There has been a dramatic increase in the importance placed on productivity as a performance indicator by both corporations and individuals.
There has been a rise in productivity apps and guiding principles, which is encouraging because it means people have more options at their disposal.
Concentration and timely completion of all work are two of the most challenging aspects of working from home.
After all, everyone has their own electronic devices at home, and this environment is not conducive to work.
Methods and lifestyle adjustments that can be made to boost productivity significantly are the focus of this piece.
These have a solid scientific foundation and are tailored to the expectations and difficulties of today’s digital workforce. The following time-saving tips can help you make the most of each day:
1. Set your daily goals in advance
Jot out your entire day’s itinerary in the morning or the night before. Write down everything you need to get done today, how long it will take you to do each task, and in what sequence.
You’ll be less likely to procrastinate or lose focus on your responsibilities if you write down when you need to complete each task.
2. Don’t forget to do Early-morning workouts
Exercising for 30 minutes a day can work wonders for your stamina and energy levels. Working out increases blood flow, which brings fresh oxygen and nutrients to working muscle groups like the heart and lungs.
This boosts your stamina, endurance, and cardiovascular health. Your day might go more smoothly if you get your workout first.
No matter what time of day you decide to work out, you’ll notice an increase in your ability to concentrate and focus.
A morning workout could be the answer if you struggle to concentrate during the day. Just take it easy on yourself.
According to Everyday Health, excessive activity can lead to pain, exhaustion, mood swings, and nervousness. Exercise no less than thirty minutes every day, five days per week, to be on the safe side.
3. Plan to accomplish just one thing per day
Setting a single daily target is a common tip from productivity apps. It continually reinforces the idea of narrowing one’s attention to a certain job at a time.
Every day’s tasks can be broken down into manageable chunks in which you focus solely on one activity.
Forgetting how to multitask requires retraining your brain to focus on one thing at a time. You should decide on a single objective for the day and then divide it up into manageable chunks of work.
This is counter to the advice we get from our digital devices, but the technology that worsens the problem also holds the key to its resolution. Aim for Clear goals, which are defined, quantified, realistic, relevant, and punctual targets.
4. Take the time to enjoy a morning meal
Consuming breakfast provides a metabolic boost and increases energy levels to help you go through the day. Those who skip breakfast may experience decreased energy and concentration throughout the day. Caused by a lack of glucose provides the brain with the fuel it needs to function normally.
It has been shown that skipping breakfast might have a negative impact on cognitive abilities like attention, concentration, and memory.
According to studies, people who eat breakfast are more productive in the mornings than those who wait until later in the day to eat, even though the latter group consumes more calories overall. According to some research, not eating breakfast may also increase one’s chance of developing cardiovascular disease. Consider making your breakfast the previous night.
5. Say “No” without guilt
One of the most critical factors in maximizing efficiency is establishing limits. It’s admirable that you want to lend a hand whenever possible, but remember that taking on too many other people’s projects will prevent you from completing your own.
Therefore, to avoid becoming sidetracked, practice saying “no” to unexpected demands, unscheduled callers, and uncomfortable meetings. Saying “No” can be a massive pain at times, but like many productivity hacks, all it takes is a shift in perspective to make it easier.
You can break bad habits and boost your productivity with the help of tools and approaches, but ultimately, it’s up to you to make the necessary changes. Make sure your coworkers know when they can’t bother you by blocking off time in a shared digital calendar like Google Calendar.
6. Spend some time writing without thinking
Writing in a freestyle manner means not bothering about spelling, punctuation, or grammar while you jot down your thoughts as fast and constantly as possible. Freewriting is an excellent tool when you’re stuck creatively or just need to get your thoughts in order.
Freewriting has positive effects on people of all ability levels. What’s more, freewriting can help you organize, develop new ideas, and find inspiration. It can also help you get past writer’s block and eliminate certain worries.
Freewriting, much like brainstorming, results in a collection of thoughts that you can reorganize and expand upon later. You can become a better leader and better communicator if you write. Start or end your day with 30-60 minutes of freewriting.
Also, remember that what you write can be shown to others. Though there are few guidelines to adhere to when freewriting, there is one rule you must follow: Keep writing until the time is up. So, there’s no need to worry about the standard.
7. Relax at frequent intervals
Constantly working without rest periods is terrible for your health in every way: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Work can become so fascinating that you forget to eat or force yourself to concentrate until you pass out. Set aside time to relax and enjoy yourself in between chores.
Letting yourself unwind before returning to work will allow you to think more clearly once you return to it. Taking a short break will allow you to refocus and get back to work with renewed vigor. You’re free to do as you choose during that time. Just return to work feeling revitalized and alert.
8. Set up timeframes
Timelines are like a financial plan that must be adhered to. Preventing wasteful expenditure can be as simple as allocating a specific block of time in advance to accomplish a specific objective, goal, or project.
Having a deadline can indeed be helpful, but poorly established ones can also be frustrating. Unless you intend to waste an inordinate amount of time on a project, you must set a deadline and stick to it. You’ll feel a good feeling of urgency and be better able to manage your time if you do this. To ensure that you finish the project when you want to, you should give yourself a deadline and prioritize it accordingly.
9. Don’t try to multitask
It’s commonly believed that juggling numerous projects at once is the most efficient approach to getting everything done. However, only about 3% of the population excels at multitasking.
