At present, we live a day to day in which we are required to do many things - personal, academic and/or work matters - and many times we feel that time is not enough for us to do everything we must, so we would like the day and night were longer. You know, the day to accomplish all the tasks and the night to rest from everything we had to do. But the reality is that this is not going to happen, so we must look for alternatives to be able to cope with daily activities and not lose heart in the attempt.
The tips to increase productivity that we share here are not intended to become a simple guide, but we would like you to put them into practice so that you can realize that they really work. Although many of these tips may be inconceivable, their execution will really allow you to maximize daily productivity.
Here are 8 tips to increase productivity in your daily activities.
1. START YOUR DAY EARLY
Getting up early does not sound pleasant at all, but doing it becomes an adequate opportunity to get more things done during the day and less at night. Now, it is not about changing your schedule drastically, although if you have the possibility and ability, do it! But, otherwise, you can progressively modify your wake-up time. If you usually wake up at 11 a.m., set your alarm at 10 a.m. today. Next week you could change it to 9:45 am and so on until you find a suitable time according to your obligations.
Although your smartphone has a built-in alarm system, there are thousands of applications that will allow you to wake up safely. For example, Alarmy (Sleep If U Can) is an alarm that asks you to record different places in your house through images. When the alarm goes off, you don't have the option to turn it off using a button or snooze it, but instead, ask you to take a photo of one of the registered locations. That is, it forces you out of bed. Great, right?
2. HAVE BREAKFAST
If waking up early is difficult, eating breakfast for many people is not part of their normal routine, either because they wake up just around lunchtime or because they don't feel hungry enough to do it in the morning. Well, we want to tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because as its name says: you have breakfast. You are coming off a prolonged overnight fast and your body needs the energy to face the day properly.
Remember that a proper breakfast is not coffee and cookies. A proper breakfast should contain fruits, dairy, protein, cereals. A full breakfast will prevent you from having zero energy in the middle of the morning or during the day and wanting to devour everything you find.
For healthy breakfast ideas, you can make use of Pinterest. This social network gives you the best ideas for both food and much more.
3. PLAN THINGS TO DO AND STICK TO THE SET TIME.
Many people plan their weekly and even monthly schedules, but from experience, we tell you that the idea is to plan on a daily basis. It is frustrating to have your weekly schedule planned and unforeseen events appear that prevent you from fulfilling everything you set out to do. So what we recommend is that after breakfast:
- Make a list of all the activities you have to do (in the day or week)
- Prioritize which are the most urgent and which can be postponed - it is not about postponing just for the sake of it, but rather giving priority to the most immediate.
- Check what activities you can delegate to avoid overload
- Having already the activities that you must carry out during the day, give them an estimated time and try to fulfill it.
- As you carry out a task, cross it out or check it.
To establish a suitable schedule, you can make use of digital resources. There are a wide variety of applications to plan the day. For example, you have Toodledo. This application allows you to record all the activities that you must perform and prioritize. You can download it to your pc, tablet, and smartphone and have all the information synchronized, so you will not lose sight of what you have to do during the day.
4. USE TECHNIQUES THAT ALLOW YOU TO STUDY / WORK AND REST
Sitting down to study or work can seem boring because we feel like we are not going to finish what we need to do.
But to avoid this, there is a very popular technique called Pomodoro. It is very simple, you work 25 min and you take 5 min rest. You can't imagine how those 25 minutes go by quickly. After having worked 4 sets of 25 minutes you have a longer break of 15 minutes. Making use of technique, rigorously, guarantees you to achieve many goals planned for the day. There are many applications either for Android, iOS, or for your pc. What's more, Google Chrome has an extension called Pomodoro Timer, which is very easy to use.
Another technique that you can also incorporate is that of blocking web pages. If you need to study from your pc, you can use https://writeanypapers.com/. This is also a Google Chrome extension that allows you to block pages that tend to distract you - Facebook, for example - for the required time. You can then schedule StayFocusd to lock pages while you are using Pomodoro, which is for 25 minutes. It is a good one if you want to work with a lot of concentration.
Another tip: put your cell phone on silent, without vibration, and keep it out of your sight. Leave it in another room while you are working. Having it around will make you want to check it constantly.
5. EXERCISE
It is complicated but not impossible to incorporate this activity into the day today. You don't have to exercise an hour or more a day. You can allocate 20 minutes to exercise and it will be enough. Exercising reduces anxiety and stress, makes you feel more comfortable, and helps you develop a more positive attitude.
It is not necessary that you pay a monthly fee in a gym. If you have internet, you can use YouTube and search there for exercise channels at home without any necessary equipment (weights, machines ...). There is a great variety that will allow you to choose the one that best suits your requirements.
6. SHARE WITH OTHER PEOPLE
Not everything in the day should be reduced to doing academic / work activities. It is also important to connect with other people in a personal way. Instead of using social media to talk to someone, coordinate with this person you want to talk to and meet for a while for coffee, a walk, or dinner. It will help you recharge energy to continue your day or to end it, as you prefer.
7. HAVE A SUITABLE SPACE TO WORK/STUDY
Avoid having a desk full of things that you don't use for your work. Clean it every time you go to use it or when you are done. Also, this place must have adequate lighting - if it can be natural light, much better. Otherwise, use warm lamps that allow you to feel comfortable during the time you are working. Use a chair that allows you to have adequate posture.
Also, during your time of activity in this space, you can play instrumental music at a medium-low volume that allows you to concentrate and at the same time, release tension.
It is important to have a space free of distracting stimuli to achieve greater concentration but with a personal decoration that makes you feel comfortable the time you are there.
8. DOSE YOUR TIME ON SOCIAL NETWORKS AND MAKE GOOD USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES.
Avoid spending so much time on social media or checking e-mails. You can allocate 30 min a day to do this, but it does not become a recurring activity because it will take the time that you could use in another activity.
As for digital devices, beyond allowing us to communicate with others, they can also be resources for better productivity. Check the App Store, Play Store, or search the internet for the different tools that you can use to carry out work, organizer, group work ...