Are you playing the waiting game?
Did you know that us Brits spend nearly 3 hours a day wasting time? Half of this is waiting in queues, whether that’s on the phone or in person.
Recent research by Duolingo revealed that people lose one hour and 43 minutes every day (26 days over the course of one year), to time drains like being on hold, scrolling through social media and waiting for the kettle to boil.
If you find yourself with a spare few minutes, you could use the time for something useful and productive instead of feeling bored or frustrated.
In the same survey, 39% of us want to learn a new language this year. Over lockdown, finding they had more time on their hands, many took the opportunity to do just that.
Whenever I visit a country I always try to learn the basic greetings and phrases to get by. The more you know of a language, the more you appreciate the country, its culture and recognise similar roots. With all the language apps available, it’s easier to learn the basics in even the unfamiliar and more difficult languages, like Arabic and Chinese.
If you learned French or German at school you’ll find it easier to pick up a related language like Italian, Spanish, Portuguese or Romanian.
After learning and mostly forgetting French and German, I’ve always wanted to learn another language. A couple of years ago I started using Duolingo and I’ve been taking a few minutes every day to fire up the app and learn Spanish.
While it might seem daunting and time consuming to learn a new language, using an app is a fun, easy way to make better use of those spare moments.
- Learn at your own pace, in easy steps so you can quickly make progress.
- Start at the right level for you - basic, intermediate or more advanced.
- Improve your vocabulary, grammar and understanding with regular practice to build confidence.
- Stories and podcasts to listen and practice what you’ve learned without feeling overwhelmed.
Use your next trip abroad as your motivation to learn the basics so you can understand more and be understood. Try an app like Duolingo to get you started.
Learning a new language also improves your cognitive ability which in turn helps your ability to think better, prioritise and manage a lot of information more effectively. You’re never too old to learn something new!
Use some of the one hour and 43 minutes we spend wasting time each each day to your advantage.
What’s a better use of your time? Waiting in a queue, sitting in traffic, scrolling through social media or waiting for the kettle to boil or doing something more fulfilling and productive?
When you’re already busy it can seem challenging to find ways to squeeze in just one more thing on your list. If you start using your time more productively, stop wasting time, reduce your time drains, it’s easier than you think.
So if you want to feel more fulfilled, exercise your cognitive skills and achieve something for yourself in 2022, learn a new language.
How to stop wasting time and find an hour in your day … to learn something new.
The beauty of a language app like Duolingo is you can fire it up at any time, wherever you are and it only needs a few minutes of your time. You don’t need to find a whole hour at a time.
I’m a keen advocate of taking regular breaks to boost productivity during the working day. Use one or two of your breaks and make use of those ‘wasted minutes’ to do something more productive, such as learning a new language.
- With your morning coffee. Get your brain fired up and your morning off to a good start. (15 mins)
- While waiting on hold or in a physical queue. (5-10 mins)
- On your daily commute. Even if it’s just the ‘commute’ to your home office, use the time before and after you start work. (15-30 mins)
- During your lunch break - take a complete break from work, away from your desk to do something more productive that contributes to your personal growth. (15 mins)
- During the ad breaks, while watching TV … or instead of aimlessly switching channels to find something to watch. (15-30 mins)
- Listen to a language podcast while you’re at the gym, exercising or out on a walk. A positive way to multi-task. (15-30 mins)
- Before bed. If you haven’t found time in the day, spend a few minutes at the end of the day before you go to bed. (15 mins)
- At the weekend, when you’re more likely to waste time or feel you’re less productive. (30-60 mins)
Set yourself mini-goals to keep you motivated. Daily Learning Streaks and rewards or points work really well to build a regular habit and keep you coming back.
While it’s more difficult to find a solid hour every day, it’s easier to find 15 minutes. Little and often is enough to give you a sense of achievement and inspire you to do more and keep going.
See Also:
For more information on how Duolingo can support your language-learning goals in 2022 visit https://blog.duolingo.com/2022-language-learning-goals/