5 steps for a more productive you 5 steps for a more productive you

Do you ever feel distracted, foggy, or unable to focus when trying to complete tasks at work? Living in an age of constant information overload leads to overwhelm, lack of energy, and can make it hard to stay productive. What most of us don’t realize is that productivity isn’t just something ‘you have or you don’t’: it’s a skill that needs training in order to be truly mastered.

If you’re finding it hard to get things done (or even get started), here are five simple ways to get you on track to becoming a productivity guru.

1. Take breaks

It may seem counterintuitive, but studies show that taking a 17-minute break after working for close to an hour leads to greater productivity. Use this break time to take a walk, eat a meal undistracted or fit in a little social time. Activities that encourage connection will help lead to greater productivity than something like playing a game on your phone or watching a minisode of Netflix.

2. Stop multitasking

While multitasking is how most of us approach a large volume of work, what you’ll usually end up with is a lot of unfinished (or poorly-finished) tasks instead of getting all that work completed. Try to tick things off one-by-one whenever possible, or at least focus your attention on one thing at a time. Set a timer for 45 minutes and focus on one task before moving on to the next or taking a break.

3. Find your perfect time

Each person has a unique time of day that is most productive for them. Early birds and night owls will have different levels of productivity as the time of day changes. Do a little self-study and pinpoint the time of day you are most productive. If you are a morning person, maybe getting up earlier to do some cleaning, meal prep or budget planning before work would be a better idea than leaving it for that post-work funk. If you are a night owl, perhaps setting aside a few hours in the evening will help you get your tax returns done with more efficiency.

4. Mindfulness

Studies show our attention spans are now on average only 8 seconds long. This is likely due to the high amount of information we are processing through technology at any given moment. Luckily, taking a step back and practicing a little mindfulness can help reorient you and lengthen your attention span again. When you feel overwhelmed, take a pause, turn off your devices and take 5 deep breaths. Come back to the present moment and then try again. This simple reset will help establish a new perspective.

5. Make important decisions early

For many people, their ability to make good decisions diminishes throughout the day as they become more tired and distracted. To make the best decisions possible, experiment with saving tough choices and careful planning for when you are most clear-headed and rested in the early morning hours.