5 Ways to Boost Productivity in Your Day

It is often hard to get going in certain seasons of life.  In Canada, it is the dead of winter, and we are dealing with freezing temperatures and shorter hours of daylight.  This tends to make us feel lethargic and satisfied to spend more time relaxing at home.  We have a nagging sensation that we need to get more done. Yet we can’t seem to bring ourselves to get on it. 

This type of stagnation can happen at different times. It could be following a holiday or returning from vacation. These times can feel like we are in a rut and need to get back on track.  Rest days and scheduled breaks are necessary. Yet when that mindset turns into days, then weeks, it is time to snap out of it.  What are some ways to boost productivity in your environment and within your schedule?  What changes can we make to our days and what tools can help us?

Ways to Boost Productivity:  Use Alarms

It is one thing to have a plan for the day and to have tasks and times laid out. Yet often in the busy chaos of the routine, we forget to look at our planners.  Since our cell phones are always close by, I decided to use alarms to complete my planned tasks.  Today, I had 3 alarms set as reminders to get up and walk at work and complete an outdoor walk.  I set one for purging sections of my house for an hour, and one for spending time on my writing.  It is great to have a written plan, but this intrusive reminder is a more effective way to spur yourself into action.

Keep Distractions Out of Sight

Phones are useful for many different things, like using photos, calculators, alarms and so much more. However, the temptation of picking it up to scroll is too strong. To keep my focus on tasks that require deeper attention, such as reading and writing, it is critical to put the phone in a different room (where I can still hear it if need be for a message from my child wanting a ride, or another important text).   If it is out of sight but within earshot, I will still be able to have a more complete focus on these activities that require undivided attention.  Ways to boost productivity most effectively will always depend on removing yourself from electronic distractions. 

Choose Your Environment Carefully: Ways to Boost Productivity

When trying to accomplish a goal, the environment we are working in can often play a role in how productive we will be.   When I want to get in a solid 45-minute walk, it is best for me to go to a trail where I will enjoy my time more. If I end up trying to walk around the neighborhood where my kids are having soccer practice, it will not likely inspire me to go as far.   If I want to research something or type up an article, I will get more done if I am in a room or area of the house away from other distractions. 

This will be different for each person.  If you don’t have a private office space, at least trying to be in a room by yourself will help.  Another factor is to be comfortable, but not too comfortable.  Sitting up in a chair is likely more conducive to getting productive work done than sprawled out on the couch.  Read The Promises we Make to Ourselves for more tips on how to set yourself up for success.

Schedule in Breaks and Downtime to Boost Productivity

A jam-packed schedule is not going to work.  The opposite of being lethargic and accomplishing nothing is running around in a state of high stress, but still accomplishing very little.  You need regular breaks and downtime to be your most productive.  Otherwise, you will just stop, and tell yourself to forget it.  You’ll start again tomorrow.  Then again on Monday.  How can you have a schedule that leaves you feeling fulfilled and accomplished, yet still plan for downtime?   

Randy Garn offers the following advice:  “Break your day up by 45- or 60-minute blocks. Each time you reach the end of the block, give yourself two to five minutes to reset. Clear your mind. Read something. Put your work on hold. Understand that when you get back to your tasks, you’ll be fresh and ready. Maintain your focus by maintaining your intention.”  (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/371384).  Whatever short activity helps you to feel recharged without taking over your attention completely, will be effective.  Give yourself even ten to fifteen minutes on your phone, playing a game, or interacting with a pet.  Then cut yourself off, and get on with your next goal.

Ways to Boost Productivity: Take Care of Yourself First

Feeling energetic is half the battle.  How productive do you feel if you’ve just eaten a rich, heavy meal?  Your inclination is likely to drop to the couch and watch Netflix or scroll the internet mindlessly.   If you haven’t had much exercise that particular day, you will also likely continue this lethargic mindset.  Forcing yourself out on that brisk walk or workout is the very thing that will create energy and put you in a more positive space to accomplish the next goal on your list.  Sleep is critical as well.  If we are running a sleep deficit, we will struggle more to make these right choices when it comes to nutrition and exercise.  This creates a cycle of lethargy that is almost impossible to break.   Check out The Self-Care Craze for more advice on striking this balance.

To do our best, we need to feel our best, and this starts with taking care of these three pillars of health first, as part of our daily routines and planning.   Schedule in an early bedtime and wake-up time, schedule in time to prepare healthy foods, and figure out what time you will be moving your body.  These foundational habits are the secret to setting us up for a more productive day.  Improving your use of time and focus can often feel like three steps forward and two steps back, but with small improvements every day, habits will develop.   Ways to boost productivity revolve around the development of solid habits that we don’t need to think about or negotiate with ourselves over.  We just do them.