Do you think that you have no time to catch up on your favorite TV series, go out with your friends on the weekend, or just sit around relaxing around doing nothing? You might have a boatload of time at your disposal, but don’t even know it!

　　Here are 15 reasons as to why you might be crunched for some R&R:

　　1. Your workplace is full of distractions

　　Chatty coworkers, silly desk toys and emails of cute cats can put a damper on your ability to get things done. Eliminate distractions in your workspace by using noise-cancelling headphones or purchasing a white noise machine, work in a different area of the office or ask for a workspace reassignment, or log off of email or the internet completely when working.

　　2. You say “Yes” to everything that comes your way

　　You don’t have to always say yes to everything that comes your way, be it an invite to a party or function, a question or even a chance to do something completely out of the blue. Think twice before saying yes to something – you have the power to control your schedule and your time.

　　3. You mistake work time for playtime

　　You say you’re working, but you’re playing yet another level of Candy Crush Saga…which one is it? Work or play? Playing during work time adds more time to your day and messes up your schedule. If you just sat down and worked, you’d be done so much sooner than if you stopped to play.

　　4. You don’t commit to scheduling meetings and appointments

　　Not committing to meetings or appointments creates more work, effort and wasted time. Stop being wishy-washy when you receive an invite: you’ll either attend or not.

　　5. You don’t book your vacation well enough in advance

　　Your vacation days are racking up at work, you’re feeling drained and the year’s almost finished. Why didn’t you put in that vacation request months ago? Take action and be sure to book your vacations in advance, you’ll be happy you did in six months’ time!

　　6. You watch the clock too much

　　Counting all the minutes and seconds in your day isn’t healthy time management. If you’re constantly looking at or managing your schedule, you’re using up all your time: work and play time included.

　　7. You get caught up in other people’s business and drama

　　“I heard Joey had this terrible truck accident last weekend, broke both arms, and has to settle things in court… plus his wife’s threatening to leave him and take the kids with her…” Blah, blah, blah. The gossip mills will always be turning with information that really isn’t useful to your life. Step away from the gossip and instead spend your time on yourself and creating a life you love.

　　8. You make mountains out of molehills

　　You just broke the heel on your favorite pair of shoes! Your day is ruined…or is it? There’s no reason to waste time getting caught up on little things that can be fixed. Get the item fixed and move on with your life.

　　9. You check your smart phone every three minutes

　　Constantly checking email, text messages, social media all adds up over time, especially if you are trying to relax. Put down the phone—or better yet, shut it off completely to prevent yourself from checking in every few minutes.

　　10. You volunteer too much of your personal time.

　　Do you go out of your way to volunteer your time even when it isn’t asked for? Sure, helping people out is good, but being burned out and bitter is not. Strike a balance as to how much of your free time you’ll volunteer or donate to your favorite causes per month.

　　11. You participate in too many hobbies, clubs or extracurricular activities

　　You signed up for yoga, Spanish lessons, pastry making, juggling lessons and antique cabinetry classes… every week! Stretching yourself thin is never good, especially when you were trying to relax in the first place. Narrow down your activities to one or two to keep things in check.

　　12. You wake up late

　　Trying to squeeze more time in your day after a late start? Unfortunately relaxation and fun time are the first two things to get cut when you have a late start. Give yourself time to relax by getting a good night’s rest and waking up at the time you’re supposed to wake up.

　　13. You don’t plan your day

　　A day without plans can quickly turn into a day of doing things for other people, or doing things that aren’t really necessary, thereby wasting your time even more. Get started by jotting down at three tasks that must get done for tomorrow, as well as when you’ll stop working so you can rest and relax.

　　14. You feel everything you do has to be perfect or “just so.”

　　Perfectionism can kill time in an instant. This isn’t to say you should do sloppy or incomplete work, but pick and choose your battles where you can do things well, better, and best.

　　15. You tell yourself you have no time to relax and have fun

　　Ahh, the classic case of self-sabotage. If you constantly tell yourself you don’t have any time for relaxing or fun, pretty soon you’ll believe it one hundred percent. Be adamant about finding times to relax and have fun: delegate work, rework your schedule, or give up that nonessential volunteer position.

　　更多精彩内容 >> 新东方网英语频道 

　　全国新东方英语课程搜索

（实习编辑：高奕飞）