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Top Tips for Productivity
Whether you are the biggest procrastinator of all time, or just feeling a bit uninspired, here are some of my top productivity tips for anyone looking to get their life together, though I am not necessarily qualified to be giving life advice...
1. Wake up at the same time every day and go to sleep and the same time in order to adjust your circadian rhythm. This has proven to be the most effective for me personally. I know it can be tempting when you make your own schedule to stay up really late and sleep in if you have afternoon or night classes, but trust me whether you are a student, someone who works part-time/ full-time and/or volunteers, it gets you into a system and you will start a positive feedback loop when you do so.
I also find that I am most alert in the mornings, even though I am not a morning person by nature, because we all know I love my sleep. However I have found that if I start my morning with this little ritual of creating "morning pages" it allows me to jot any unfiltered thoughts and articulate why I am feeling and thinking what I am thinking in the given moment. Ultimately, it sets me up for a more productive day.
2. Make a schedule. On Sunday nights I like to look at my week at a glance and incorporate key events, meetings, socials and/or time to work on projects. I am then not surprised with a rude awakening of information overload throughout the week. Schedule it in digitally or if you are old school in a planner. I do both. Find a method that works for you and stick to it!
3. Put your phone on airplane mode. This might seem excessive to some people, but I find that at night if I put my phone on airplane mode before bed it takes me away from browsing social media for hours on end. It also has served to be useful when completing tasks. Whether I am reading, editing, in a meeting, the mere fact of putting your phone on this setting disables all of the alarms, alerts and notifications that otherwise will bombard your attention.
4. Tell someone your to-do list in order to hold you accountable. For me, I find that depending on the task at hand, I have a certain degree of intrinsic motivation to get it accomplished. However when you tell someone (preferably someone who cares enough) your to-do list they help as reminders to get the job done.
5. Set timers for tasks. When I was in undergrad + grad school I always had a ton of readings for multiple classes that needed to get done on top of assignments and tests. One way to ensure that I kept on top of my work was by setting timers in order to manage my time. Depending on the task at hand, I usually on average set it for 30 minute intervals. I found that without setting timers, I would go hours losing track of time, or getting caught up in the minutiae of readings that it became discouraging. One way to control for that is by a) scheduling your tasks (refer to point #2) and b) making a realistic estimation of how long it would take to complete certain tasks (e.g. a 40 page reading for instance or an outline for an 8 page paper).
This is not limited to students either, this can work for any current projects you are working on (focusing on the deadlines ofcourse and what is most imminent). This can also apply to things like chores around the house.
6. Understanding your temperament and upper limits in regards to efficiency. Though some may argue that I portray myself as an extrovert, I really am quite an introvert. Don't get me wrong, I think some brilliant ideas are produced in collaborative team settings. However I also recognize that I need a nice balance of time for me to sit on my own and be pensive in order to work efficiently and in order to produce quality work.
7. Allocate a block of time to send and reply to emails. Does anyone else just fall into this rabbit hole of attempting to get caught up in emails that you suddenly realize that 2 hours has gone by? Nope, just me, k cool. Seriously for me personally, emails can fall into the same category as social media (e.g. instagram, facebook, twitter).
8. Go for a walk. When you feel uninspired, anxious and/or your eyes are getting worse by looking at a computer screen, it is highly unlikely that you are going to be productive during that timeframe. Going for a walk outdoors even if it is for 10-15 minutes provides me with mental clarity during these times. I find that when your mind wanders, the best ideas emerge.
9. Try fasting. I remember this past summer I told my coworkers I was trying intermittent fasting (which means you eat for a limited window of time throughout the day). Day 1 I couldn't handle it, as I am the type of person who loves breakfast and my hunger gets pretty aggressive. I would be so embarrassed in meetings when my stomach would rumble so loud, so I just avoided the fasting regime altogether. I have found that working from home for the past couple of months I have been able to test it out without the added humiliation - my dog doesn't count as a witness. I kid you not, overtime doing this and not eating breakfast right when I get up has provided me with a more sharp mind. You just need to get past the initial roadblock. It also serves as a reward system (we as humans are very sensitive to reward). When I get things knocked off my list I will treat myself to a deliciously smoothie or fruit bowl around noon.
10. Find a good system to keep track of everything you need to remember so that it is not all cluttered in your head or your environment. I personally love the app Evernote for this function. It helps me stay organized with all of my to-do lists. It also allows me to categorize subjects- which I love. What's also neat is you can take a picture of something (e.g. bills, receipts, warranties) without having to keep the physical document, as it will sync to your account (whether you need it on your phone or access it online). For me when my physical space is cluttered, I tend to get anxious - interfering with any productivity. By the same token, if my mind is cluttered by all of the things I need to remember or feel as though I am anxious, jotting it down helps alleviate that - allowing me to be more productive.
Download Evernote for free here: https://evernote.com/download
Optional: Find a place to call yours. I grew up in a household where everything was always shared. Whether it was my bedroom, the washroom- you name it. I always dreamt of having my own library and office space ever since I was a little girl. Though it may sound materialistic, I knew that in the interim I didn't have that. Not to mention the fact that my love for books and stationary is beyond comprehension. I made a pact with myself to find a place where I could satisfy those nerdy impulses. When I really need to get work done I either go to my favourite cafe or make my little space my own in my shared bedroom.
Let me know which one of these tips works for you! Tag me or use the hashtag #chantalmarutoblog :) I