It is this humble reporter’s opinion that the average American (humble reporter included) wastes an awful lot of time. Society dictates that work hours be long and downtime be spent playing—in bars, on the Internet, watching trashy reality TV. Ours is a culture with a soft spot for the “guilty pleasure,” a term we made up to justify all this wasting of time.

Which is not to say there isn’t a place for these things. Of course there is. We all need a mental break once in a while. But that’s the key phrase: once in a while. So how to keep time in check without going nuts? Here are five easy steps to a more efficient, more relaxed you.

1. Keep a diary. The weirdest thing about wasting time is that you almost never realize you’re doing it. You get home from work at 6pm with a mental list of things you have to do and next thing you know, it’s 11:30pm! Where did the time go and what did you do with it? The trick here is that, by tracking your daily habits and activities in a diary, you will be able to see what you’re doing with your time and how it has helped or hurt you. At the end of the night, simply jot down what you did that evening and how long each thing took you. Keeping a record that you can refer back to will allow you to see how and where you can easily get things done without completely overhauling your lifestyle. No more all-nighters for you! Which brings us to the next point:

2. Get enough sleep. How do you expect to get anything done when you’re falling over exhausted? Studies show that not getting enough sleep can severely affect your concentration, leading you to make mistakes, lose focus, and, yes, just be plain sleepy. When you’re tired, you don’t want to do anything taxing. You want to eat junk food and watch TV. If you’re exhausted, don’t force yourself to do your accounting homework or write out thank you notes—you’re likely to make a ton of mistakes. Instead, make it an early night and get a fresh start the next day. There’s no cure for the sleepies—caffeine will eventually just make you crash—but you should be sure to note in your diary what you’re doing that’s making you so tired so that you can save some time tomorrow and the day after that, which you should pencil in when you:

3. Make a schedule—and stick to it! Yes, schedules are frustrating; inevitably, plans will change and the whole thing is blown. But that just means you should plan realistically. For instance, when planning your week, don’t schedule your time in ten-minute increments, and be sure to not write in frustrating tasks back-to-back. There’s no point in making a schedule that will be impossible to follow. Instead, outline your time. Give yourself an hour to fold your laundry while you listen to music. If you like to eat a late dinner, make sure you schedule your workout for earlier in the evening. It’s all a matter of figuring out what works for you. But don’t overtax yourself or you’ll just get frustrated and throw the schedule out. It’s very important that you:

4. Take breaks. Know your limits and pace yourself. Make sure you schedule in a couple of breaks throughout the day. You need these breathers to keep your energy up and your focus steady. But keep the majority of these breaks short, maybe five minutes apiece; much longer than that and you run the risk of derailing your schedule. And last but certainly not least:

5. Reward yourself. Trashy reality TV, anyone?