Feeling Too Busy? Try a Time Audit, Therapist Advises
Psychotherapist Niro Feliciano recommends a time audit to align schedules with personal priorities, according to NPR.
Feliciano, author of two self-help books including "This Book Won't Make You Happy: Eight Keys to Finding True Contentment," often asks her clients to do this exercise, especially those who feel like they're on a "hamster wheel and can never catch up." She says that oftentimes the things that are most important to them don't have much of a place in their day-to-day schedule.
To regain control of time, she suggests first making a list of the people and activities that are most important, such as loved ones and hobbies. Then do a time inventory to see where the day really goes. If the lists don't match, look for ways to carve out more space for family or set aside a moment for reading. "When your schedule begins to align with your values is when we begin to feel inner peace," she says.
For making more time, Feliciano advises setting boundaries. She found she was spending a lot of unnecessary time scrolling on social media, which wasn't on her priority list, so she cut back. She suggests telling friends who might be "energy vampires" that you're taking a break from weekly trivia. "The only people who will push back on your healthy boundaries are the people who benefited from you not having them," she says.
She also says don't overlook hidden pockets of time. She often has conversations with mothers, because they are doing so much for their children and partners. Enlisting family members' help with everyday chores is good for everyone. With the newfound time, be purposeful: do something joyful, catch up with an old friend, start a project. Or get comfortable with boredom, allowing yourself to just be still and rest. "Even doing nothing is OK," she says.
Feliciano warns that the impulse to be increasingly busy can leave people in endless pursuit. "When your value and identity lie in acquisition and accomplishment, you will constantly be pursuing it," she says. "It's a cycle that you're constantly going to be chasing unless you choose to get off it." The segment aired on NPR's Life Kit on Aug. 12, 2026.