5 Ways To Stay Productive
We’ve all been there – short deadlines, lots of work, it can seem overwhelming. It makes you feel unmotivated to actually get on and do the work. From time to time we all need that little extra focus, a push in the right direction. Staying productive in these circumstances isn’t always easy, but here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way.
1. Get away from Facebook, Twitter and E-mail
We all know that these social media outlets are time eaters, and they’re not all that helpful when you’re behind schedule and need to get on with your work. Switch off your notifiers and avoid logging in, you’ll get much more work done. And if you’re too busy answering e-mails you’re not being busy completing that work, consider checking your email once a day.
2. Just 10 minutes
We all have that mental block. With a huge amount of work looming ahead, you may not feel like you want to start it at all! To help, I tell myself “I’m just going to work for 10 minutes”. You’ll often find that you end up working for much longer.
3. Adopt a focus boosting technique
There are several out there, personally I use the Pomodoro Technique. It’s relatively simple, you work in 25 minute blocks. Each time you complete a block take a 5 minute break – completely detach from what you’re working on. Get some air, food or drink. Once you’ve completed four 25 minute blocks, take a longer break. I find 30 minutes or so does the trick. Rinse and repeat. There are even apps to help you out. Check out Focus Booster.
4. Make a list
Lists help out a great deal. At the end of each day I make sure to list out everything I need to do the next day. I then prioritize my tasks by urgency and work through my list step by step.
5. Take a break!
You may feel this is anti-productive (well, it is – if you take too many breaks – that’s just called procrastination), but taking a well earned break can really help re-align your focus and get you back on track.
Well, there you have it, 5 ways to get you back in the game. Let me know if you have any of your own tips and tricks to staying productive.
