5 Tips on Staying Productive
Since I work from home, it can be super easy for me to get distracted. Whether it's someone talking to me, noises outside, or my cat sitting on my lap, there are interruptions all around. As a result, I started trying different ways to stay focused. After some trial and error, I found a system that works very well. Here are five tips that have helped me stay productive, and I hope they will help you as well!
Turn off the notifications. A few months ago, I turned off all the notifications on my phone, iPad, and MacBook to only see them when I went into the app or program. I only left on phone calls, text messages, anything related to health or safety (i.e., Amber alerts, inclement weather, etc.) At first, it was jarring not to have things constantly popping up on my phone, but I quickly fell in love. This one has helped me out so much, and it's something I didn't realize was such a distraction until they were gone. Whenever you hear that "ding" or see a message/alert pop up on your phone, your attention is taken away from what you are currently doing and focuses on this new interruption. By turning off the notifications on whatever device(s) you are using, you are allowing yourself to stay invested in what you are working on.
Have a planner. Oh my goodness. I've said this many times before, and I will keep saying it: my planner is my brain in paper form. I have always liked to write things out – it helps me visualize what is coming up, the tasks that I have, and important dates and deadlines. Whether you are like me and prefer pen and paper or someone who likes to have everything digitally, undoubtedly having a planner of some sort works wonders.
Take breaks periodically. It's such a simple action, but it was probably the one that I had the most trouble with. At first, I thought that taking breaks was taking away time that I could not waste. However, I realized that taking breaks throughout the day significantly improved my mind and my mood. If you've been working on a project or a task for a long time, stop what you are doing, get up and step away. I will usually walk around for a little bit or use the time to scroll through social media. It will help you so much – I promise.
Have a to-do list. Fellow list makers, where are you at? To me, one of the satisfying things is crossing through items on my to-do list. I love looking at the piece(s) of paper at the end of the day and seeing everything I accomplished. One trick that I noticed brought significant results is to break my list into different sections. I usually have a few lists on hand: a personal list which I use for myself and things to do around the house; a work to-do list of tasks and assignments that need to be completed; and a miscellaneous list of items that are not super high-priority right now, but still need to be done at some point.
Break down tasks. To help keep me organized, I have an order to do everything. For example, I break down one blog post into eight smaller tasks. It looked like more work at first, but I soon realized that it helped track my progress. Before, I would forget to do a job because I hadn't written it down and tried to cram everything in the end. Now, I'm much less likely to let something slip through the cracks, although I do still make mistakes from time to time.
And those are my five tips for staying productive. Let me know what you do to stay productive!