That said, there are tried-and-tested strategies to improve. There are ways to reconsider how you work, blueprints to beat procrastination and lessons to be learned on organisation and crafting the right mindset.
Write Your List
Whether you're following David Allen's influential 'Getting Things Done' or Francesco Cirillo's renowned time management system, 'The Pomodoro Technique,' the key to a more productive workday lies in how you approach your to-do list. However, don't fall into the common trap of creating a long list filled with tasks in no particular order and lacking clarity on how to tackle them.
Firstly, ask yourself if your list could be shorter. Most likely, the answer is yes. Adopt a less-is-more mentality and prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency. Consider how long each task typically takes and break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable ones. For example, instead of simply listing "writing a report," break it down into planning, research, and fact-checking, estimating the time needed for each aspect.
One valuable takeaway from Allen's approach is the concept of a ticker list. This serves as a repository for long-term projects or tasks that don't require immediate attention, allowing you to conserve mental energy and focus on more pressing matters.
Take Regular Breaks
Working in high-pressure environments where every second counts can make it challenging to adopt new habits. However, consider this: how many times have you found yourself staring at the screen, feeling mentally frozen and unable to logically work through your next task due to the overwhelming thoughts swirling in your head? Just because you're technically working doesn't mean you're being productive.
The solution lies in working in short increments of 20 to 25 minutes, a method endorsed by some of the most successful individuals across various fields, including writers, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, and business executives.
This approach, known as working in sprints, is supported by scientific research. Studies suggest that the optimal attention span for focused work ranges from 20 to 40 minutes, after which concentration tends to wane. By taking just five minutes to mentally recover between each sprint, you provide your mind with essential time to process information and recharge for the next work session. If you're working from home, you could even use this time to take a short walk or run.
Research conducted by the US Federal Aviation Authority found that incorporating short breaks between longer working sessions led to a 16% improvement in awareness and focus. Imagine the increased efficiency you could achieve by implementing this approach into your daily routine.
Eat The Frog
How many times do you front-load your task list with box-ticking exercises? We’ve certainly been there. Yet the key to productivity is attacking the things you don’t want to do early in the day when your mind is most focused and your energy is at its peak.
Self-help guru Brian Tracy knew this all too well and thus the metaphor formed the backbone of his best-selling time management system, ‘Eat That Frog! Get More of the Important Things Done‘. Frogs aren’t just tasks you don’t want to do, they’re also the tasks that are most likely to benefit you and add value.
Email Can Wait
Email is one of the most significant productivity obstacles, especially in today's world where social media has become omnipresent. While notifications from social media platforms can be easily silenced, disconnecting from email proves more challenging due to its integral role in our workdays. Although platforms like X and Instagram pose similar threats to productivity, email holds a prominent position in professional settings.
However, reducing the time spent on email can lead to significant rewards. A study conducted by the University of California Irvine revealed that even brief interruptions to check email caused workers to take an average of 23 minutes to refocus on their original tasks.
To avoid falling into this productivity trap, it's essential to establish specific times for checking and responding to emails. Recommended times include mid-morning or lunchtime, after completing the most critical tasks of the day, and an hour before finishing work, which aids in compiling a priority task list for the next day. Remember, if an email is genuinely urgent, the sender is likely to call rather than send a message.
Additionally, consider setting an auto-response for when you're busy, a technique endorsed by productivity expert Tim Ferris. Lastly, organize your inbox by creating folders for immediately actionable items, tasks that can be deferred, and promptly deleting anything that isn't important. This organization reduces stress and ensures important emails are easily accessible when needed.
Sleep
Productivity is not just about what you do when you’re sitting at your desk. Productivity is about what you do to support your daily functioning. Essential to that is good sleep. Aiming for eight hours per night, having a routine before bed where you’re informing your body that it’s time to wind down for bedtime and improving your environment for sleep are all important steps for being more productive in the day.
Improving your sleep environment could mean dimming lights, listening to calming music, having a bath or shower (the subsequent reduction in body temperature will help you to fall asleep), avoiding screens and keeping your phone away from you will help your sleep and prepare you for the following workday.
Don’t be afraid to nap either if working from home. Research has shown that short naps can improve alertness, mental functioning and productivity.
Prepare The Night Before
Preparation is essential for a productive day, and a valuable tip for preparation is setting up your workday the night before. We've all experienced starting the morning with a fresh slate, only to dive straight into the chaos of our email inbox, getting sidetracked and making a to-do list halfway through the morning, realizing it's already lunchtime.
Spending a bit of time at the end of the previous workday, whether it's setting up your to-do list or ensuring your desk is clean and ready for the next day, is a beneficial habit to cultivate. It saves time in the morning and allows you to enter a productive flow state more quickly, reducing unnecessary distractions and obstacles.
This concept is derived from James Clear's 'Atomic Habits,' where he emphasizes preparing your environment to optimize better habits. This could involve leaving a book in a specific spot to encourage reading or laying out your gym gear on the dresser each morning to motivate you to work out.
Separate From Your Phone
Put it on loud in another room and choose a notification profile that limits notifications to essential communications only. You’re still able to be on call but it reduces the temptation to scroll and procrastinate.
If you’re feeling bold, turn it off entirely. You can always turn it back on in a few hours once you’ve done the task you’re concentrating on. Getting out of a phone-dependency mindset is a pillar of being productive.
Optimise Your Environment
This can be a double-edged sword at times. You can get too hung up on positioning your desk, which desk lamp to buy and the micro-ergonomics of your desk chair. All we will say on this is crack a window now and again. In a UCL study in 2021, researchers studying four floors of a large international tech company’s London HQ found that smaller offices and window views improved productivity.
Do what you want with that, but from first-hand experience, cracking a window and letting a bit of air in is refreshing and helps improve alertness. This is backed by studies that suggest that increased air quality improves cognitive performance. Natural light meanwhile is thought to reduce eye strain.
Stand Up
Standing up periodically is vital for better posture and breathing. Smartwatches prompting you to stand and companies installing stand-up desks recognize the benefits of regular movement. Standing improves breathing, supplying more oxygen to the brain, which enhances cognitive function.
While it may seem simple, incorporating regular standing breaks into your routine can significantly contribute to overall well-being and productivity.
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