I need more time in the day!

2011-07-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, there is just not enough time in the day, is there? So very much to do, so very little time, and it just keeps getting worse the older one gets. It gets tiring to just think about it, but no one can magically create a 26 or 30-hour day, so we've got to try not to do things one at a time – but to combine tasks. If we tried to do every last thing one after the other, of course there would be no time to sleep. And sleep is way too important to cut which most of us end up doing.

To help avoid that, I thought I would share some of the ways I try to fit things in as well as save time….some of these things are strictly for the Ladies, some of them I’ve been doing for a while, others I’ve just started. For me, every little minute I can get back helps, so here goes, maybe it can help you:

1 – While exercising on my elliptical in the morning, I do facial and neck exercises (see links below). I’ve worked my body out now for several years as I’m sure most of you reading this have. Face and neck muscles need some attention too! Of course I'm doing these funny faces in the privacy of my own home or as you will see later, in my car.

2 – After my morning shower, I rinse with my pre-brush whitening mouthwash while applying lotion to my body.

3 – I pick out my clothes for the day while brushing my teeth.

5 – Sometimes I will do more facial and neck exercises while driving to work or to the gym. Of course, not the neck exercises that would hinder vision while driving.

6 – I combine Kegels with ab exercises. Usually, I try to hold the Kegel position for the whole set of abs, just about every set

7 – I quickly slick Neutrogena Light Sesame Oil on after my night shower as a moisturizer right before I towel off instead of applying lotion. In turn, I apply face lotion while rinsing with mouthwash. This cuts several minutes off my night routine since I'm pretty tall (5'9") with a lot of skin to cover.

8 – I use the Go Max setting on my Sonicare toothbrush at night, but only if I’m super tired or it's getting too late. That cuts it down from 2 minutes to 1 minute with 15 second increments instead of 30, and after rinsing and flossing, washing my face and applying facial lotion, I can use every extra minute I can get. We women and our "getting ready for bed" routines ………..

9 - I mix a host of beneficial juices/liquids/vitamin C powder in the morning for a power packed cocktail and down all my vitamins with this mix. The mixture changes as my needs change, but it the one constant is the pure cranberry juice (not from concentrate). My current mix, the pure cranberry juice, apple cider vinegar, carrot juice, watered down with sparkling or selzter water. I take all my vitamins with the first couple sips while eating breakfast. When I get down to 1/4 glass, I add BioSil Silica drops, Vitamin C powder (Emergen-C). Emergen-C says to mix with water, but what, it can't hurt and I can't take all these things separately, I'd be there all morning............
10 - I apply conditioner or pre-wash conditioner to my hair, throw up in a bun, before hitting the pool on a sunny, hot day. Let that conditioner bake right in and shampoo out when I get home from the pool.

11 - I try to see to it that most of my doctors are on the same street or office complex in the town or at least close to the town I live and/or work in. Luckily they are good, for the most part, which isn't easy to find all together. That way, I can make stacked hourly appointments for one day, for eye exams, chiropractor, gyno, etc.
12 - For auto repair: I pick repair shops nearby that have a shuttle and either have them drive me back to work or home. If it's something relatively quick, I bring my laptop, bills and mail to sort through and get done while waiting at the shop. Time is so scarce that I find it very hard to sit and wait for something without getting something else done.
13 - I go to two gyms - 1) one is more expensive, but clean, nice about 10 miles from home and in the area of a lot of the stores I frequent. 2) The other gym cheap, a bit gritty, but about 2.5 miles from home. I plan store trips the same days I want to work out at the nicer gym. In a rush or running late, I hit the gym close by.

I am constantly trying to kill two or more birds with one stone, and some of these things are so ingrained now, come so naturally, that I can't event think of all of them. I will add to this list as I do.

Check out my site www.DietFitnessNutrition.com and get my book, Not Just Abs, for all kinds of recipes, organizational tips and all I do to stay fit and healthy.

Here are links for the yoga facial and neck exercises (there are also books on facial and neck exercises that I have seen that I'll try to get the names of and update this blog):

Facial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WOI1Ce5L4A

Note: I can’t puff the air from cheek to cheek, probably the same reason I can’t whistle – so I’ve altered it for myself. I breathe in, press my fingers against my lips and puff both my cheeks out hard and hold for 10 or 20 seconds.

Neck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AnoEK2wv_Y

Check back soon – I’ll be blogging about overcoming severe burnout and feelings of giving up inflicted by all of life's little and "not so little" stresses and heartaches.

Linda's Life

I need more time in the day!