This is a time-honored practice among the time-starved, who have learned to juggle multiple activities at once. Multitasking is hard or impossible for almost everyone, almost all of the time. Even though we may feel like we’re juggling multiple tasks at once, we’re performing separate actions very quickly most of the time.
The human brain isn’t designed to execute numerous things simultaneously, so multitasking causes it to bounce back and forth between them, reducing performance and increasing error rates.
You can finally stop juggling multiple activities at once if you surround yourself with the correct people who know it’s a waste of time and energy and equip yourself with resources that allow you to concentrate on each task in isolation.
10. Be an Early-bird
Your early rise could be the result of several factors. To reap the health benefits of an early rise, you must ensure you get enough sleep the night before. If you wake up much earlier than usual, it will reduce your circadian rhythm.
This will make you sleepier and less productive, which is different from what you want. You’ll have more time in the morning to relax after a restful night’s sleep, prepare a healthy meal, hit the gym, and freshen up for the day. You might finish your work early, giving yourself additional leisure in the evenings.
Change when you go to sleep and when you wake up slowly, by 10-15 minutes at a time, and make sure you still get enough sleep. Make your mornings something you look forward to, and you’ll be less likely to reach for the snooze button.
Reduce your exposure to blue light in the evening and prioritize the morning sun to avoid disrupting your body’s normal melatonin production. When you’ve settled on an appropriate wake time, keep to it.
11. Plan some time for yourself
The superb method to prevent burnout is to schedule time for self-care. Burnout is one of the major threats to productivity. You might be familiar with the concept of self-care, and you might agree that it’s worth pursuing, despite the fact that doing so will entail some additional effort on your part.
Practicing self-care is attending to your physical, emotional, and mental needs by stopping to take stock, pausing to reflect, and actively tuning into your ideas and beliefs when things don’t seem right. Both physically beneficial and emotionally satisfying pursuits, such as massages and weekly dinners with friends, might fall under the umbrella of “self-care.”
12. Work in small chunks
Working in brief bursts can make focusing on a single task easier than trying to do so continuously. You should chunk your big goals down into manageable chunks during goal setting. You have a better chance of maintaining your drive, direction, and concentration.
You can see exactly what you need to do to get where you want to go. Avoiding mental burnout is easier when work is divided into smaller chunks and breaks are taken frequently. That’ll force you to sharpen your problem-solving skills to the max.
One strong benefit of breaking up your job into little chunks is boosting productivity. This time-management strategy is effective since that’s about how long the average adult can focus on one task at a time. Instead of fighting against your natural tendency to focus, this strategy works with it.
13. Put your perfectionism aside
However, perfectionists have an unhealthy predisposition to set loft goals that are either unattainable or highly challenging. Those who strive for perfection often view everything less than ideal as terrible and assume that any flaw, no matter how small, will lead to disaster.
Adults who are perfectionists often think they shouldn’t ever make errors and that doing so makes them a failure or a total loser for disappointing others. Because of their way of thinking, making a mistake is terrifying.
Attempting perfection almost always leads to frustration and feelings of failure, as the individual realizes they are falling short of their high expectations.
As a result, rather than worrying about doing a great job, you should concentrate on getting the work done. Taking pleasure in your work is essential, but so is knowing when and how to move on to something new.
14. Have a designated office space
Establishing a separate office space at home allows you to separate your business from your private life. Feelings akin to those experienced while working at a desk have been successfully replicated. On the other hand, you’re working from the comfort of your own home.
A dedicated office space, even if you’re working remotely, gives your business more respectability. Now that you’re out of the office getting sidetracked from your task will be much harder.
You should establish a dedicated work area outfitted with everything you need to get things done efficiently. Feel free to seek out workspaces away from home if you discover too many distractions at home.
15. Work near a source of daylight (Bonus)
Researchers from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Illinois found that office workers who were given access to natural light slept more soundly and for longer periods each night. People fortunate enough to have a desk next to a window are exposed to white light at a rate 176% higher than their paler colleagues.
Good lighting is crucial to your productivity, whether at home or in an office. Having a high-quality light source to work under is essential for not only the health of our eyes and ability to concentrate but also for the well-being of our minds.
Having windows in the workplace has increased productivity and employee satisfaction.
According to the World Green Building Council, having windows that let in natural light makes employees happier and more productive. Plus, if they’re interested, they’re more likely to keep working without getting distracted. They’re also more inclined to work together with the team.
In short, how can I increase my productivity and be successful?
- Set specific, achievable goals for yourself. This will help you stay focused and motivated.
- Create a schedule and try to stick to it. This will help you manage your time effectively and ensure that you are making the most of your day.
- Take breaks when you need them. It’s important to rest and recharge in order to stay productive.
- Learn to say no to tasks that are not a priority. This will help you focus on the things that are most important to you.
- Learn to delegate tasks to others when appropriate. This will free up your time and allow you to focus on the things that you are best at.
- Stay organized and keep track of your progress. This will help you stay on track and make it easier to see how far you have come.
- Keep a positive attitude and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Surrounding yourself with supportive and positive people can also help you be more successful.
Bottom-Line
The focus here was on developing effective routines and making straightforward decisions regarding the resources that will facilitate your efforts toward your goals. Being open to new ways of planning and carrying out work is essential if you want to increase your productivity. You should, therefore, be constantly conscious of your diversions and seek to identify their sources.
