How to feel more in control of your time



Time, according to Greek philosopher Theophrastus, is the most valuable thing you can spend. We may want more of it, but we're stuck with the same 24-hour wad every day of our lives. Beyonce's single Ladies was written in no more than 20 minutes. That's one stonking pop banger created in less than 2% of a day. Imagine what you could achieve in the other 98%. The question is, how? Well, how you think about time can actually help you use it more wisely, and could leave you a lot healthier and happier.



1. Make yourself feel time affluent

You know that rare feeling of having plenty of time to do what you want? Psychologists call it 'time affluence', and it does a lot for your sense of wellbeing. Bizarre as it may sound, it's possible to make yourself feel more time-rich by handing over some of your hours to others.



One study took a large group of people. Some of them helped others in their spare time – doing things like writing letters to cheer up a sick child – while the rest did whatever they liked. The helpers later felt they generally had more free time compared to the rest of the group despite giving some of it away. So rather than bingeing on that box set, do something for someone else. You'll end up feeling it's possible to achieve more in the time you have.



2. You have more time than you think.

Now think about all those tiny chunks of your day when your brain isn't doing very much at all. Like going for a run, sitting on a bus, or making a cup of tea. Scott H Young, author of Ultralearning, specializes in making time work better for people. He sees these mini downtimes as chunks of opportunity to use more wisely.



So how do you want to use that time? You could try 'productive meditation'. If something's turning out to be a pretty knotty problem, use your daily jog to focus your mind on your surroundings, and your subconscious may find a solution while your mind relaxes. Or while the kettle boils, listen to the sound of the water. Watch steam rising from the spout. Be truly mindful and in the moment. Evidence suggests that when you get back to your desk, you'll get a lot more done in the time you have.



"Start creating habits,"Young says. You'll be surprised how much materializes, once you simply start doing things for a few minutes a day." Whatever route you take, bear in mind that several recent studies have shown that trying to fit more in by working longer hours can lead to stress and illness. And nobody wants that.



3. The holiday paradox

Psychologist Claudia Hammond suggests that the best way to make free time feel worthwhile is to indulge in the holiday paradox. This says that doing something new sees your brain make an extra effort to remember it. So vary your routine, try new hobbies. Different experiences, however small, will be more rewarding, and when you're looking back on them, your sense of time will be expanded.



4. Time for yourself

Did you realize that if you add up sleep (very important), eating and working, most of us have around five hours a day left to do what want to do. So take advantage of it. You could even write a fifth of a novel. John Boyne wrote The Boy in The Striped Pajamas in just two and a half days (not sure how much sleep he got though). Or you could climb to the top of Ben Nevis in five hours. If it was a weekend, you might have time to get down again.



But don't be too hard on yourself if you just need that time to chill. A study in 2010 showed that playing computer games or watching TV can restore us emotionally and help us recover intellectually after a hard day. But you've got to buy into the experience totally, and don't feel guilty. Isn't that a relief?



词汇表

be stuck with 陷入困境，不得不面对

wad [wɒd] 一捆，一团，一堆

stonking ['stɒŋkɪŋ] 出色的，绝妙的

pop banger ['bæŋə(r)] 流行金曲

affluent [ˈæfluːənt] 充裕的，富足的

time affluence ['æflʊəns] 时间充裕感

bizarre [bɪˈzɑː(r)] 奇怪的，怪异的

hand over 交出，让与

binge on [bɪndʒ] 沉迷于；大量食用或消费某物

box set（可购买或下载的）电视剧（套装）

chunk [tʃʌŋk] （时间的）一段；大部分，一块

ultralearning [ˌʌltrəˈlɜːrnɪ] 超速学习

downtime ['daʊntaɪm] 休息时间，停工期

productive meditation [ˌmedɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n] 高效冥想（指在进行无需太多脑力的活动时集中思考特定问题的冥想方式）

knotty [ˈnɒti] 复杂的，难以解决的，棘手的

jog [dʒɒɡ] 慢跑；轻推

subconscious [ˌsʌbˈkɒnʃəs] 潜意识，下意识

spout [spaʊt]  管口，（容器的）嘴

mindful [ˈmaɪn(d)f(ə)l] 正念的；专注的，留意的

materialize [məˈtɪəriəlaɪz] 实现，成为现实

route [ruːt] 路线，方法，途径

bear in mind 牢记在心，记住

holiday paradox [ˈpærədɒks] 假期悖论（指的是回忆度假或经历新奇事物时，对时间的主观感受比实际时间更长）

indulge in [ɪn'dʌldʒ] 沉浸于，尽情享受

vary [ˈveəri] 改变，变更，使多样化

rewarding [rɪˈwɔː(r)dɪŋ] 值得做的，有所收获的

take advantage of 充分利用；占便宜

hard on yourself 对自己要求过高，苛求自己

chill [tʃɪl] 放松

intellectually [ˌɪntəlˈektʃuəli] 智力上；理智地

buy into 参与，投身于（某个活动、计划等）



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