7 Time-Saving Hacks for Bloggers
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I know I might sound like a broken record, but ever since we moved to Utah back in September, life has become busier and more hectic than ever. Between our new jobs, only being 20 minutes away from some of our best friends and family, and projects for my blog, we have just been going non-stop. I won’t lie, it’s been downright exhausting at times and my health and blog have suffered from my lack of energy and endless to-do list. Thankfully, I’ve been able to implement several time-saving hacks into my life recently that not only help me stay on top of my blog but also my health!
7 Time-Saving Hacks for Bloggers
Batching –
Batching is a relatively simple concept but can be tricky to implement. It basically means this: you break down several tasks you do multiple times throughout the week and do them all at once on one day instead. So, instead of writing one blog post a day, you write them ALL on one day. Instead of taking photos for blog posts every day, you take them ALL for ALL the blog posts on one day. Make sense? Instead of switching your train of thought with every new task, you can really focus in on one task, get in the groove, and churn stuff out!
This method took me a while to really and truly implement because it was hard to break the habits I had already formed when it came to blogging, but now that I have it down – I can honestly swear that it has improved my productivity and saved so much time. It also requires me to have at least a week planned out so I know what I’m working on, which helps me stay on track.
Pomodoro Method
This time-management method is another one that takes a little dedication and consistency to get down, but it can be such a huge time-saver once you truly implement it. This technique is all about preventing burnout and minimizing distractions, which is what really sucks away our time in the long-run, am I right?
Here’s how it works:
1. Pick a task you want to work on (for bloggers, this can be writing a post, interacting on social media, or answering emails)
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes and ONLY work on that task for 25 minutes without looking or doing anything else. You can do it!
3. At the end of the 25 minutes, take a break! Stretch your legs, check the mail, or get a snack.
4. Repeat this three more times, and take a longer break (20-30) after completing four Pomodoro sessions!
15-Minute Clean Up
I know I’m not the only one who can get distracted when my work environment (aka my apartment) is a mess! Before I started using this technique, I would start a project for my blog and then half way through, get up for a glass of water and notice the dishes and stop everything to do them! Nothing would get done! So, I decided to apply the Pomodoro method to a cleaning routine and started doing the 15-minute clean up. Before I go to my office to work on my blog, I set the timer on my phone for 15 minutes and pick up/organize everything in my apartment that I can. While this isn’t deep cleaning, I can generally take care of all the clutter, like hanging up coats, switching over the laundry, and putting any dishes into the sink. Then, before I go to bed at night, I set the timer again for another 15 minutes and work on one chore exclusively (usually the dishes) so that it isn’t something I will get distracted by the next day.
Since scheduling two rounds of the 15-minute clean up every day into my life, our apartment has stayed spick and span and the dishes are almost always done! It has done WONDERS for my productivity and has helped me manage my time so much better!
Take Centrum ® MultiGummies ®
Like I mentioned earlier, being so busy and on-the-go has really worn me down health wise. I already struggle with maintaining my energy and stamina thanks to my past health issues, so it’s easy for me to get wiped out. With my new job starting last week, I ended up taking a 2-hour nap every afternoon after getting home from my shift because I was just so. tired.
So, trying to figure out a time-efficient way to add more healthy habits into my life has definitely been on the top of my priority list. That’s where Centrum ® MultiGummies ® come in. The Centrum ® MultiGummies ®contain three natural flavors: Berry, Cherry, and Orange. Centrum ® MultiGummies are gluten-free and have no artificial flavors or sweeteners. These multi-benefit multivitamins include 100% or more of essential nutrients, Vitamins B12, D, and E. B-vitamins to help support daily energy needs.* I FOR SURE need my energy needs supported (and I’m sure pretty much everyone else needs, too.) Plus, they are easy to find while making your weekly trip to Walmart (and let’s be real, I’m there every 2-3 days because I always forget something!)
So, I take 30 seconds every morning to pop a vitamin into my mouth and feel good about the amazing health benefits! Centrum® MultiGummies® makes it easy for me to support my health while enjoying my busy lifestyle.*
Schedule Posts for Social Media
Every weekend, I batch my shares for social media so that I don’t need to worry about taking the time every day to write out a social share for every platform. By doing it all at once, I can get it done in about an hour for the whole week, instead of spending 20-30 minutes a day. I use several platforms to schedule and run my social media profiles:
PLANN – I use this app for helping me plan out and schedule my Instagram. While this doesn’t actually post to Instagram, I can set reminders to help me know when to post. But, the best part about this app is that it allows me write out all the captions for the photos and get my hashtags all ready to be posted. That way, when it’s time to post, I have everything ready to go!
Tailwind – Tailwind has been ESSENTIAL to my Pinterest growth and to Pinterest being my number one referrer of traffic. I use tailwind to not only schedule my pins to go out at ideal times but also to make sure they get pinned across group boards at daily (or weekly) intervals. I also use the Tribes feature on Tailwind to find other content to share and to get my pins to others even faster.
Recur Post – Everyone raves about MeetEdgar, but holy cow is that service SO expensive. So, imagine my joy when I found Recur Post and realized that it was the EXACT same thing and was free/way cheaper for the paid version? There was a lot of it, I can assure you. Recur Post allows you to create a library of social media posts to be shared across Twitter and Facebook and pulls from that library – meaning that you can reuse the social shares you take the time to type up! Every week, I spend 20-15 minutes writing up a social share for FB and Twitter for an ever-green content post and adding it to Recur Post so that it can be continually shared for months to come!
Kill News Feed Plug-In
Let’s be honest for a second: the real culprit of stealing our time? Our Facebook Feeds. So, kill them! Install the Kill News Feed Plug-In for Chrome and have your newsfeed replaced with a little message reminding you to stay focused. The reason why I like this plug-in so much? I am always logged into FB since I am the admin for a blogging community group and communicate with the other admins multiple times per day. This plug-in allows me to still get my messages but prevents me from being sucked into the FB newsfeed hole!
Go to Bed on Time
I know, this may seem like kind of a weird time-saving hack, but hear me out: getting a good night’s rest is pretty vital to actually being productive and managing your time well during the day. I used to stay up until 1 or 2 trying to cram as much blog work into my day as possible, and wake up the next morning being absolutely exhausted. It was a lot easier for me to justify watching an episode (or 5) of Grey’s Anatomy or just daze off into space. By deciding to SHUT OFF the blog work by 10:00 every night and be in bed by 10:30, I’ve been able to get enough rest and wake up the next day feeling refreshed and ready to go! By going to bed on time, I’m more effective, efficient, and productive with my time during the day!
I know that some of these hacks seem more health-based, but the truth is, being healthy and taking care of yourself is the first step to being able to do anything and everything you want to do with your time. So, make sure you check out the Centrum® MultiGummies® next time you are at Walmart! And let me know what techniques you use (or want to use) to help you manage your time more with your blog!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
