12 Ways to be More Productive at Home in 10 Minutes

I’m all for lazy afternoons made up entirely of watching movies in my pjs with a tub of ice cream. But I also think it is important to take some time to invest in yourself.

We are all busy and sometimes barely have enough time to wash our face, let alone do something productive.

But taking even just 10 minutes a day to invest in yourself, can not only make you feel great, but it can also help you accomplish your goals.

Next time you find yourself on the couch binge watching your favorite show, try instead setting a timer for 10 minutes to engage in something productive. After the 10 minutes you will probably want to continue, but even if you don’t, that’s 10 minutes you spent on something productive. 10 minutes a day over time can add up to something great!

Check out the ideas below for some productive activities you can do at home.

1. Research ways to make money online

This can seem extremely intimidating, but there are countless amount of ways to make money online. From online side jobs, to starting an online business, you’d be surprised how many ways there are to make money online, and some of them can be quite easy.

It can be intimidating at first when researching this area, but breaking it down to 10 minutes a few times a week is easier, and the information won’t be so overwhelming.

2. Simplify your home

There are so many benefits of simplifying your home. Owning less can save you lots of time and money and even help lower stress.

I am not a minimalist by any means, but ever since I simplified many areas of my home, I have saved so much time and money. My home is so much easier to clean and keep tidy and it takes me only seconds to figure out what to wear. I also buy less things because I love how simple and clean my home is now.

Simplifying the entire home right away can be super overwhelming. You can start out by taking a few minutes each day to simplify, which can make it much more manageable.

This could also be a great way to make some extra cash by selling stuff that you no longer want.

There are so many great books about decluttering and simplifying. I’m sure you’ve heard of Marie Kondo, but if not check out her book below, it’s fantastic. It has so many great tips on decluttering and will get you motivated to simplify your space.

3. Clean

Taking a few minutes each day to clean and tidy can keep your home clean and also help cut down on some of the cleaning on the weekend.

There are countless mini cleaning tasks that can be done in 10 minutes and each one that gets done today, is one less that needs to be done on the weekend.

This way you don’t always have to spend those sunny Saturday mornings scrubbing the toilet.

4. Organize

Organizing is one of those tasks that can seem daunting but makes you feel great after you finish.

Setting a timer to organize for 10 minutes is less exhausting than attempting to tackle an entire area of the home. Even if it’s a bigger area that you want to organize, see if there’s a way to divide it into smaller parts and tackle those one at a time.

Baskets are a fantastic way to help keep things organized in your home. There are countless ones on Amazon, like the ones below. Baskets are great for grouping things together, and labelling them can keep items easy to find.

5. Learn Something New

We live in an amazing time where you can learn so many things practically for free online. There are countless online videos and resources.

Learning a new skill is definitely a great way to invest in yourself. You can learn skills that turn into an amazing hobby that’s fun and therapeutic. You can also learn skills that could end up making you money by selling your services. There are people willing to pay for almost every skill out there, so the more skills one has, the more opportunities might arise.

6. Create a Budget

Creating a budget is one of those things we know we should do but don’t always feel like doing it. Having your income and expenses laid out before you makes it easier to plan out your savings and spending.

Creating a budget and updating it when needed, is something that could help you make wiser financial decisions and get closer to your financial goals.

7. Plan your week and meals

Depending on the person, planning can either be super fun or painfully annoying. But we know it’s something we should do. You know the saying: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”

I don’t feel like there’s a need to plan out every hour of everyday, unless you really love planning. But planning at least a general idea of things you would like to accomplish that week and maybe some meals you want to eat, can really help you keep track and stay on top of things.

I have a productivity planner bundle that includes planners for meals, fitness, finances and more. You can check it out here.

8. Pamper yourself

Pampering ourselves is sadly something that many of us feel like we don’t have the time to do. But taking a few minutes in our day to pamper ourself is really important for our well being. We have to be able to take care of ourself in order to take care of others.

Whether it be running a quick bath, using your favorite face mask, or just having 10 minutes to sit down and have a tea, self care is not a waste of time.

9. Try a New Recipe

How many times are we unsure of what to cook? Or feel bored with the meal rotation that we’ve established?

Week nights can get hectic and it’s super useful to have a list of quick and easy meals that we can pull from when we are tired after a long day.

Try taking a few minutes to test out a quick and easy recipe. Once you find a few you enjoy, you can rotate them throughout the week, saving you time and decision making on nights when you are too tired to think of something to make.

I really enjoyed this recipe book alot, not only because the recipes are simple with few ingredients, but because many of them are quick.

10. Backup your files

This isn’t the most fun thing on the list but it’s something that you’ll be happy you did.

Whether it’s digital photos, online projects, or important documents, it’s important to back files up once in awhile just incase. 10 minutes of backing up your important files every once in awhile beats losing it completely.

11. Workout

I used to think working out meant going to the gym for a whole hour. I would go after work and feel like the rest of my evening was rushed and would hurriedly try to make dinner and lunch for the next day.

I then searched and found quick workout videos online and on free apps and found that I could get a nice quick workout done in 10 minutes or less. This was so much less stressful, that I actually started looking forward to it.

On days where I feel too exhausted to workout even a little, I will do a stretch instead. There are plenty of videos online of stretches that can be done sitting on your couch or bed.

12. Read, watch, or listen to something useful or inspiring

There are so many fantastic podcasts, videos and books out there that can inspire, teach or motivate you. These are great for when you just want to lay in bed or on the couch.

I really hope you found this list useful. Share in the comments below some ways you stay productive.