A comprehensive list of the nonconventional and underutilized productivity hacks that are sure to bring you daily victories. You can find dozens of productivity tips, but here are some new tips to try.
1. Use Red And Blue More Often
Clean up your workspace by decluttering and adding new décor. In a study by "Science Daily," there are certain colors that even enhance your mental functionality. Red increases the brain’s capacity to pay attention to detail and blue increases the creative flow. These colors make a great complementary combination, but have the added mental enhancement.
2. Separate Work And Relaxation
Promise yourself now that you will keep work out of the bedroom. You will be thankful for it later. The luring invitation of your bed will either drag you into a nap or cause you to dread entering this once-sacred space.
3. Handwrite Inspirational Notes
Consider getting yourself a drawing board for your work and home desk. Leave single motivational quotes or bursts of inspiration in dull places. When you find yourself in a rut at work, look at your note for a few seconds and refocus on your purpose.
4. Make Email Less Overwhelming
Begin your day by tending to only urgent emails first. When you have time throughout the day, respond to others. There are even apps you can get to help you sort through the constant flow. Be sure to answer every email that comes to you in a reasonable time, but do not overwhelm yourself first thing everyday. You will burn out.
5. Digitally Detox Daily
Allot time every day where you do not use your phone, computer, television or the like. Spend time instead doing something you enjoy, but rarely have time for. Exercise, read, meditate, do yoga, go on a walk through the woods, make a craft or anything else your heart desires to do outside of the hustle of each day. This is best done before bed. If you truly cannot sacrifice taking your phone to bed each night, at least give yourself an hour or so of personal, digital-free time.
6. Check The Weather
Dressing properly makes your day overall better. By checking the weather, you can ensure to make your day slightly less hectic by being prepared.
7. Replace Your Coffee
Try another beverage with health benefits such as green tea, lemon water, or fresh-squeezed juice. The switch will help you in a variety of ways. One of the best benefits is avoiding the crash of highly-caffeinated beverages as well as additional calories from flavors, cream and sugar. Green tea contains theanine, which helps you sharpen your focus and boost concentration. Our bodies thirst for any additional water. Fresh fruits benefit our vitamin and mineral stores.
8. Ask For Help
Work hard, try to answer your own questions, but if a current task has you left in a daze, it may be time to consult a mentor. This can ultimately benefit your productivity because you may learn a more effective way to complete the task than what you could have generated on your own.
9. Start Your Day Early
This may look different between students and young professionals, but the idea is to get your brain to focus on the new day. Shake off the fuzziness an hour earlier each day with a morning workout, a homemade breakfast, several glasses of water or a good read. If you are in the work force, this may take the shape of arriving to work early and getting a glass of coffee, focusing on your goals for the day or talking to a co-worker. You will feel more relaxed and your day will be more productive because you have taken the time to prepare.
10. Slash Your Screen Time
Take your television out of the bedroom. Did you know that watching TV actually makes you more tired? All that additional time spent on your phone or computer connecting with social media is also unhealthy for you mentally. Social media and other phone applications are often times disruptive and a huge time sink. Digital screens strain your eyes. For all these reasons, cutting down on your screen time will make you more productive.
11. Turn Your Frown Upside Down
Negativity has a variety of negative mental and physical health effects. Whether you suffer from a mental disorder, are going through a difficult time, or find yourself struggling to remain optimistic, there is a new behavior that can help you maintain positivity. Some examples that may be worth trying are counseling, visiting a doctor, medication, getting more sunlight or purchasing more home lighting, meditate, exercise/yoga, eating healthier meals, doing more things you love and eliminating sources of negativity in your life.
12. Spend More Time Upright
If you are a student or a desk-worker, a lot of your time is spent in a chair. As you have heard before, there are obvious health strains in association with sitting all the time. Your posture is at risk, you can become dehydrated easily, and you burn fewer calories. Consider getting a standing desk for your bedroom or workplace. If this is not possible, try taking more breaks during the day, increasing daily exercise, walking more often. The simple stand up and walk around approach is highly effective in boosting productivity. My favorite variation includes drinking one to three glasses of water or a full water bottle. This helps you recharge and refocus on the task at hand.
13. Prepare For The Next Day Each Night
Mornings can turn into chaos for anyone. You can streamline your daily routine by preparing the essentials the night before. Lay out your outfit, pack your lunch, plan your meals for tomorrow, and set your goals before your head hits the pillow.
14. Declutter Your Schedule
Are you doing things every day that are moving you toward your ultimate goal? Try eliminating any of the activities that are not doing just that. Some people struggle with saying no and others just love a variety of activities. Keep in mind that when participating in a variety of activities, we can lose sight of our vision for each of them. It is not worth the participation to deliver unsatisfying results time and time again.
15. Set Artificial Deadlines And Stick To Them
If you have a big project due four months from now, it is likely you will not look at it much for a few weeks to a few months. Set smaller goals and deadlines for yourself. Find a way to hold yourself accountable so you will stick with these deadlines.
16. Dedicate Personal Time To Learning A New Skill
Whatever it is that you have been wanting to learn for months or years. Make time each week for this activity. Put it on your calendar like any other task. Stick with it. Measure your results. Find motivation tricks. Some skills that highly effective people recommend learning while you are young include speed reading, accounting or finance, public speaking, a foreign language, and new technology platforms.
17. Conduct A Weekly Review
Stick with me here. I never believed the power that came with a weekly review before actually doing one. Sit down and review the past seven days. Start with your calendar. Look for any meetings or matters that may still have loose ends to tie up in the present. Next, go through your email inboxes. Answer every single outstanding email left until you are at inbox zero. Finally, review your goals and reflect on your efforts toward achieving those goals. Set your goals for the coming week. Make a plan on how you will continue to achieve or restructure your approach to achieving your goals.
18. Delegate And Outsource
Some tasks are best delegated or outsourced because they are a better use of time and money. Effective managers (and successful professionals) routinely delegate tasks so they can focus on their work better. The basic steps of effective delegation: describe the task and deadline, explain it to the person who will perform the task and ask to be kept informed. For outsourcing, think about which tasks you can do really well and which you are mediocre at performing. It is likely worthwhile to take some of your best clothing items to the dry cleaner's than learn how to do it at home. The same goes for getting your oil changed or fixing the plumbing. All of these actions can be taken up at some point in your life for fun, but if you find yourself constantly spending time on menial tasks that should have been quick fixes, it is likely worth the money to hire a professional.
19. Learn To Say No Effectively
There are suitable times to pick up additional work such as when you first start in a new job or if you are looking to take on another field entirely. Perhaps you are looking for a challenge. You are not meant to take on more responsibilities than you can handle every single day. This habit can cause burnout quickly. If you cannot seem to break the habit, you need to learn right now. Consider buying a book on the power of saying no, watching a lecture, or listening to a podcast. Drop this habit immediately to feel the benefits of relaxation and ultra-productivity.
20. Know Your Values To Manage Your Time
Use your values to make these decisions about how to delegate your time. Once you understand yourself, you can understand where your time will be best spent. Manage your daily tasks in accordance to what is most important to you.