't it @SquirrelFan !!

Plus because it's only around 6 minutes I feel more motivated.

I have just changed all the cloths on our sitting room tables which i have been putting off for a good week. And put the ironing board away. Did not even take an entire ad break and has immediately made a difference!