Whether it’s studying or finishing your tasks at work on time, every one of us had an experience struggling with low productivity and efficiency rates. There are a lot of factors that trigger this kind of flagging time. This slowdown often leads to procrastination and stress which do not help in producing quality work or good results. Thing is, slackening or stalling becomes a tedious cycle that eventually becomes unmanageable. But, we didn’t say it’s impossible to overcome. Here are the tips that will help you get more and do more with your time every day.

 

Use the 2-minute rule.

 

 

According to David Allen, starting a new habit should take just 2 minutes to do. Allen, a productivity consultant, suggested that to increase productivity one should evaluate his/her task. If something takes less than 2 minutes to do, then it should be done now. No ifs and no buts.

 

Turn off unnecessary notifications.

 

A friend tagged you to a meme on Facebook. You tried to ignore it but later faced it. Notifications are hard to resist. That’s why it is important to manage them. Schedule unnecessary notifications to silent for a certain period of time. For example, notifications from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social networking sites should be off from 9 AM to 5 PM. This way, you can concentrate on your tasks without seeing any inessential rings.

 

Learn when to say no.

 

 

Have you experienced being in a perfect state of momentum, and you already know how many you’ll accomplish for the day? But suddenly, somebody will ask for a favor, and you have no choice but to stop what you’re doing and do whatever it is. And that’s how your momentum was ruined. Remember, saying no does not make you a bad person. Declining a favor or putting someone on hold, so you can finish your own tasks is not selfish. It is called boundary and prioritization.

 

Move your body.

 

Exercise makes you more energetic. It helps you fight stress and fatigue. Moving around also helps to deliver more oxygen to your brain which helps you work efficiently.

 

Eat healthily.

 

 

Avoid constant mental blocks by feeding your brain with nutrients. Food with good oil such as omega-3 is known as brain food which can help you concentrate. You should also consume foods rich in proteins and carbohydrates to energize you throughout the day.

 

Use a device that can increase your efficiency.

 

To maximize your day, a little help will go a long way. According to a survey, 97% of the users who switched to MacBook for education and work-related tasks said that they are more productive compared to when they were using other OS. Devices, such as a laptop with better battery performance, spare you from the hassle of charging often and disturbing your momentum.

 

Maximize your time at home.

 

The Pandemic forced us to get used to working at home. That means more time, right? But that doesn’t necessarily mean more work to be done. Plot your 24 hours and learn to manage it to be more efficient. It is also important to upgrade your devices, so you will be able to do more at home such as getting freelance work. Research what laptop to buy during a pandemic, so you’ll know you’re on the right track.

 

Start your day by writing the 3 most important tasks you need to finish.

 

An unorganized plan leads to a cluttered mind. Write down the top 3 things that you need to finish, it can be on paper or using your laptop, we recommend that you use a MacBook M1 Chip 2020, so you can set some reminders while you are working. Write your top three tasks in 3 sentences, so you will be clear about what to do. This will help you avoid drifting to somewhat related tasks.

 

Always write things down.

 

 

Our memories often betray us by forgetting things that should be done or creating a false feeling that we have done everything we have to do which leaves us with a lot of unfinished tasks. Instead of taking the risk of trying to remember everything, write it down.

 

Take short breaks.

 

Exhausting yourself to finish something might sound like a good idea, but it’s not. Studies show that those who take 5-minute breaks every 2 hours function better than those who continuously work or study. Short breaks give your brain time to absorb and process information. It is also a good way to refresh our minds.

 

Make sure that you have a good night's sleep.

 

 

Waking up refreshed and energized is the best way to be productive. Sleeping late will make you feel groggy and lazy. You will even fall asleep while doing your tasks or have the urge to sleep which will hinder efficiency.

 

Multitasking is not a good idea.

 

Doing different tasks at the same time may make you feel that you’re accomplishing a lot of things all at once. But this supposedly time-saving technique jeopardizes the quality of your work and destroys your concentration as well. Learn to focus on one task, finish it, then move to another.

 

Remember Parkinson’s Law.

 

The more time you have, the longer you’ll drag your work. That is why we tend to procrastinate and cram a few days/ hours before the deadline. Set your own strict deadline for all the tasks that you need to accomplish. A timer on your desk will also help you be mindful of the time you’re spending doing a certain task.

 

Stop perfectionism.

 

Over-tuning your work will not make it better. Overanalyzing everything will make you waste longer when you should be doing other things and accomplishing more things. Remember, perfectionism is the enemy of productivity.

 

Take good care of yourself

 

 

Scheduling a time for yourself is not luxury or wasteful. It is a necessary factor for your productivity. Rewarding yourself for all your hard work motivates you to do your best and do more.