Time, they say is money but we often find ourselves misusing it. Many times we just cannot help it. There are some domestic activities that serve as leisure periods for us. In-between the long hours of work and intense activity, these domestic periods serve as relaxation periods and take some chunk of your time alongside.
These are activities that should normally require only a few minutes when they are done with focus. However, many people have become multi-taskers when they are doing them. The list is inexhaustive but below are a few of such domestic activities that are taking your time without you knowing it.
Taking Your Breakfast
If you have not been guilty of this, I have. I know a number of people who will spend more than enough time eating their breakfast. There is high support for eating without rushing too much but there is no recommendation that one must spend the whole day eating.
The combined use of mobile phones for chatting on Whatsapp, Facebook, or Instagram, Twitter, and other social media with a meal makes the supposedly 25-30 minutes meal turn two hours. With all the time spent, you still get the feeling that you did not waste the time because you assume that you are still eating.
If you ask me, I’d say that spending 20 minutes on chewing a spoonful will not make the taste of the food any better. And no matter how long you choose to prolong the feeding process, the meal will still get finished ultimately. So save yourself some time, especially if you think your time is not too sufficient for your major projects.
Having a Shower
There is the notion that the longer you bathe or the harder you scrub your body, the cleaner you get. But let me ask you this question, why does your towel get dirty still?
Mild scrubbing of your skin for the optimal 25-30 minutes with the appropriate soap and a not-too-hard sponge is sufficient to keep your body clean. It does not have to be up to 2 hours of rigorous sponging and battling with some imaginary dirt on your body. Your towel actually gets dirty because your skin cells continue to slough off every day.
Therefore, metallic abrasives to scrub your skin still will not make any difference but will even cause more harm than good. So the next time you want to use your towel as a measure of how clean your body is, remember you can only get your desired when you stop your skin from sloughing off daily but that is practically impossible. The skin renews itself and sloughs off dead skin cells as part of the natural renewal process.
Bathing for too long has been reported among many people and there is a high chance that you may be guilty of it too.
Multi-tasking also makes bathing longer than expected. Playing or singing to soft music in your bathroom gives you a good sense of pleasure but it has been noted to prolong bath time by over 50%.
Brushing your Teeth
The recommended teeth care involves twice-daily teeth brushing using an adequate toothbrush and toothpaste, each lasting at least five(5) minutes. Tell me why you would want to spend a “whole lifetime” brushing life out of those innocent teeth and gums. This domestic activity is not commonly seen in the list of other domestic activities that take people’s time but a few individuals may, in fact, be taking too much time doing it.
It does not take the time of most people because it involves both the hands and the mouth. There is no room for discussions or multi-tasking with your mobile phones. It is one of the domestic activities that actually take a shorter time than expected. It may, however, take too long in those who are obsessed with white teeth and thinks it is linked to the length of time they brush their teeth.
Basic oral hygiene and adequate brushing are sufficient to give you the white teeth you desire. Check other sources for oral hygiene practices.
Using the Toilet
This is the most hilarious. The feeling is usually better than being in the bathroom. You are fully seated, with ear ears plugged in. You are listening to solemn blues or your favourite genre. The smell may not be the best background for listening to soft music but you are comfortable anyway.
If that is a toilet for many people, you end delaying someone out there. Your time is wasting yet you don’t seem to feel it. You may have also put some people in uncomfortable positions out there.
=> Improve your smile as an adult
Lol… It is cool right in the 'White House'…toilet time is free time, bath time is reflection time. Usefulness is optimized when one has reflection times.