The latest American Time Use Survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that in 2007, Americans spent an average of 7.6 hours per day working and 2.47 hours taking care of their household. Those with children under age 6 spent another 2.0 hours a day on childcare.

Add the numbers up and that's 12 hours gone. Then there are the hours spent eating, sleeping and other necessary but time-consuming tasks. No wonder so many people feel like there's never enough time in a day.

And with work devouring the second most amount of time per day (sleep is No. 1, taking up 8.57 hours), it's fairly shocking that so many Americans today give up their vacation days. A recent Expedia.com survey found that 31 percent of Americans return an average of 3 vacation days annually — worth approximately $65.52 billion.

To encourage Americans to recapture their well-earned time, the Take Back Your Time campaign organized Take Back Your Time Day, which will be held Oct. 24. A dubious holiday perhaps, but the goal of this national event is to remind people about the negative effects of overwork, over-scheduling and "time famine," and why they need to slow down their harried lifestyles.

To help gear up for the event, and to improve overall time management, here are seven simple ideas on how to squeeze in free time every day.

No Means No
Many people end up over-scheduling themselves because they are uncomfortable saying no or are afraid to delegate tasks. Realize that you don't have to do everything and there are tasks better suited for someone else, advises About.com: Small Business: Canada.

Prioritize and Organize
Track your daily activities and find out where you're wasting time. Set a goal to reduce the amount of time you spend on nonessential tasks and track your progress, About.com: Small Business: Canada says.

One way to figure out where you're wasting time is by prioritizing tasks and mapping out your day. This ensures that you spend your time on what's important to you, the Mayo Clinic writes.

Mapping out your activities and the length of time you spend on them will keep you from overestimating the time you have available and prevents you from over-committing, notes About.com: Stress Management.

Manage your Money
So many people spend more time working because finances demand it. Eleven percent of Expedia.com's survey respondents say they'd rather get money back than take vacation days.

By taking control of your money situation — paying down debt, spending less, saving or possibly earning more — you'll be able to spend more time doing things you enjoy and less time working for or worrying about money, assures About.com: Stress Management.

Do It Right the First Time
Focus on getting it right the first time. Though it may take more time initially, according to the Mayo Clinic, doing a quality job the first time ends up taking less time overall. You won't have to redo your work or spend as much — if any — time making corrections.

Work in Chunks
If a task seems daunting, break the large, time-consuming job into smaller tasks, the Mayo Clinic suggests. Work on each segment a few minutes at a time until they're all done.

Just Do It
Don't waste time procrasti-planning or micro-analyzing a basic project. "Research shows that once you actually begin a task, your perceptions of that task change," BNET's Team Taskmaster blog notes. "And making even a little progress boosts your well-being, which in turn gives you more motivation to work."

Take a Break
While seemingly counterintuitive, taking a break can help you accomplish your tasks. Too much stress can derail your productivity and attempts at organization, Mayo Clinic warns. Take a break when you need one so you can re-energize.

"The harder you work, the more you need to balance your leisure and exercise time," says Brad Sugars, CEO of business coaching firm ActionCOACH (via PRLog). "[The] key to time management is to build your personal and business life around your individual needs and desired outcomes through planned and measured activities."

Earlier/Related

Understanding and Coping with Procrastination

Multitasking Terror

Resources

American Time Use Survey — 2007 Results
Bureau of Labor Statistics, June 25, 2008

Expedia.com — 2008 International Vacation Deprivation Survey Results
Expedia.com, April 15, 2008

11 Time Management Tips
by Susan Ward
About.com: Small Business: Canada.

Time Management: Tips to Reduce Stress and Improve Productivity
Mayo Clinic

I'm Just Too Busy. How Do I Find More Time?
by Elizabeth Scott
About.com: Stress Management, Oct. 3, 2007

Beat Procrastination with These 3 Tips
by CC Holland
Team Taskmaster blog/BNET, Oct. 1, 2008

Manage to Make Time for Yourself
PRLog, Sept. 26, 2008