Find yourself with a few minutes to spare? Instead of looking at your phone, here are 25 productive things you can do in 5 minutes.
What do you do when you only have 5 minutes?
When I don’t have much time it’s easy for me to not do anything at all, or at least not anything profitable. I don’t want to start something and stop half way (or so I tell myself.)
I find myself instead gravitating towards my phone anytime I have a few spare minutes – a bad habit I really need to work on.
But what can you actually do in just 5 minutes? Well, although it’s a work in progress for me, I’ve found it helps to have a list. Without a list, you waste half the time just deciding what to do. With a list, you simply choose something and go!
So, today I’m sharing 25 different things you could do when you have 5 minutes to spare – which could also be titled “what to do instead of looking at your phone.”
25 Productive Things You Can Do In 5 Minutes
1. Organize a kitchen drawer
I *think* I could organize my kitchen junk drawer in 5 minutes … or at the very least it would look a lot better!
2. Take a trash bag through each room and gather any trash
Somehow I can always find trash, even if it feels like I just took it all out!
3. Find five things to donate
It feels so freeing to get rid of stuff that’s just taking up extra space. Start looking for five things to donate and I bet you’ll end up with a few more!
4. Write a quick note to someone and stick it in the mail
Or if you don’t have stamps just send a postcard through an app – Touchnote has worked well for me in the past!
5. Wipe down the bathroom counters and shine the faucet
It’s amazing how much better the bathroom looks after a quick wipe down. (Especially if you have kids who have yet to learn the proper way to handle toothpaste haha!)
6. Order groceries online
I am such a big fan of ordering groceries online for pickup. It saves me so much time!
7. Make that one phone call you’ve been putting off
I’m looking at you, fellow introverts!
8. Pay a bill and/or set up automatic payments
Automatic payments are such great time savers.
9. Clear off a surface
A room looks automatically cleaner when the surfaces are cleared off!
10. Make your bed
Making my bed is the first habit on my daily habit tracker. It’s such a simple thing but it makes my bedroom look so much nicer and helps me feel ready for the day.
11. Tidy up one dresser drawer
I love to fold all my tee shirts neatly and line them up so that I can easily see what’s in the drawer.
12. Tape a few of the books your kids have torn
Yes, this one is random but fellow moms will understand haha.
13. Gather random items in a basket and take them to where they belong
Just make sure to take everything out of the basket and put it away!
14. Straighten books on the bookshelf
There’s nothing like a nicely straightened bookshelf.
15. Clean up your email inbox
Unless you’re one of those neat people who don’t have a thousand emails in your inbox.
16. Clean up your computer desktop
I finally did this the other day and I’m enjoying the clutter-free look.
17. Delete some of the pictures you don’t need on your phone
This applies especially to parents whose kids leave a zillion selfies.
18. Write down 5 things you’re thankful for
Or as many as you can think of in 5 minutes!
19. Do 5 minutes of yoga/stretching
Sometimes stretching feels so good.
20. Take out a notebook and brainstorm
For a blog post, a work presentation, a birthday party, or whatever!
21. Water your houseplants
I need to do this as soon as I’m done with this blog post!
22. Put away the laundry
… that you folded like three days ago.
23. Fill out a habit tracker and start using it
You can grab the one I use here!
24. Call your mom (or dad, or grandparents) just to say hi
Or send them a Marco Polo if that’s more your thing.
25. Do nothing
Just sit and breath and enjoy the silence (and don’t get on your phone!) Take a moment to pray or meditate. Sometimes taking a few moments to be still is the most productive thing you can do.
What’s your favorite productive thing to do in just 5 minutes or less?
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