Work up to it, and strip out stuff you don't need to do. For most people jumping into a lifestyle change is likely to fail. My approach is more triage based: w

Work up to it, and strip out stuff you don't need to do. For most people jumping into a lifestyle change is likely to fail. My approach is more triage based: when I find something new I want to do but don't really have time for, I look at the other stuff I'm doing and work out what is less important than the new thing. That explicitly includes "me time", and an honest assessment of what I actually do vs what I think I should. So, a certain amount of randomly reading crud on the internet and posting rubbish (like this)... just because I enjoy doing it. I used to be active on various stackoverflow sites but I found gaming the metrics too addictive so I stopped (viz, too much time writing answers to get rep, moderating posts to get badges... it wasn't what I wanted to be doing, and I found it hard to just do it a little). When I have been busy all the time it's been like that, but more so. Get up, eat the same thing for breakfast every day, wear the same clothes, etc... routine tasks take little mental effort and can be streamlined. That works for me, it may not work for you. Do a day's work, minimal lunchtime and maximum productivity so I can leave early and still get bonus marks for getting things done. Be conscious of the metrics my workplace uses and balance playing to those metrics against the time it takes (ie, if lunch with the boss is worth the same as an extra 5 hours work a week... have lunch with the boss). Look for ways to save time and combine tasks. For me that means bicycle transport. I get time outside, exercise, and save time/money over driving. Since I rent, I try to rent somewhere in the area bounded by my other activities and such that I get enough exercise just doing those things. Likewise, vegetarian food can more easily be cooked once a week and stored/transported every day. I make soup or pasta or stew, cool it, put it in meal-sized plastic jars (they held stewed fruit once, which I like eating), then they go in the fridge. Again, efficient to cook, saves money, and no effort spent during the week making sure I eat well. I buy easy-to-eat fruit and vegetables as snacks, and drink water or herbal tea. Bike riding means I need more salt than most people, and more energy. Fortunately I also like eating corn chips :) Those synergies are important, look for them!