How To Increase Your Productivity

Do you have a very important task to complete in a short amount of time but you don't feel motivated enough to do it?

Or maybe you feel like you look incompetent at your job or at school?  

Here are a few tips that have helped me personally overcome discouragement, dullness and 'block'.

1. Find a satisfying workplace

Maybe that's your living room, your balcony, back yard, swimming pool, your neighbor's dog house etc. Whatever works for you, go ahead and use it! Try avoiding your bedroom and your bed though as they tend to make you feel lazy. 

2. Comfortable clothing

I cannot even stress this enough. Whether that's sweatpants and a t-shirt or just your underwear, it is extremely important to wear clothes that offer elasticity and maximum movement. And that brings me to my next tip...

3. Find your position

Some people prefer laying down, others enjoy sitting on a chair. Some people would rather tilt their head a bit low, others are used to looking straight ahead. Find your own perfect spot and sit like you've never sat before! I usually sit on my couch with one leg gathered close to my stomach and I either have my back straight (usually pressed against the back of my couch) or leaning slightly forward. 

Try not to hunch too much because that might create a health problem. **If hunching makes you feel comfortable, make sure to take 5-10 minute breaks every 45' to prevent damaging your back**.

4. Have healthy snacks easily accessible

When you're working on something important there's a butt-load of things that could distract you from it. One of them is -you guessed it- hunger! 

Instead of leaving your work unfinished and running to the kitchen in order to find something quick to eat (such as chips, instant noodles or chocolate), prepare some healthy snacks an hour prior. That way, you can place them near you before beginning your work and you won't need to leave your workspace whenever you get hungry.

5. Get hydrated to avoid stress!

Something most people generally forget to do in their day-to-day life is to drink water. An average person should drink about 2 - 4 500ml bottles but depending on how active you are in your day you could possibly need more! 

It might not be commonly known but dehydration can increase your cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that causes stress. Therefore, if you drink plenty of water, your cortisol levels won't rise and you won't become stressed! Simple as that.

6. Download a website blocker

While researching your project online there's a huge chance of you "accidentally" going on social media to "quickly" check your friend requests, tweets and double-taps. A way to prevent that is by downloading a website blocker plug-in. You can easily find one if you search 'website blocker' on google search but if you're too bored to open a new tab, I suggest this one. 

7. Leave your pets out of the room.

As I said before, distractions could come from so many places, your pets included. They will demand that you feed them, pet them or take them out for a walk. That means you'll probably have to leave your workspace to fulfill those needs. And you should be trying to avoid that, remember?

 If you have a roommate or you live with your family, ask them to take care of your pet until you finish working. If you live alone, you can either allow it to be near you without letting it bother you (which is a little bit difficult if you own a cat but bearable if you have a dog) or you could keep the animal out of your workspace and check on it every 40-50 minutes.

8. Take breaks

If you're working on a long project you're going to need a few breaks to relax. Take a 15-20 minute break every hour or every 2 hours. If your project is divided in sections take a break after finishing 1 or 2 of them (keep the hour limit in mind too though). 

Whilst taking a break do not stay in your workplace. Go to another room or even get out of your house! Call a friend, take your pet for a walk or have a power nap. Just don't let your laziness take over and make your break an hour long and also don't let your creative flow prevent you from having breaks. **

9. Have a stable sleeping schedule

I know this is a hard one but hear me out, okay? 

If your sleeping schedule is all over the place, it is more likely that you'll feel lazy and sluggish when working. I personally prefer to work at night which means that when if sleeping schedule is messed up, I think of my project as a chore. The goal is to think of your project as an achievement, something that satisfies you!

The average adult is supposed to sleep for about 8 hours every night. If for some reason you cannot sleep that long at night time, you can complete your 8 hours by taking a nap mid-day.

10. Reward yourself!

At the end of the day, you tried your best to get your work done on time and that alone is worth rewarding! Cross that project out of your to-do list, give yourself a pat on the back, go get your favorite ice cream and enjoy the rest of your day! 

Did you find this post useful? If so, then please share it with your friends on social media and comment some suggestions for future posts below! 

xoxo, 
Lexi