After having analysed several books and a fair number of videos on productivity, I want to share with you some practical tips on how to improve your productivity at work.
I do want to add that this change didn’t happen overnight and I adjusted my habits along my productivity journey.
Here are 9 tips to help improve your productivity at work.
1. Write down a clear goal
Try writing down a clear goal of what you’ll be doing during the following hour of work.
It will help you gain clarity about what you’re supposed to be doing and prevents you from getting distracted. This applies when working at home as well.
Just sitting down without a goal will lead to mindlessly browsing the internet which are unnecessary minutes spent in front of your desk.
2. Coffee!
This one is quite personal. I simply love it and it’s something I can look forward to during a break. It also acts as a nootropic (enhances memory/cognitive functions).
3. Put away your phone!
We live in an attention economy. Human attention is a scarce commodity and your smartphone is designed to make you spend time on it as much as possible.
Being on your phone is fine but if you want to get productive and work you have to be honest with yourself and put that thing away (or at least put it on non-disturb mode).
4. Have a positive mindset about work/stress.
Having a positive mindset towards things, even if it’s a bit delusional can actually help you. If you want to know more about this I’d recommend watching the TED-talk from Kelly McGonigal.
5. Exercise and Food
I can’t tell you too much about these 2 since I’ve always been doing sports and eating well but if you are not, countless studies will tell you to pay attention to both of these!
Exercise can help reduce stress and promote sleep. This will allow you to become more productive at work.
6. When taking a break, take a proper break!
Not all types of rest are equal. Some forms are better than others.
Take a walk. The better you’re able to get your mind off of your work, the better you’ll be able to work when you get back!
The book Peak Performance (by Brad Stulberg & Steve Magness) explains this really well.
7. Get a good night of sleep
This one is extremely important. It is quite difficult to get a good night of sleep but what helps is to put away your phone, read a book, listen to an audiobook, go for a walk or meditate.
8. Meditate
The benefits of meditation are proven many times. The benefits do not only occur after the meditation but persist during a longer period of time.
It is quite difficult and you sometimes don’t notice any change but since science has proven that meditating has positive effects I’d recommend you just do it.
9. Recognize Stress
Lastly, I want to tell you that stress is real. Having a positive mindset about it helps but you do definitely need to take a proper break sometimes.
Take your mind off of your work and relax.
Personal bonus tip – A great tip that does wonders for me is to go to the sauna. It really helps relieve stress and as a result, improve productivity at work.
