5 Ways To Improve Your Productivity

No matter what your job is, it is a common goal to be more productive. True productivity takes more than just extreme amounts of coffee, especially in this digital age when attention spans are shorter than ever. Here are five simple tips to improve productivity.

Take breaks – Sit. Walk. Sit.

Oftentimes, we don’t take enough breaks. They say, “sitting is the new smoking.” A study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that too much sitting can actually shorten your life expetency. For five minutes every hour, stand up and walk around. It will reduce lethary, depression, and your risk of diabetes. Too much sitting can lead to headaches and drowsiness, making it even harder to accomplish a task. Since your brain has used up its glucose, give yourself a moment to regroup by taking a walk, getting a drink of water, eating a snack, or even meditating. You are sure to come back refreshed and ready to work.

Take time in the morning for yourself.

Avoid checking your email in the morning at all costs. By doing so, you are allowing someone else to decide what you accomplish. Instead, start the day by eating a good breakfast, meditating, and/or working out. This will give you the proper fuel for your day.

Stop multi-tasking!

Trying to do 10 things at once is the least productive thing you can do. In fact, in 80 clinical trials, Dr. Glenn Wilson at the University of London found that we lose as many as 10 IQ points when we allow our work to be interrupted by seemingly benign distractions like emails and text messages. Not only are people shifting tasks several times a day but 90% of people with more than one device are shifting between devices at least three times a day, says a Google study. Be more effective and efficient by doing one task at a time.

Less is more.

When it comes to productivity, less is more. Ask yourself, do you really need all of those tasks on your to-do list? A less-is-more approach to productivity allows you to be realistic and accomplish the most important tasks.

Finish your most challenging tasks first.

Knock out the most challenging work when your mind is still fresh. Any busy work or meetings? Try to do them in the afternoons. This will prove to be a more productive way of handling your time.