Before mentioning about the best ways to increase productivity, I would like to ask‐ do you know what is the root cause of decreased productivity?
May be you have some idea about it or possible you pretend ignorance to the reasons. A majority of us is not as productive as we could be. It is because of the two reasons‐either we become reactive rather than proactive or we bother about those things which are not in our hand. It is such a big issue, if you learn to sort this out very early in your life. I assure you, that you can work half the number of hours that you are working and can be lot more productive than you are right now.
The reason is very clear to us, so now the question comes‐ What are the best ways to increase productivity?
There are 24 hours in a day, but making most of your time is not very critical. Rather than being tired and having your pending works, you can be a real‐life hero of your movie about productivity. It is all about how you manage your time and your smart work. Here are some tips which you can follow to increase productivity:
- Stay away from distractions‐ Distractions like social media such as whatsapp, facebook, Instagram and phone calls are one of the biggest time consumers around, yet somehow, we continue to do all these unquestionly. Even the intelligent, hard‐working students waste a lot of time on these stuffs. For example‐ after attending the classes, we check our whatsapp then a notification from Instagram comes, now we go on scrolling instagram and this process continues for much time. Nowadays, since the classes are going online due to COVID, so rather than focusing on the topic that is taught, students are focusing on social media more. Even if you’re distracted for only one minute, according to psychology it takes 21 minutes to focus properly. So, avoid distractions for this you can turn off notifications because no one is expected to ignore the messages, emails, etc. Check it after your work hour.
- Avoid multitasking‐ Research shows that productivity can be reduced by 40 percent because it creates mental block when we switch tasks. Also, a study from the University of Sussex, UK says that multitasking may physically harm your brain. So, stop doing multitask at a time, instead focus on one task at a time, obviously, your productivity will automatically increase.
- Take exercise breaks‐ One cannot be work at the maximum productivity. Working for long hours without taking a break results in stress. According to a study, physical study enhances our brain functioning. Taking small exercise breaks replenishes your mental health and helps to refresh our mind, improves concentration. Constant sitting puts you at the higher risk of depression, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Getting up from your chair to do exercise can reduce the negative health effects. In sum, it’s time to take these words and add exercise breaks to your daily routine to increase productivity.
- Plan each day a night before‐ To do lists are always more effective than calenders. No doubt, planning always increases productivity, saves time. Making to‐do list before going to bed for the next day gives you a better start as you know how should you start your day and what should be done by what time. But your to do lists should be realistic means it should include only three‐ four things which could be completed by the end of that day. By planning, you will have the strong willpower for your work and you will be amazed at your overall productivity
- Love what you do‐ Find meaning in what you, Do love your work, it is the ultimate way to increase productivity. If you don’t love what you do, it can never be 100 percent successful and productive
- Reward yourself‐Set your goal and celebrate it when you achieve your target. It is important to stay motivated and productive.
- Step out of your comfort zone‐ In this zone, a steady level of performance is possible. The successful personalities have not limited themselves where they are comfortable so, they are productive and hence successful in their lives.
- Time management‐ Productivity is nothing but a measure of how much work is done in a given interval of time. Time management allows you to achieve the desired goal with less effort and make your performance better, it also helps us to reduce procrastination over the important tasks. If we start each day with our schedule and not by jumping to any task, our time is saved and it also ensures that you have enough time available to complete the particular task. To be more productive, schedule your task around the time when you tend to be most productive.
- Sleep well‐ Sleeping allows our body and mind to recharge, leaving us healthy and away from diseases. Without enough sleep, brain is not able to function properly and so, we shall not be able to think clearly, concentrate and ultimately productivity will be decreased. It is something we should take on a daily basis to be productive.
I think the rest is known to you:
- Eat healthy food.
- Try to be happy.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Stay away from toxic people.
- Avoid bad habits.
- Stop cheating yourself, be honest with real you.
- Stop finding motivation from other sources.
- Keep your dreams alive by living it every time.
CONCLUSION:.
Being productive is not a rocket science. It is all about time management and smart work rather than hard work. It is rightly said, “ it is not the number of hours you put into work, it is the amount of work you put in those hours.” One important thing‐ the more happier and healthier you are, more productive you will be.
“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and the focused effort.”
‐ Paul J. Meyer