Jeremy Kaplan
Being productive doesn’t mean working yourself ragged to get everything done and taking no breaks throughout the day. Being productive means knowing how to manage your time in the best way to get the most out of your work schedule – and yourself – while affording yourself the time to understand when you need to take a break and refocus.
Staying productive is a lot about mind over matter and changing the way you think to focus on the task at hand rather than allowing your mind to wander.
Here are 4 sure-fire ways to keep up your productivity levels throughout the day.
Know When You’re Most Productive
You can have varying degrees of productivity during the day. Being less productive at 3 p.m. than you were at 9 a.m. doesn’t mean that you aren’t being productive late in the day, it just means you need to understand when your levels of motivation are most optimised.
Understanding when you’re most productive is essential for doing the most demanding tasks in order to fulfil them at the most ideal time. If you find that your brain works better first thing in the morning, then get the hard work done first instead of leaving it until late afternoon.
Take Regular Breaks
If you’re finding that you’re hitting a brick wall in your mental and physical motivation levels, it may be time to take a break. Often, it’s better to take a break and return to a task rather than battle through it, even if it means getting the task done later.
Regular breaks only need to be five minutes or so spread out throughout the day, and should be best spent away from your workstation and doing an activity which takes your mind away from your workload, such as reading an article, playing a game on your phone or even placing a bet on the Mega Millions!
Eliminate Distractions
Understand what distracts you the most and work to eliminate it. Some individuals may find background music very distracting, while others may find that it helps them work. It’s important to understand which distractions only serve to take your mind away from the task at hand so you can then get rid of them.
Consider removing your phone from the desk out of sight, setting up a more private workspace and avoiding any form of distracting technology – whatever works personally for you.
Stay Healthy
Having a productive mind comes largely from a healthy lifestyle. You’re not going to work productively if you are tired, eating unhealthy foods which make you feel groggy and have a limited degree of a physical workout. A healthy body helps with a healthy mind. You may feel more alert if you go for a jog before beginning your workday, for example, or you may need more hours of sleep to ensure your brain is more focused. Try only to consume healthy foods which help you to feel more motivated and alert, at the very least while you’re working – you can always have a cheat day on your day off!
