10 Awesome Productivity Tips To Help You Become More Productive
Becoming more productive is easier said than done. With all the distractions of the modern world, it can be hard to sit down and
focus on one task. If you have been struggling with productivity and you find yourself procrastinating, you might be looking for simple ways to become more productive.
Here are the best ten tips on staying productive and accomplishing all your tasks to have more time for yourself and the hobbies you want to try.
1. Make Routines
If you don't have a routine, you need to create one to stay more productive. If you have a routine but find it's not working, you might consider making a new one. Remember that the way that works for someone else might not be the best for you.
Try to make your own routine. You can incorporate tips and tricks from other people if you see something that might work for you, but don't be afraid to change things when you see something is not working.
It's crucial to have a routine for the morning and night as these are the most important because they will start and end your day. In the morning, consider waking up earlier than you are used to. Rushing off to work might cause you to forget something you need to be more productive.
Wake up a little earlier, just 15 minutes. Use the extra time to prep for work, pack a healthy lunch, or get a quick exercise routine in.
At night, make sure your routine fits in before bedtime. Going to bed at the same time every night will also ensure you are getting enough sleep.
Bedtime or night routines should not be energetic as you want your body and mind to know that it's time for bed.
Consider drinking some herbal tea or putting the screens away and reading a book. You can also make sure everything you need for work is prepped and ready the next day.
2. Make Use of Productivity Tools
There are countless productivity tools, both digital and non-digital. If you want to be productive and make sure you are on track for all your work tasks, you need to make sure you are using them. You can use written organizational methods like planners and desk calendars if you aren't tech-savvy.
These work great for people that like to handwrite things rather than typing them onto a computer. Just make sure to bring your planner with you when you are at work or when you are making appointments.
If you use non-digital tools, you might also want to use colourful pens or sticky notes to organize. You can also differentiate between work, school, and personal tasks by using different colours.
For those in the digital world for work or personal hobbies, you might find it easier to keep everything digital since you almost always have your computer on hand. Your laptop, smartphone, and tablet all have great productivity and organizational tools. Most of them are free so that you can make sure of them easily.
Like with non-digital tools, you need a calendar to keep track of your
tasks. The great thing about going digital is that you can sync them altogether from one device to another. It allows you to access your calendar from your phone, smartwatch, computer, and tablet.
If you have separate digital devices for work, you can also keep them
separate by only syncing work devices to the other work devices. It will allow you to keep a line between work and your personal life, greatly increasing productivity.
3. Don't Resist Change
One main reason people can't become productive is that they are reluctant to change things in their life. Changing a routine, a job, or many other things in life can be hard because it means letting go and stepping out of your comfort zone.
If you are having trouble with productivity, though, something in your life
needs to change to start new habits. If you are afraid of doing a complete overhaul of your life, that's perfectly okay, and it's a normal feeling to have.
Try only changing one thing at a time. Once you feel comfortable with the
change, you can move on to another thing. You can also start with a small
change first to ease into your new way of life.
4. Take Breaks Throughout the Day
Breaks are needed every time you are working to regain focus and keep your energy up. Breaks aren't just required for work, though. If you are at home doing a project or practicing a hobby, you also need to take breaks.
One method people enjoy using is the Pomodoro method. It has been shown to work well for many people as it gives you defined work periods and clear rest periods. It allows you to have a set schedule for your work and playtime.
Break time can also be had with a friend or coworker to make it more fun.
Try to do something with movement during your break, such as getting up to stretch or walking around the office. You can also take this time to do a quick refill, like drinking a coffee or eating a protein snack.
This will allow you to have plenty of time for relaxing and recharging. If you don't want to follow the Pomodoro method, you can always just take breaks as you finish tasks. For long tasks, though, you might need to break them up into sections to make sure you are not rushing through them.
5. Do the Hardest Tasks
First, As the day goes on and you are nearing the time to go home, you might become less and less productive. For this reason, it's recommended you do the hardest tasks in the morning when you have the full day ahead of you, and you are feeling the most productive.
You might also want to do the task you dread the most at the beginning of the day. This allows you to get it over with, and it also gives you a sense of accomplishment to carry with you the rest of the day as you complete more things on your to-do list.
6. Get Enough Sleep
For some, sleep is the biggest issue when it comes to productivity. If you are not sleeping enough or not sleeping well, you will find yourself in a brain fog for the rest of the day, trying to get through the tasks at hand. Waking up without energy and motivation sets the rest of the day for failure.
If you have trouble sleeping, you might want to make some lifestyle changes to spend more energy during the day and sleep better at night. You can also try doing some mediation before bed or drinking tea.
If you're wondering how much or how well you sleep, there are many different apps you can use that will track your sleeping. They can also see how often you enter REM sleep, which will tell you more about the quality of your sleep.
7. Start with the Right Mindset
When it comes to productivity, it's important to remember to have the right mindset. Some days will be harder to change your mindset than others, but try to wake up with a positive mindset every morning. Your mind is your most powerful when it comes to becoming more productive.
Your mind can easily tell you to push things off or wait until tomorrow.
Learning how to combat those thoughts can be your biggest challenge.
However, your mind can also tell you can do more, and you can keep going even when times may seem tough.
Entering the right mindset can set you up for success and increase your productivity. Practicing mindfulness and doing some mental activities will ensure you change your mindset. Mediation is one way that people practice mindfulness throughout the day. Your office might not have a place you can truly sit down and meditate, but you can always mediate before and after work at home.
You can take some pauses and breaks throughout the day to
think through the day and make sure you are going in the right direction during work.
Mediation also has many different health benefits, such as reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, and helping your body achieve homeostasis. It can even lower stress hormones in your body, such as cortisol.
You can also practice deep breathing at work even if you are not mediating.
Try taking some deep breaths at work at your desk. You can also
practice better breathing at home while doing yoga or working out. Try some slow yoga at first to get your breathing on track.
8. Exercise More Often
Exercise is one major way you can make sure you are productive. If you can work out in the morning, you will be more likely to be productive throughout the day. Getting your body moving will also change your mindset and put your mind more at ease throughout the day.
Even if you don't have time to go to the gym and exercise for hours at a time, that's okay! Only 15 to 20 minutes of exercise a day can make a difference. Try doing some home workout videos or getting simple gym equipment to keep in your living room.
You can also do 15 minutes of yoga after waking up and another 15 minutes before bed. This will help you rest better and help get your blood flowing in the morning.
9. Be More in Touch With Your Emotions
You often might not be as productive in work and life because of stress or other emotions you have going on. Certain things going on at work might spark different emotions that cause you to become less productive or might cause you to feel less motivated to finish certain tasks.
Whenever you are feeling anxious or don't feel like being productive, try to sit down for a few minutes and see what emotion or feeling has caused you to feel less productive. It might be a deeper problem like something at home or a significant life change. If this is the case, try to think about ways you can overcome the difficulty and, in turn, become more productive.
If the problem runs deeper, you might want to consider serious life changes.
Feeling stuck in a job or relationship can stifle productivity and remove
yourself from the situation might be crucial to make sure you can be as
productive as possible.
10. Prepare and Organize
Once you have your productivity tools ready, make sure you are using them to stay organized and prepare for the days and weeks ahead.
Many people choose to prep for the week on Monday morning or the night before so that they can have an idea in their head of the workload and what tasks need to get done.
Organize your calendar and planner in a way that makes sense to you. It
doesn't have to look the same as everyone else's as everyone's organizational skills are different from each other. You can also download templates online for scheduling if you aren't sure how to do it on your own.