Archivi dei tag: productivity

Ideas to Improve Your Productivity

Looking at some of the most successful people in their job, I found out that they all seem to have one thing in common: getting up early. But what do they do in the morning? What are their routines to be more productive? Here are some ideas to copy from them to improve your productivity,

By getting up early, you could do a lot of things more in a day and therefore in your life.

However, not everyone likes to get up early, it may depends also on your chronotype. I believe that it is better to wake up naturally, without an alarm clock. Of course, it is not always possible. But as far as I can, I try to avoid meetings in the morning. I prefer to take things calmly when I get up and have breakfast quietly.

More active with physical activity

Getting up early also means that you can workout as first thing in the morning. This workout makes you more alert and active, wakes up the metabolism and, above all, you would not need to worry about doing physical activity for the rest of the day.

Cold shower

You may shiver just thinking about it, actually I do and I don’t take a cold shower but if you can take it you will get some benefits. It improves circulation, reduces stress, and can even help you lose weight.

Read, watch videos, participate in trainings

Successful business people are generally also smart people.

Therefore it is not very surprising that they consider it important to have their brains function well. Some read about 50 books a year, others declare spending 80% of their day reading. There are people who prefer watching videos or participating in trainings. This is also very good to keep your brain active.

Meditation for relaxation

Do you practise meditation? I do for ten minutes a day. Most of successful business leaders practise it. And they all confirm that meditation helps them relax, sleep better, reduce stress and improve their quality of life.

Of course, it is not only by following this morning routine that you will have a successful professional life! You would need to work a lot, follow your talent, develop your passion and competences.

Are you ready to become more productive in your work?

silhouette photography of jump shot of two persons
Success – Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

Working Four Days a Week

In Iceland they carried out an experiment. From 2015 to 2019, 2,500 people (equal to 1% of the inhabitants) participated in a very ambitious project: to reduce working time without reducing wages. Public sector employees, with different profiles and working in different sectors (schools, hospitals, social and administrative services), worked 4 days a week following their working hours, not necessarily during the day.

Objective

Analyse positive changes in professional and personal life.

How it was achieved

Communication mainly via emails, reduced time of breaks and daily activities redistributed in order to optimize the available time.

Results

The results speak for themselves. In 4 years, participants’ productivity and well-being have increased, while stress and risk of burn-out has decreased considerably.

The results show that the 2,500 workers involved used their free time to recover their energy, to spend more time with their families, or to practise their hobbies. This has led unions to renegotiate employment contracts and now 86% of Icelandic employees have chosen to work less for the same salary.

Benefits

A marked improvement in the quality of life has been noticed. In fact, it is often the work environment that increases states of anxiety and malaise.

This research could be replicated in the UK, because, according to a survey, 63% of the population would be in favour. In addition, 45 deputies voted a motion to ask the government to study this proposal.

Would you like to work 4 days a week? I think this is an inspiring model to be exported without hesitation!

person holding white stylus
Working Week – Photo by Jess Bailey Designs on Pexels.com

How To Keep Your Focus And Productivity While Teleworking

Staying focused and maintaining a high level of productivity when teleworking isn't always easy.

Faced with a list of things that accumulate day after day, the important thing is to plan your day and week in advance. A simple and effective solution is the "to-do list" with the allocation of time and corresponding tasks in your agenda.

In this way, you will work on one thing at a time and will be able also to prioritize.

To be productive, you can try the Pomodoro Technique, which gets its name from the timer used while cooking that often looks like a tomato.

What is this technique about? Work 25 minutes on a specific task and then take a 5 minute break. Repeat this mode 4 times (25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of rest), then take a longer break of 20 minutes away from the computer. If you have a dog, go for a walk, or water the plants, eat some fruit, do some stretching.

To avoid distractions and focusing problems, do not turn on the TV, do not work on the bed and put your personal phone in the "do not disturb" mode so as not to be interrupted. 

Don't forget to set limits. Once the day is over, don't work overtime and truly disconnect! The ideal would be to have a dedicated workspace, so that you can "leave the office" once you are finished with your work.

Some tips to optimize your workspace.

As regards your workspace at home, do not underestimate the positive effect of comfort on your productivity and concentration. 

Invest in the purchase of a comfortable chair and a foot rest to maintain a good posture. And if you really want to do yourself some good, also buy (or buy only) a standing desk. 

Good lighting is important so as not to strain your eyes and it will help you stay focused. Try a light bulb that diffuses blue light, for example. 

In addition to being comfortable, your workspace at home should reflect your personality with some decorative objects that help you stay inspired during the day and make you want to spend time in it.

Organize your office and arrange your things according to the frequency of use. Keep the things you need frequently on hand. Sort out the things you need least in an easy way so not to waste your time while looking for them.  

Finally, remember that physical exercise is essential for your well-being and after a day of work it would be good to dedicate some time to your body to relax and start the evening well.

What do you think about these tips?
Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash