Staying productive day in and day out can feel impossible, especially when we have a demanding job or schedule to work at. However, there are some activities that are reliably shown to improve productivity and that can help give you a lift when your motivations are in a slump.
Whether you’ve got a big report due, a pitch that you really want to pull off perfectly, or you’re aiming for promotion, increasing your productivity is probably something you’ve considered. However, the desire to be more productive doesn’t always equate to reality. It can be hard to make ourselves work more when we’re used to bad habits or we feel that we don’t have enough time.
There are plenty of great ways to boost your energy in the short term. For example, you can take vitamin supplements, drink coffee, or take caffeine tablets to increase your productivity. Productivity techniques can also be used to optimize your long-term output and help you feel like you get more done in general. Wondering how to have a productive day? Here are 5 ways to be more productive that you can start now!
5 Daily Activities That Will Help You Be More Productive
- Schedule Ahead
Procrastination is a natural part of the workday. Some psychologists even believe that procrastination is a vital tool that prevents our brains from becoming overwhelmed when faced with multiple tasks. The major problem with procrastination, and the reason it slows down our productive efficiency during work, is that procrastination loses us time. If we’re already running behind, or we have poor time management skills, procrastinating can make things worse!
Learning how to schedule effectively is a great way to improve time management and can help you to be more productive. This is partly because scheduling or planning ahead allows you to slow down and break down what you need to accomplish into chunks. You can even schedule some extra time for procrastination or for relaxation breaks!
Drawing up a schedule for the week is one of the most productive things to do at home on the weekends. Make a list of all the tasks you have for the week ahead and prioritize them according to importance. If they’re things that must be achieved, schedule plenty of time for them. Try to think about your most productive time of day and aim to do important or time-consuming tasks when you’re likely to feel more focused.
- Take Meaningful Breaks
Many of us fall into the trap of thinking that to be productive, we must remain glued to our desks all day. However, forcing yourself to be productive when you’re exhausted or burnt out can be like running into a brick wall and can actually slow your progress down long-term. Taking quality breaks, where you totally remove yourself from work, is actually a much better strategy.
Firstly, when you take a break, you should aim to physically distance yourself from your work. Take a walk or, at least, move away from your desk to eat lunch or give yourself relaxation time. This may feel like you’re stealing away precious work time, but really it gives your mind vital time to process.
The quality of your breaks – or how you spend your free time – is also important. If scrolling on your phone leaves you drained and unfocused, don’t do it on your break. Instead, do something that you find enriching, such as reading a chapter of a book or taking a stroll in a scenic area. This will help you have a productive day when you return to your desk.
- Do Some Physical Exercise
Want ideas about productive things to do on your days off? Try getting active! Regular physical exercise increases mental focus and stimulates blood flow to our brains, giving us a brainpower boost.
Taking exercise on your days off, or squeezing some in before or after work, can seriously increase your overall productivity. This is because exercise busts stress and can help improve mental clarity. It can also help improve your sleep, giving you more energy for the workday ahead.
- Reduce Distractions
The gadgetry of the modern age is truly dazzling – until we need to get some work done, that is! Switching off from constant news alerts, social media notifications, and persistent emails can feel impossible and can hamper our productivity. However, if you want to find ways to stay productive, reducing distractions is crucial.
One good tip is not to have notifications enabled on your work computer. This way, when you don’t want to be disturbed, you can switch off your phone and focus on your current task, without worrying about emails or messages coming in. Another useful method is to use productivity apps or trackers to give yourself deadlines to work to. Apps, like Pomodoro, encourage you to work distraction-free for a set period of time. This can be ideal if you respond well to working in bursts or to managing tasks in chunks.
- Learn to Say No
Being available and reliable are great qualities in the workplace. However, being so available that you take on too much and don’t get anything done is a problem. Having boundaries is a great skill to cultivate if you want to be more productive and achieve career success.
Again, this is really a question of knowing your priorities and being honest with yourself about how long certain tasks will take. Don’t try to squeeze something extra in for the sake of approval when you know this will mean letting quality slide. Instead, keep control of your schedule and be honest with anyone who asks you to do more. This may feel unintuitive at first, but, ultimately, people will respect your dedication and your commitment to doing things properly.
Conclusion
Being more productive is tough and it can take time and energy to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. You may need to try several habit-building tricks before you find the right one for you. To help figure this out, why not try journaling or use an app like a productive habit tracker to outline your progress. This will give your motivation and confidence a boost and help inspire you to keep going, even when you feel like giving up.
Final Call: What tricks do you use to help you stay productive? Do you struggle with productivity or find you have plenty of motivation throughout the day? Have you tried any of these tips? Let us know in the comments!
Author’s bio:
Hey everyone, it’s Coach Alisa Weaver 🙂
Teaching and coaching is my passion and career choice. I also write useful articles on health and fitness for the site gym-expert.com. I find great satisfaction to see others achieve their goals, whether it is recovery from injury or surgery, strengthening the body for competition, or just becoming fit.
I think that anyone can improve their fitness level no matter what their physical condition may be. By pushing yourself, discipline, not giving up together we can make your goals happen.
