We have seen influencers and motivational speakers talking about ‘Productivity’ many times, but what does it mean? Productivity means efficiently and effectively finishing all your assigned tasks in the given amount of time or faster. Although productivity is reasonable and necessary to lead a stress-free life, at the same time, we’re so absorbed with being productive all the time we have blurred the lines between productivity and overworking.
Relaxation is just as important as excelling at work. However, being productive in today’s world doesn’t count relaxation as part of such a lifestyle. Instead of making productivity about overworking, the goal of being productive is to have ample time for yourself. To be able to spend time on self-care and things that make you happy.
However, sometimes it can be tough to keep at it. Sometimes we run out of energy or aren’t in the mood. Without adequately organizing your day, everything will go out of hand, and a task that once seemed simple will now be a pain to finish.
Here are ways and strategies to increase your productivity and maintain it for a better work-life balance:
It is essential to learn how to manage your time and schedule your day, so you don’t end up with all the work at the last minute.
1) Build Focus
The biggest enemy of productivity is a scattered mind. If you’re juggling two or more projects simultaneously, you’re going to drop the ball on some of them. Trying to distribute your focus to more than one task will just lower your efficiency and the standard of your work.
2) Breaks
At the beginning of a big project, we’re full of enough motivation to feel we can stay and finish the whole task in one sitting. However, with time our interest and motivation decreases. After hours of hard work, if you feel your mind wandering, it is best to take a break. Many workplaces even have specific break times or flexible work hours for you not to feel burned out. Assuming a 10-15 minutes break every couple of hours or reasonably and healthy for your productivity.
3) Prioritise
If you have a large time-consuming task that you’re reading to begin, it is better to start with it. It helps you stay focused, and you can be much more productive once it is finished. In addition, the relief of having a large project out of the way makes it easier and more enjoyable to complete the rest of your tasks.
4) Cut all distractions
We’ve all spent countless hours idly scrolling through Instagram instead of working on that project that was due soon. Having distractions while working can hamper your flow and make your day stressful. When working, keep your phone on silent. You can use apps that block all social media applications during office hours. It might seem harsh or brutal to get used to initially, but it is for the best in the long run. You’ll find yourself finished much faster with enough time to watch cat videos on Instagram.
5) Developing a habit
Being productive is just like a habit. You have to keep working on it until it stops feeling challenging or unfamiliar. Once you’re in the habit of organising your day, fixing a schedule and actively following it, you won’t need to keep reminding yourself about the rules or shit your phone off.
Finishing your tasks in the given amount of time gives you a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction necessary for a good work-life.
