By the H&L Editorial Team

Have you ever wished the day had 25 hours instead of 24? Between work, family, chores, traffic, and the occasional doomscrolling on social media, it feels like time evaporates faster than your 13th-month pay in December. The truth is: we can’t make the day longer—but we can make it wider. Time management hacks are all about squeezing more value out of the same 24 hours, so you feel less stressed and more accomplished.

Here are 8 tried-and-tested hacks that can help you reclaim at least one extra hour a day. No magic wands needed—just small adjustments with big payoffs.

1. The Two-Minute Rule

If a task takes less than two minutes (sending a text, filing a paper, washing one cup), do it immediately. Small tasks left undone pile up like dirty laundry. Handle them quickly, and your to-do list won’t look like a grocery list for a fiesta.

2. Batching is Your Best Friend

Instead of checking emails every five minutes, set two or three blocks a day to deal with them. Same with errands—do them in one go. Batching saves you from “task switching fatigue,” which eats more time than you realize.

3. Pomodoro Power

Work in focused 25-minute bursts, followed by a 5-minute break. After four cycles, take a longer break. This keeps your brain fresh and your focus sharp. It’s like interval training, but for your productivity muscles.

4. Calendar, Not Memory

Don’t rely on your brain to remember everything—it has better things to do, like helping you decide what’s for merienda. Use a digital calendar or planner to schedule tasks. Seeing them in black and white (or pixels) makes them harder to ignore.

5. Learn to Say “No” Nicely

Many of us lose time because we say “yes” to everything—extra meetings, random favors, unnecessary gatherings. Practice polite but firm ways to decline. Remember: every “yes” to someone else is a “no” to your own priorities.

6. Time Your Social Media Scroll

Scrolling through TikTok “for 5 minutes” can easily turn into a full-blown K-drama marathon. Set a timer or use app limits. Social media is like junk food—okay in moderation, but disastrous if unchecked.

7. Plan Tomorrow Tonight

Spend 10 minutes before bed writing your top 3 priorities for the next day. You’ll wake up with direction instead of wandering like a zombie until your third cup of coffee.

8. Automate the Small Stuff

Use auto-pay for bills, set recurring grocery lists, and embrace reminders. Technology isn’t just for selfies—it’s your free assistant. Let it handle the routine so you can focus on the meaningful.

Closing

Time, like money, is easy to waste and hard to recover. But with these hacks, you’ll feel like you’ve stolen back a hidden hour from the universe. And what you do with that hour is up to you—bond with family, take a walk, read a book, or maybe just nap without guilt.

Remember: productivity isn’t about cramming more things into your day. It’s about making space for the things that truly matter. Because at the end of the day, life is not just about saving time—it’s about spending it well.

“We can’t make the day longer, but with smart hacks, we can make it wider.”