How to be more productive
Well, you have to start out with admitting you aren’t getting everything done on your calendar every day. First of all, is your google calendar realistic? Could you successfully complete all that you schedule? We are all trying to get the most done in the least amount of time, but are we using our time efficiently? If you need a little help, you may be surprised at my suggestions. Here are a few tips that can have you looking forward to a busy day instead of dreading it!
- Wake up before everyone else in the house. Establish a morning routine that will set you up for success – warm water with lemon, a cup of coffee, work out or walk outside, a green juice or mediate. Whatever floats your boat, set aside that hour or so for yourself first thing in the morning.
- Social media isn’t always social. It can be isolating if you are not using it in a healthy way. Set a timer and set aside 20 minutes to catch up on your favs, but try to swipe out of it so you don’t end up scrolling for an hour before you hit the shower.
- Get ready! Now I am not talking about full out glam everyday, but if you are working from home, running the show at your household, or heading out to run errands between zoom meetings, shower, get dressed in something you feel good in, put on a little make-up or lip gloss even if you are staying in front of your computer most of the day. If you head to work out of the house, make sure you also take time to pack a healthy snack or lunch.
- Don’t chase your emails all day. Schedule an hour in the morning, another 30 minutes in the afternoon, and another hour at the end of your workday. If you are sending emails out most of the day like pitching to brands, scheduling operations at your company, or sending zoom invites, make sure you don’t constantly check your inbox every 5 minutes. You can easily get sidetracked by all the spam, the retail email blasts, and everything else you subscribe to.
- Schedule movement/mind breaks. Every 90-120 minutes, get up, walk the stairs in your house, walk the dog, walk to get a matcha or a latte, turn on a podcast and take 10-15 minutes to reset and refresh your body and mind. Taking a break does not disrupt concentration. Staring at your computer all day is simply not healthy. Period.
- Always hydrate with 3-4 liters of water throughout the day and don’t forget to eat. Please don’t be one of those people who has coffee and a smoothie or matcha and a green juice and then doesn’t eat until dinner at 7pm. No bueno. It slows your metabolism and then your brain and body don’t get fuel to be productive, and that is the whole point of reading this right?
- Schedule a call with a girlfriend, your mom, your sister, your bestie and catch up over the phone for 15 minutes. Bounce off ideas, chat about whatever makes you smile.
- Mandatory dance party for one song. Yes, it’s like 3-4 minutes a day. Pick a new jam or use the same theme song. Seriously, try it. Music is an immediate mood booster and groovin’ around in your bathroom while getting ready or turning up the tunes when your kids get home from school will turn your day around! Don’t knock it until you try it. You will get more done if you take these mini breaks throughout your 8 – 12 hour work day. It boosts concentration when you are happy!
- Get enough sleep for you. You may only need 6 hours or you may thrive at 9 hours. It is important to establish a consistent sleep schedule. I try to be in bed by 10 or 11 and get up at the same time, around 6am every workday. I don’t set an alarm on Saturday or when on vacation.
- Remember that hard work can be fun! If you enjoy what you do, your work performance success will increase!
- Are you busy being just busy? Remember to set healthy boundaries, say no when you feel over-booked.
- Pause and celebrate the micro wins along the way, not all rewards come at the end.
If well executed the benefits can be tremendous, you will get more accomplished, be more productive and have fun with more mini “for you” moments to break up your busy days.
