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Today’s world is extremely competitive and demands quick responses. Everyone is constantly trying to be more productive to stand out. Some look for shortcuts with magic formulas – like caffeine or energy drinks. Others simply organize themselves to try to increase their productivity levels and complete daily tasks as best they can.
But a productive workday can be challenging because it requires you to avoid those countless distractions of modern life.
These are the five big secrets to increasing your productivity and becoming more efficient at school or work.
Sleep Schedule
If you wake up in the morning and spend long minutes tossing and turning until you finally get up, drop this habit right now. Waking up at the same time and maintaining a sleep schedule every day is critical to increasing your productivity.
Sleeping is how our body “recharges” for the next day. A good night’s sleep not only restores physical energy but also strengthens your mind.
Each age group needs a certain amount of sleep to recharge their batteries. An adult should sleep 7-9 hours every night to avoid fatigue or difficulty concentrating the next day. If you’re getting less sleep, review your daily habits.
To-Do List
Creating to-do lists the day before or at the beginning of the week is elementary. But people tend to exaggerate and make absurd lists that they won’t be able to follow. Frustrated, they simply abandon the lists halfway.
Try to make realistic to-do lists. Let’s say you’ve created your list for the day and it is huge. Completing all the tasks becomes a challenge from the start and takes away your motivation. So cut it in half, dividing any large task, that requires more work and concentration, into smaller ones that you can accomplish.
A daily list with 20 tasks will hardly be accomplished in eight work hours. If you eliminate some of these tasks and focus only on what’s important, you’ll avoid procrastination or leaving things unfinished.
Avoid Distractions
We are surrounded by the Internet, smartphones, and social networks, making it difficult to complete a task from start to finish without getting distracted in between. You’ve probably already stopped reading this article at least once to check your emails or messages.
Try to adopt a system of “distractions management”. Instead of compulsively checking your emails or Facebook, set aside a fixed time for these activities in the morning or afternoon – or even as a reward when you complete a task.
And if you tend to remember important things while you’re doing something important, create a digital or even manual file to put those memories and avoid interruptions.
For example, if in the middle of work you remember that you need to pay a bill or go to the supermarket, write it all down and come back to it as soon as you’re free.
Monotasking
Multitasking is when you try to do everything at once. You seem to be buying time, but you’re more likely doing a lot of things poorly than a single one well-made.
After all, you’re dividing your focus and attention between different tasks. Instead of generating more productivity, multitasking ends up creating more confusion.
Try to adopt a monotasking posture especially when activities demand more of your brain than your body. For example, don’t try to write an important business email in the middle of a meeting or while talking on the phone, as things will get mixed up. Your concentration will be affected and the work will be slower.
Find a Hobby
After a busy day at school or work, many people return home and… continue studying or working! This is unhealthy because it doesn’t help your brain relax. Instead of giving you more productivity, the practice will eventually leave you more drained and stressed.
Take up a hobby unrelated to your studies or work instead. Mastering new skills occupy your mind while you’re inactive and make you more confident. It also helps you manage your time better: a recent study found that just 45 minutes of making art can increase your concentration, efficiency, and ability to complete tasks.
Your new hobby might be reading, walking, running, collecting something, making art, crafts, etc. Something where you don’t have to think about the things you need to do at the office tomorrow.
You can also choose to play some sport in your free time. In that case, don’t forget to wear sports sunglasses to be safe and protect your eyes during the activity.
The Benefits of Being Productive
Being more productive gives you a purpose. When you manage to organize yourself to improve your productivity, you avoid getting lost in endless tasks or procrastinating.
This saves some important time for yourself, whether to do more things, have fun, or enjoy yourself with family and friends.
Being more productive also helps you avoid mistakes and delays, and all the negative things associated with that – like the feeling of always running against the clock.
