Here's How to Find that Extra Hour

On a typical Monday morning, you're likely loaded with good intentions for the day. But by 5pm, you're thinking, 'Where did the day go?' We bring you some genius time saving tricks to stretch your day out a little longer...

"Organising your time is like organising a wardrobe," suggests Julie Morgenstern, author of Never Check E-mail In The Morning. "There's limited space and how you arrange clothes affects how many you can fit inside. Similarly, there are only enough hours in the day to do so much, but the more organised your time, the more you can squeeze in."

So check out the following advice, and discover how you can shave off crucial minutes...until you've got enough time to do those other really crucial things.

1. Follow the rule of two: Each day, figure out your most important non-work-related task or activity, like yoga or a dinner date with your partner, and then plan everything else around it.

2. Take charge of your mornings: Most people spend the first two hours of each workday 'warming up' - chatting with colleagues, having breakfast, browsing online and so on. Instead, give yourself 30 minutes to have breakfast and check your favourite blogs, then get going. Or better yet, show up at work at least half an hour earlier than everyone else. According to experts, you will get three times as much done when you are free of interruptions.

3. Use your body clock: Figure out what your most alert moments are (most people peak in the morning), and do tasks that require deep thinking at those times. Take care of mindless chores, like filing or paying bills, when you're losing steam (often in the afternoon). People usually get a second energy burst in the evening, so use that to work out or socialise.

4. Get a grip on e-mail: First, limit how often you check it (say every two hours). Then, empty your inbox by deleting, replying or, if necessary, moving messages to a folder. Finally, two key points: never write an e-mail longer than five sentences (if it requires more, call instead), and only respond when necessary (so drop the 'OK' and 'Thanks' e-mails).

5. Tackle your dreaded 'must-do' first: Dealing with it right away will give you a sense of accomplishment.

6. Cut back on meetings Send an e-mail instead, or give someone a call, if possible. You can use the saved time for something else.

7. Complete similar tasks in batches: Different activities (like brain storming or returning calls) engage different parts of the brain, and switching back and forth between these 'channels' zaps energy. A US study found that when you toggle like this, your brain may take 50 percent or more additional time to perform each task.

8. Set mini deadlines: If you give yourself a specific time to finish a project, you'll pace yourself better and work faster than if it's open-ended. So decide what you must get done by lunch, or plan to call your mum within the hour, and complete something beforehand.

9. Don't handle a piece of paper more than once: As soon as you look at something that's arrived in your inbox, move it on. Either (a) work on it now instead of tomorrow, (b) delegate it, or (c) file it for later if you need more time or information before you can deal with it.

10. Shorten work calls: Stand up instead of sitting when you're on the phone, and kick off the conversation by stating the reason for your call. Another trick is to leave something on your desk that you're interested in doing next, so you won't get too caught up in the conversation.

11. Minimise Disruptions: US research found that it takes people between 10 and 20 times the duration of a disruption to regain their prior level of concentration. In fact, people lose more than two hours a day due to the unnecessary interruptions they experience. When you're trying to get something done, put on headphones, send calls to voicemail and alert co-workers that you're busy.

12. Set goals for self: Every time you complete a task, your brain releases beta-endorphins - chemicals that increase creativity, focus and motivation. On the other hand, starting a project but not finishing it depletes energy. So break big jobs into small chunks, then check each chunk off your list to get the ultimate hit.

13. Heed the three Ds: Everyone has elements of their routine they can drop, decrease or delegate. List five - for example, watching TV or making pasta sauce from scratch.

14. Don't multi-task: It's often impossible for your brain to focus on more than one task at a time, so even when you think you're doing several things at once, you're likely switching rapidly back and forth between them. The tasks will take longer to complete than if you'd given each undivided attention before moving on the next, according to a US study. Multi-tasking also puts stress on your brain's memory-retention centre, so you won't absorb as much info.

15. Learn a few magic words: To end a conversation that's dragging, say, "One last thing..." , followed by something like, "I liked your idea at the meeting". To get someone off your back when you're in the middle of a project, try, "I want to give you my undivided attention, so let me knock this out, then I'll call you."

16. Create a to-do list each night: It will help stop you worrying...and you won't have to figure out your schedule in the morning, when you're feeling pressured.

17. Be ritualistic: Establishing routines—say, having a cup of tea when you start work—helps you get into focus mode. Following a regular pattern signals to your brain that it's time to buckle up.

18. End with something you enjoy: When you're looking forward to an afterwork activity, like a date or massage, it provides incentive to gear up to get stuff done beforehand. So download a movie in advance, or call girlfriends over for a quiet dinner.