6 Time-Wasting Habits You Need to Ditch Today

I never seem to have enough time for the things I truly want to do. With a plethora of interests, regular creative projects, and a bustling personal life, I often find myself procrastinating and occasionally just idling away, avoiding tasks that need my attention. While I don’t have major issues with time management, I sometimes notice habits that could be replaced with more productive and exciting activities. I diligently work on eliminating these habits and share my insights with you.

Watching Reviews of Reviews

There’s nothing wrong with spending your evenings browsing through YouTube subscriptions and recommended videos. However, it becomes problematic when you realize that the video titles alone don’t spark any joy or interest. Videos like “Famous Blogger Takes on the Try Not to Sing Challenge,” “WilScom’s Deception,” or “Who Sponsors Nemagia’s Channel” often fall into this category. Gossip and rumors about their personal lives won’t entertain you as much as the content they create, which is why you followed them in the first place. Remember, you subscribed for life hacks, travel videos, or news reviews, not for the hype.

Cooking Complex Meals

I care about what I eat, and the internet often suggests recipes like homemade protein bars. However, these recipes often omit a crucial detail: the preparation time. You end up running around different stores to find all the ingredients, cleaning and preheating the oven, assembling the blender, measuring each product, blending, and then cleaning up. The bar bakes for half an hour and then needs a day to cool in the fridge. With my small baking sheets, anything I make can be eaten in one sitting.

It’s even worse when you cook an elaborate dinner to impress someone. I hate it when I spend four hours cooking, and the guests finish the dish in two minutes. Plus, there’s the trend of “slow food,” a philosophy that stretches out the cooking and eating process as long as possible.

Finishing Uninteresting Movies

You’ve settled on the couch with a glass of your favorite wine and picked a movie to watch. Great cast, renowned director, decent trailer. But you find yourself distracted by your phone or even dozing off. If you can’t concentrate on the movie, it might not be the right plot for your current life situation, or the film might just be boring.

For example, “The Lone Ranger” with Johnny Depp. Nothing seemed wrong when I looked at its page on Kinopoisk. But after watching, I regretted the two and a half hours I could have spent at the gym or catching up with an old friend.

Checking Likes and Comments on Your Photos

You know the photo you posted on Instagram is great and deserves attention. But that doesn’t mean you should worry about the public’s reaction and refresh the feed every 20 minutes. Even if you’re waiting for a like from a specific person, what difference does it make if you find out in two hours instead of twenty minutes?

I’m not very active on Instagram; sometimes months pass between my posts, and I don’t check the news feed without a specific reason. But the other day, I decided to post a video from my seaside trip. I turned on a TV series and checked the like counter every two minutes, wondering who liked my post. After two hours, I started thinking about who didn’t like it. I ended up missing an important scene and had to rewind. Embarrassing.

Ironing Jeans

My mom would disagree with this point. She believes that every item a woman wears should be ironed. But why bother ironing skinny jeans? They’ll straighten out on their own once you wear them!

Wandering Through Stores Without a Plan

Every September, students and office workers feel the need to update their everyday wardrobe. Nothing in your closet seems right. You have no idea what to buy and hope to find That Perfect Item in the store.

You end up wandering from boutique to boutique, eyeing accessories or a shirt for your loved one. You might come across a dress you’d love to wear on New Year’s Eve. But after making another purchase, you realize you still don’t have a new blouse or skirt for work tomorrow.

For more insights on managing your time effectively, check out this authoritative guide on time management.