According to experts, various productivity hacks can help you finish work in less time. Some of these include taking short breaks, creating to-do lists, and resisting social media. Although there are many productivity hacks that you can implement, it’s important to remember that these are only suggestions and that you should not view them as hacks. Instead, they should be used to improve the efficiency of your work. Only a few habits can help you become more productive, and these are the ones that you should start implementing.
- Streamlining The Space
Before you start working, take a couple of minutes to get organized and put away all the unnecessary clutter in your workspace. This will allow you to focus on what you need to do and improve your productivity. According to Kristoph Matthews, a founder of Boxbee, a cloud storage company, having a clutter-free environment can help you think clearly and improve your performance.
- Add Plants and Color
According to Jenny Gauld, an interior designer for Turnstone, a company that provides furniture and accessories, having a well-designed color can help boost your mood and productivity. While blue can help you relax, red can be great for demanding attention. According to a study by the American Society for Horticultural Science, plants can help people focus and reduce stress levels.
- Decorate
Aside from plants, adding a few personal trinkets to your workspace can also help you feel more relaxed and improve your productivity.
- Get The Hardest Tasks Over With
Most people have at least one task that they have to complete on their to-do list, but they keep delaying it due to the thought of doing it. According to Matthews, it’s the one task that you should complete immediately. This will allow you to finish and focus on other essential tasks.
- Prioritize and Delegate Tasks
First, prioritize the critical tasks. Then, think about the other unimportant or trivial ones you can delegate or outsource. According to Kathleen Kobel, a productivity coach, this can help you free up more time for the critical work that you and your company need.
- Find Your Productive Work Time
People have varying productivity levels. For instance, people who are morning people tend to be more productive than those who are night owls. Determining the hours of the day you feel most alert and focused is essential and then allocating these to your most important work. This can be especially helpful if you work remotely.
If you can’t create a schedule that includes the hours you’re most productive, try setting your priorities based on the hours you’re most alert. Your work peak usually occurs in 90- to 120-minute intervals.
- Turn Off Email Notifications
It would help if you stopped reading every email in your inbox and only checked messages set at intervals. According to Alex Moore, the CEO of Boomerang, it takes about 64 seconds for people to recover from being sent an email notification.