These productivity hacks bring better
results than sticking to the desk for over eight hours, pounding away at our work.

Skip the big groupthink. Work
in smaller groups.

The more people you have
on your team, the less productive it becomes. It seems counterintuitive, but it’s true.

When a large group gets
together, something called “social loafing” occurs. ŏ

Ɩ
Eat Breakfast
Every Morning.

When we’re hungry, we’re unfocused
and we react more harshly to people around us.

Our outlook is also more
negative.

Instead of bringing in donuts
for the office, consider low-glycemic foods such as: - Greek yogurt treats - Whole Grains - Fresh Fruits

Take Breaks
During The Day.

It seems like bad advice,
but the key to productivity isn’t to glue yourself to the desk and work, work, work.

You’d be better off taking
breaks. Regularly.

Why do people skip breaks?

Because they feel guilty about
taking them.

A good rule of thumb
is for every 90 minutes of work, take a 20 minute break.

ȓ
Take A Nap.

As the day goes on,
we get sluggish and groggy, and try to fix that problem with sugar-laden food or lots of caffeine. That’s not good for anyone.

That’s where naps fit in.

A nap can help you
be less tired, of course, but it can also relax and reduce stress.

How should you nap properly?

The best time to take
a nap is between 1 and 4 p.m. Your nap should either be for 20 minutes, or more than 90 minutes.

☼ Exercise right away in
the morning.

Some people prefer exercising after
work or in the evening, because it fits their schedule best.

However, a recent study suggests
exercising in the morning (try 7 a.m.) is your best bet.

If you can’t exercise in
the morning (or even if you can!), you should definitely make a point of moving around and exercising at work.

Just seven minutes of exercise
can do the trick.

All the physical benefits of
exercise — endorphins, warmed-up muscles, increased oxygen intake, more active brains — are an optimal way to start the day.

Look up images of cute
animals.

Keep those YouTube videos and
pictures of cute animals handy whenever you need a pick-me-up.

When people looked at such
images, their “caregiving” nature increased.

That translated into more attention
to detail in what they were working on.

With that attention to detail,
there was something else that improved: performance.

Ƕ
Eat healthy food.

Will healthy food really make
you more productive?

Adequate and improved nutrition levels
can increase productivity by 20 percent.

Employers can help out by
providing healthy snacks instead of processed and sugary foods to their workers.

Pick a day of rest.

Call it a day of
rest, call it a stop day — whatever you call it, you need it.

For those who are freelancing
or working at home, this is even more so. The temptation to work a little bit every day is hard to overcome.

Not having a day when
work is stopped is leading to depression and anxiety.

Constantly working, without stops, will
hurt your productivity eventually.

Do only one thing at
one time.

Multitasking is a very bad
idea. It is not a strength.

Focus on doing one thing
at a time. You won’t save time by trying to do two or more at once.

Don’t try to listen to
music or watch TV while doing other cognitive activities.

Your brain can’t focus on
two cognitive distractions at once.

Don’t imagine
yourself a
success.

It’s perfectly fine to have
a goal and imagine how you’ll get there, but it’s important to not spend a lot of time imagining that you are already a success.

Constantly visualizing or imaging ourselves
as a success drains the ambition right out of us.

Positive visualization is great for
calming us down in highly negative or stressful situations.

When it comes to being
productive, it’s the last thing you want to be doing.

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