10 Tips For a More Productive Day

Chances are, you’ve had moments at work or school where you just can’t seem to focus or get anything done. There are so many distractions, especially with social media, advertisements, eye-catching articles, cute baby animal pictures, noisy coworkers, and so much more.

Continue reading to learn about how we stay productive day throughout the day. Give some of these tips a try and you’ll find your stress levels may start to decrease, you’ll have more time for activities you enjoy, you’ll sleep better, and overall feel healthier.

Nightly Routine

A productive day starts the night before. Develop a routine and stick to it. It’s important to clean your face at the end of the day to get rid of any makeup and nasties that have accumulated on your skin throughout the day. Also try to get as much ready for the next day, pack your lunch, get your things together for work or school, and maybe even get your clothes ready. Anything to make your morning go a little smoother.

Cell Phone

Put your phone away at least 30 minutes before bed. This will give your brain the chance to unwind and recover from the harsh light. Try reading a book, journaling, stretching, or doing a gentle yoga routine before bed.

Move

It’s important to find time to move and breathe.  Any amount of movement is better than none at all. A movement ritual is totally unique to the individual. Some like it in the morning, others at night.  It doesn’t really matter what you do or when you do it, it’s just important to move. Exercise in general will increase alertness and blood flow, and improve cardiovascular health. All of this will help you have less stress and anxiety and contribute to a good night sleep, or a productive day.

Stay Hydrated

Don’t forget to stay hydrated. During exercise, our bodies use a lot of water. It’s important to make sure that water is replenished. It will also help to improve your cognitive performance, meaning you’ll have more brain power to get through the day. Keep a reusable water bottle on you so you have a constant supply of water throughout the day. S’well Bottles are our favorite! Not only do they have the best patterns, but they are double insulated and keep liquids cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. So you’ll always have nice, fresh, cold water even at the end of the day.

Mediation

Mediation is a great practice to incorporate into your daily routine, even if you only have a few minutes. It will recharge you like nothing else. This is great to do before bed, first thing in the morning, or even during the day if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed. Find a quiet place, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. If your mind starts to wonder, try counting your breaths to focus.

Make a list

The night before a busy day, take some time to write a to-do list so you don’t spend the night worrying about all the things you have to do. Once committed to paper, it feels as though it’s taken care of, so you can go to sleep with a clear head. Get rid of the worst task on your list first. The day will get easier as it goes on and you’ll look forward to the easier and more enjoyable tasks to keep you going. This will not only help to make sure you get everything done but will also help you budget your time. When you know what needs to be done, you’ll be able to manage your time better. To make it more fun, get a cute notebook or planner to keep track of everything. Colorful pens can also help to organize thoughts.

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint essential oil is a great, natural way to help your mind focus. Get some peppermint oil diffusing into your space, combine with a carrier oil and apply behind your ears for a topical application, or simply inhale deeply throughout the day. Peppermint oil can also help to relieve headaches and migraines. So if your job requires you to stare at a screen all day, this is a must-have!

Natural Light

Try to let in as much natural light as possible. When your optic nerve senses light, your body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure all rise. As your temperature rises, your memory, alertness and concentration also becomes stronger. If you don’t sense that light, your brain can become confused and think it’s nighttime, meaning your body temperature cools, and sleep inducing hormones are activated. Making it much harder to stay alert and focused. This is because of your circadian rhythm. When it’s out of sync, your quality of sleep is also affected. If you work in an office without windows, try to take breaks throughout the day to get outside or stand by a window.

The Pomodoro Technique

When it comes to taking breaks, try The Pomodoro Technique. This will help prevent burnouts part way through your work day. Take a 5-minute break every 25 minute. After doing this 4 times, take a break for 15-30 minutes. This will help prevent you from feeling distracted. Focus on having these intervals of productivity with short rewards in between. This will also allow you the time to get up and walk around, find some natural light, stretch or meditate. Make it into a game and challenge yourself to get certain tasks done within the 25-minute period.

Self-Care

Self-care isn’t just for Sundays. Another important tip is to make the time to focus on yourself every day. Set aside 20-30 minutes every day to give yourself some quality self-care. Whether this means taking a bath, doing your nails, a face mask, or taking the time to focus on your mental health, find something that makes you happy. Often times we focus so much on others, or our to-do lists, that we forget one important thing, ourselves. Your mental health plays a huge role in your productivity, sleep quality, and overall health.

Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or unproductive, give some of these tips a try! People often don’t realize how much these small habits can affect their lives. Let us know if there’s any other techniques you use to help stay focused throughout the day.

Let’s become better together.