Now that we’re all pretty much at home most of the time, we’ve discovered that working from home can be really challenging in spite of how amazing it is.
You have to think about the kids, possibly homeschooling and generally taking care of them 24/7
Then there’s work where you seem to be having meetings every hour and no time to actually get some work done. Add the fact that you’ve seen the same people everyday for over a year. There’s bound to be some friction-even with your amazing partner.
Let’s not talk about Netflix or Tiktok because that could take an entire day to discuss.
Photo by Minh Pham on Unsplash
With all the activities going on, being productive can become tricky because so many things are vying for your time.
Now, you’re probably hoping for more hours in a day because you look back at yesterday and wonder what you achieved in the 18 hours you were awake.
Productive: (adjective) achieving or producing a significant amount or result.
Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” — Paul J. Meyer
All hope in productivity is not lost yet. Because with just a few tweaks to your lifestyle and routine, you can begin to maximize your time and get the most out of your day, hour and minute.
3 simple tweaks to boost your productivity this year
Here’s a list of three simple tweaks you can make to become more productive in 2021and one bonus tip.
Create a space for work purposes only
No, the couch is not your workspace. It is in the living room. Meant for people to unwind and have conversations. So don’t monopolize it (if you don’t live alone)
If you want to boost your productivity, you need to create an environment that can allow that to happen. Back when we used to drive to work, the moment we stepped into the office, our moods, thought process and behavior changed just because of the work environment. And being there made us productive.
Now, we want to recreate that sort of thing in a small space in the house (Great if you have a spare room for a home office but not compulsory)
All you need is a space carved out for work purposes only. No 3-course meal eating. No chatting with friends. Just work. The reason for this is so that your brain becomes accustomed to that space being for work. And when that happens, you’re able to switch to work mode and get things done once you get into that space.
Keep in mind that you want to make your workspace organized so that things are within reach and you don’t feel disoriented. Also, make the space reflect you and your interests because you’re going to be spending quite a while there.
Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash
Don’t multitask
“What looks like multitasking is really switching back and forth between multiple tasks, which reduces productivity and increases mistakes by up to 50 percent.” Susan Cain
It’s funny how some of us pride ourselves on being amazing multitaskers but the truth is NONE of us are. What happens when we multitask is that the brain momentarily stops one thing while we do another. Your brain really focuses on one thing at a time and some studies say that it can take a whole 15 minutes to gather your focus again on a task when you get distracted.
Simple rule: If you’re doing anything that requires some level of brain work, focus on that one thing at a particular time.
No buying of dog food from that online store while you’re trying to analyze some data.
Let it be known that while you’re in work mode, nobody should come to you to settle a fight on whose time it is to play with the lego.
Do one thing at a time.
Take some breaks
This might sound a little counterproductive since we’re trying to help you get more done. But if you’re so tired your brain can’t even function, how are you going to be productive?
Let’s not even talk about the fact that taking breaks could prevent some serious surgery-worthy issues. kIf you sit at a desk for four hours at a stretch without standing, you’re going to land in a hospital sooner than you think and it wouldn’t be to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
No matter how strong or strong-willed you are, you cannot live a stressful, maxed-out life without that pace eventually biting you in the butt. It is necessary to take breaks, set parameters, and be kind to yourself if you want to continue making an impact in your little corner of the world.” ― Cynthia Mendenhall, author
So take breaks. How often should you be taking these breaks you ask?
Well, I think asides your lunch break, a 10-minute break every hour is sufficient time to move around, exercise and refresh your mind.
Depending on your type of person, this may be just right or you may need more. But the key thing is to set some time aside to rest and reset yourself.
Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient what should not be done at all.” — Peter Drucker
Bonus tip: Prioritizing tasks can help increase your productivity by 100%. Until you fully understand the tasks to do first, the ones for later, the ones to delegate and the ones never to do at all, you’re just going to swim in overwhelm and inaction.
Know this and experience success.
I would be making another post on this topic where we look at the lifestyle side of things in boosting productivity.
That said, what are your ways of boosting your productivity? Please share them in the comments and we would be happy to learn some more.
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