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There is no better feeling than having a productive day and achieving all that you wanted to. But with what can feel like a never-ending workload and not enough hours in the day, it can be difficult to feel like you’re being productive without overworking yourself. It’s a slippery slope towards burnout and one that we don’t want you to fall down! So, here are 5 top tips to boost your productivity, so that you don’t have to sacrifice your work-life balance and can close your laptop with a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day.
1. Make a Daily To-do List
When you have what feels like a thousand tasks on your plate it can be hard to know where to start. A helpful first step is to visualise your tasks for the day. Whether this involves creating a spreadsheet or writing them down on paper, seeing all of your tasks in one place can help you to organise your thoughts and create a plan of action. Once you can see your tasks in front of you it’s easier to decide what to tackle first. You can also cross tasks off your list once you’ve completed them, giving you that small sense of achievement that will keep you motivated throughout the day.
2. Prioritise Tasks and Avoid Multitasking
Try to avoid multitasking, as working on a single task at a time enables you to be more focused and work more efficiently. According to Forbes, multitasking lowers IQ and damages the brain – if that doesn’t convince you not to multitask, I don’t know what will! Try to tackle important tasks first or those that are the most urgent, rather than the ones you are most passionate about. This way you can get the pressing tasks out of the way, which will take a weight off of your shoulders and allow you to focus on the more enjoyable tasks later on. It’s tough but work is hard sometimes, and sadly avoiding the hard tasks is never a good option. You never know, you might enjoy something more than you think once you get stuck in. The hardest part is getting started, but the more you work at it the easier it will become.
3. Set Achievable Goals
Try to set yourself small, achievable goals throughout the day. This will help to break up the day and keep yourself motivated by having something to aim towards, however small. But make sure that your goals are realistic – don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Attempting to do too much too fast can lead to more work in the long run, when it comes to editing or improving what you have already done. Setting achievable goals for the day also helps to avoid burnout. Overworking yourself can be easy in this day and age; at times it even seems like all work and no play. However, setting small goals will help you to stay focused and manage your time so that you can work more efficiently.
4. Take Breaks and Allow Yourself to Switch Off
When you’re stressed it can be difficult to give your brain and body time to switch off. But taking short, regular breaks can help to reset your mind and boost your concentration. Being physically active in these breaks is also a great way to boost brain function. Try going for a walk during your lunch break or joining an online yoga class, it may do you the world of good when you sit back at your desk in the afternoon. It’s also important to switch off from work at the end of the day. Shut your laptop and relax! Especially now that work-from-home is here to stay, it can be tempting to keep going after working hours. However, without ample time to rest and restore the brain, it will soon feel like you’re never able to switch off. Be sure to give yourself time to reset after work so that you’re ready and raring to go the next day.
5. Use Productivity Tools
Get off of social media – no more distractions – and use your phone to help you. Productivity tools such as myReach can help you to easily find what you’re looking for and organise your files. Save precious time and energy by spending less time hunting for the webpage you need to reference or the document that a colleague shared with you and more time focused on the task at hand. Keep everything organised in a smart filing system that is personalised to you so that you can easily find what you’re looking for. Technology is our friend when it comes to productivity… So use it!
Productivity is that magic word that we’re all striving for, but it can often feel painfully out of reach. Everyone works differently and it’s important to find what works for you in order to be at your most productive. Whether you work best in the morning or the afternoon, use your time accordingly and play to your strengths. Not every day will be perfectly productive, we’re only human! But be sure to try out these top tips, and once you find what works for you you’ll become a productivity king or queen in no time!
