7 Ways To Increase Your Productivity
It seems like everyone is looking to be more productive these days. With work-life balance becoming an increasing priority, most people are looking to do more work in less time. Additionally, more people run businesses or creative ventures in their spare time. This makes productivity even more important.
Avoid Procrastination
It may seem like an obvious solution, but procrastination is a bigger problem than most people realize. How often do you grab your phone and scroll for 10 minutes after your alarm goes off, only to find yourself rushing to get out the door on time? At work, you avoid projects that you feel may be difficult or boring until the last minute. At home, you might let household chores pile up until they’re overwhelming. The question is, how do you get around the urge to procrastinate?
Create Routines
Creating routines is one of the best ways to avoid procrastination and increase your productivity. Build the habit of getting up and making your bed as soon as the alarm clock goes off. Don’t reach for your phone until you’ve done your morning routine. This keeps you from getting distracted from your goals first thing in the morning. More importantly, it allows you to begin your day with a sense of accomplishment. That accomplished feeling then acts to reinforce the habit of the routine. You no longer get caught in a negative cycle of procrastination and instant gratification. Instead, you set up a more positive energy for the rest of your day.
Minimize Distractions
Working in an office is distracting at times, especially in some of today’s more open plan office spaces. An excellent way to help minimize distractions from other coworkers is a good pair of noise-canceling headphones or earbuds. Even if you’re not playing music through them, having them on sends a signal to those around you that you’re busy and need to concentrate.
If your work involves computers, social media is likely another huge distraction. Luckily, today there are several applications and browser extensions that you can use to stay focused. Most will allow you to set a list of sites that you would like blocked, and allow you to block them for certain amounts of time or during certain periods of the day.
Take Breaks to Improve Productivity
The idea of taking a 10 or 15 minute break may seem counterproductive, but at times it may be exactly what you need. Mental fatigue is a real issue, particularly in today’s fast-paced work environments. Stepping away for a short period of time can help you re-energize and refocus. In fact, you may want to look into productivity methods such as the Pomodoro technique.
Do Your Least Favorite Tasks First
It can be tempting to push aside tasks that you don’t enjoy until later. Unfortunately, this usually ends up leaving you with several unenjoyable tasks piled up together. Of course, then you want to procrastinate even more. Instead, tackle your least favorite tasks early on in the day. That way they’re done, and you can spend the rest of your time concentrating on doing things you love, instead of avoiding things that you don’t. It’s a proactive stance, rather than a reactive one.
Eat Well and Exercise
We’re sure you’re rolling your eyes right now. It seems like “eat right and exercise” is the default advice for just about everything, doesn’t it? There’s a reason for that. Your brain can’t focus if your body’s needs aren’t met. Make sure that you’re getting the right amounts of the food you need, and set aside some time every day for exercise. It doesn’t have to be a lot – a 30 minute brisk walk is enough. You might even consider breaking that up throughout your day if you need to (a 10 minute walk before work, on your lunch break, and on the way home, for example).
Less Multitasking
In today’s world multitasking almost seems like a necessity. Unfortunately, it also comes with a price – your productivity. Let’s face it, our brains weren’t made to concentrate on more than one thing at a time. When you try to multitask, you divide your focus between several projects at once, with the result of not really focusing on any of them. Not only can this decrease your productivity, your work quality can suffer too. Instead of multitasking, set aside time each day to focus fully on each project, and give yourself a break in-between to shift your focus.
Forgive Yourself
Some days are going to be hard to get through. Maybe you’re sick, or distracted by problems at home. If you have a day where you just can’t seem to focus, that’s okay. Network with coworkers who can help pick up the slack. Or, ask your boss for an afternoon off. Most importantly, don’t beat yourself up if you miss a few boxes on your to-do list. Just come back and address those when you’re more fresh and ready to focus.
Productivity Doesn’t Have To Be Hard
Increasing your productivity doesn’t have to be a mystery. By making a few simple changes to your daily routines you can dramatically increase your productivity. Not all of these changes will be easy – it takes time to break down old habits and build up new ones. However, if you stick with it you’ll find yourself getting more done in less time sooner than you might think.
What are your best tips for improving productivity? Leave us a comment and let us know.
Credits: Jennifer Bentley
