Top 4 Tricks For Boosting Productivity in the New Year
Written by Leslie K. Hughes
Medically reviewed by Dr. Ariella Morrow
New year, new you, right?
We are all looking to improve in some area of our life as we turn the calendar to start a new year. And if one of those areas for you happens to be the topic of productivity, then you are in the right place.
It’s no secret that productivity can be a real challenge. This has been a struggle for many people for years and years. However, the shift to many of us working from home as a result of the pandemic has made productivity even more of a challenge.
However, it doesn’t have to be. We are sharing the top tricks that you can use to get focused and get things done without the stress.
How to Be More Productive
The key to being more productive in all aspects of your life is following the idea of working smarter, not harder.
More effort does not always equate to more productivity. It’s the type of effort you put in that really matters. To ensure you’re tapping into the right type of effort, follow these tricks.
1. Take breaks
It’s safe to say we’ve all had a project, whether it’s a school project or a work project, that was weighing heavy on us. Whether we put it off until the last minute, had it assigned the last minute, or were trying to get it done ahead of time, we’ve all felt the dread and frustration in the inability to focus on the project and get things done. And so, we pushed through it. We found a way to get the project going and then were determined to keep going and going like the Energizer bunny until it was done.
And how did you feel when it was over? Probably a bit of relief but mostly exhausted. You expended all of your mental energy and were left with nothing.
Instead of that approach that leaves you completely drained and miserable by the time you’re done, consider taking breaks. Studies have shown that taking a break from a task can improve your ability to focus on that task for a longer period. Though it sounds counterintuitive, there is loads of evidence to back it up.
So why not try it for yourself? The next time you’ve got a project or big task at hand, plan to attack it by going back and forth between periods of focus and periods of breaks. We are willing to bet you’ll complete this project feeling much better than you would if you just put your head down and pushed through, despite your misery.
2. Don’t multitask
You may feel overwhelmed with all you’ve got to do and want to cross as many things as possible off your to-do list. However, you’re doing yourself a disservice by trying to juggle multiple tasks at one time.
Even though multitasking is lauded by some people to be a good thing, it’s not. Studies show that multitasking cuts your productivity by up to 40%. Why? Because your attention is spread across multiple different things rather than being completely focused on one thing, completing that, and moving to the next. In addition, stress becomes more of an issue as you try and focus on multiple things at once.
So in the new year, try to handle one thing at a time.
3. Limit mindless scrolling
Our brains have essentially been trained at this point to reach for our phones when we are at a stoplight, when there’s a moment of silence in a conversation, when we are bored, and more. And that’s a bad habit to have.
There are plenty of reasons you shouldn’t mindlessly scroll on your phone (one of them being the negative effects social media has on your mental health), but the prime one we are focusing on today is to keep you from getting distracted. We have all been guilty of grabbing our phone to quickly check something and an hour later, we realize we went into a rabbit hole of scrolling.
To keep that from happening, set limits on your social media accounts so that you are spending minimal time on them and more time being productive.
4. Get enough sleep
There are a seemingly endless number of reasons why sleep is so crucial. Here are just a few:
Lower risk of weight gain
Better regulation of calorie intake
Lower risk of heart disease
Better exercise performance
Improved social intelligence
Improved emotional intelligence
Lower inflammation
Stronger immune system
Lower chances of depression
But just how do you get that good night’s sleep? The Mayo Clinic has some great tips on that. Here is what they say about what steps you can take to get a good night’s sleep.
Stick to a schedule
Avoid heavy meals within two hours of bedtime
Don’t drink caffeine or alcohol close to bedtime
Don’t consume nicotine close to bedtime
Create a peaceful sleep environment
Try not to nap during the day
Get active during the day
Make a list of your worries before bed to get them off your mind
And of course, as you can guess by the topic of this article, one of the reasons why you need sleep is so that you can be more productive. Doctors say that people should get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night to maintain both physical and mental health. We understand that that isn’t always an option, so on those nights when you aren’t able to get a full night’s rest but still need to be productive the next day, we suggest a B12 Energy Boost injection.
This vitamin has been shown to help with brain health, memory, energy, metabolism, and immunity and may be your saving grace for those days when counting sheep the night before just didn’t cut it. And if you’re short on time and can’t make it to a Sameday Health clinic to get your injection, a house call nurse can come to you to give you the energy you need to be productive.
