Whether you're working from home, back in the office, tackling homework, or the taxes, in any situation... we can all benefit from strategies to boost our productivity.
Declare your intention Before you start, clarify your intention. " I plan to complete the monthly report." You can state it aloud and/or write it down and keep it visible while you work. Declaring our intention, builds a figurative fence around our task and prevents distractions from interrupting our focused work session.
Quality Fuel: Give your brain and body high octane fuel for maximum productivity. If you fill your car's tank with poor quality gas, it will behave sluggish at best. The same rule holds for your body and brain. For peak performance, the key ingredients are protein and complex carbohydrates. Protein allows your brain to focus while complex carbs give your body sustained energy.
Pomodoro Technique Combining cutting edge strategies and the proven research from the field of neuroscience, the pomodoro technique, is an excellent strategy for getting things done. With the traditional pomodoro method, you set a timer for 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5 minute break. After your timed break, repeat. This powerful but simple method breaks tasks down into manageable chunks reducing overwhelm. At the same time, the brief but doable 25 minute block allows focused work without getting stuck in hyperfocus, While 25 minutes on with 5 minutes off is the most common ratio, this technique is extremely flexible. Feel free to play around with the times, until you find your personal sweet spot. Other common ratios include 45 minutes work/15 minutes break and 90 minutes work/30 minutes break.
Recharge As mentioned above, we can maximize our productivity if we complete tasks by a series of short sprints followed by a break to recharge. When we use the marathon technique and work for long stretches without stopping to recharge, our productivity gradually plummets. We may complete the task but then we are completely depleted and finished for the day.. On the other hand, when we work in shorter bursts followed by recovery, we accomplish much more overall. Here are some suggestions, get outside for the restorative power of nature, take a movement break a brief walk or a short power workout, practice mindfulness or just day dream, or have a healthy snack, especially one high in protein. The key is to time your break too, so you don't lose site of the task at hand.
Remember your Why Ask yourself, why is this particular task is important to me? Instilling your task with meaning boosts productivity and focus. Another tip, make it visual and keep your reason at the forefront of your mind. For example, if you need to complete the report by 5 pm to enjoy quality time with your family, place a family photo in your workspace as added motivation to stay on task.