7 Life Changing Productivity Hacks You Didn’t Know About
It’s extremely difficult to get things done these days. How on earth can one finish their tasks on time while facing distractions like long video compilations of people stepping on Legos, violent brainstorming sessions regarding lunch ideas or a colleague who’s an extremely loud sipper?
We understand that you have a hectic schedule and we feel your pain. That’s why it is so simple and easy to create a stunning website with Wix. But after you’re done with the website building, there’s always so much to do. When we enter the realm of time management tips and guides for boosting productivity, most of the information you’ll encounter while browsing the web is very straightforward. However, sometimes when you get to the point where you’re focusing on making your colleague’s wig levitate instead of doing your job, a to-do list (or any other common tip) just might not be enough. Lazy times call for extreme & creative measures. So get ready; soon you will learn how to get things done, thanks to these life changing productivity tips:
It’s a full lockdown – Avoid the Facebook time warp (and other social channels)
We’re starting our list with a bang. A threat so intimidating to your productivity, that if we could, we would have played Star Wars’ Imperial March before mentioning it. We all know what happens when we enter Facebook. It begins with an innocent scrolling that you promise will be limited to just five minutes. In the first act, you’re browsing photos of a friend’s recent trip. From there you can’t resist checking out a video that followed the caption, “This cat slapped a police officer in the middle of the street. The officer’s response will amaze you.” Ten minutes later you answer a “Which Ikea furniture are you” quiz and before you know it, two and a half hours have passed and you participated in three political debates, watched four cute videos and fell for eight clickbaits.
Facebook isn’t alone. Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest and even Linkedin all have those time-consuming characteristics in various forms and levels. Besides your run-down schedule, another possible problematic outcome of your Facebook use is the public exposure of your laziness. Even if you’re not friends with your boss, that doesn’t mean they didn’t notice you Like every Tasty video uploaded during work hours.
So how do we deal with this time-devouring beast? Self-discipline :) But really, if we cut the jokes, there are more than a few excellent apps and browser extensions to help you block Facebook, Twitter or any other specific website. Just install them and let the social network slide off you like ketchup in a liquid repellent spray commercial.
Serenity now – Listen to relaxing tunes
Soundwise, the office is usually not the ideal place to get in a productive mood. Noisy typing, loud conversations and a printer that sounds like it’s giving birth to a smaller printer are all common distractions that can hurt your work efficiency. You don’t have to seal your desk with acoustic foam, but if the noise level is high and you feel it’s disturbing your concentration, there are steps you can take to improve the situation (and no, a water gun is not a good idea!).
First of all, there are different views about the influence of music or background noise on productivity and there isn’t one right solution for all. The best way to decide how to design your audio walls is by trial and error. Some studies say that music will improve your productivity when performing repetitive tasks. Other studies note that sounds of nature enhance focus and cognitive functions and others suggest that listening to regular music you like will simply improve your mood, and in turn, will help achieve better results. The best part? There are plenty of free and simple-to-use websites for this purpose (Check out Noisli, Coffitivity, or raining.fm)
The power of Kawaii – Look at photos of baby animals
This may be the weirdest productivity tip in this list, but who are we to argue with a published scientific study? It’s surprising to hear that from all things, an activity which is considered a schedule-crusher will elevate productivity. As with every other tip in this list, there’s no need to take this measure to the extreme and browse seven pages of kittens and puppies, because a short fluff break will probably do the job.
According to Hiroshi Nittono’s study for Hiroshima University, viewing cute photos or videos of animals triggers caregiving impulses, which can actually enhance your work performance. So the next time you’re struggling to get things done, don’t reach for the closest spinner or fidget cube, remember that somewhere there’s a bunny in laundry basket waiting to help you achieve a fully checked to-do list.
To the laugh, to the laugh – Laugh whenever you can
We don’t think that we’ve ever heard about anything that laughter can’t improve, upgrade or heal, and according to studies, a positive outcome is present also when addressing work productivity. Like butter in every recipe, when it comes to laughter, the more the merrier (okay, maybe in a few rare cases you’ll get to a point when you’ll no longer need additional giggles). No need to sweat about it, no one’s expecting an hour-long witty monologue. Just tell the latest bad joke your dad told you, reply to emails with funny GIFs or share hilarious YouTube videos.
Joking around at work can relieve tensions and promote healthier communication channels between coworkers. It can reduce hostility between employees and management and allow for better criticism. As long as you’re keeping your humor “Seinfeld clean” and aren’t laughing at someone’s expense, you’re good to go.
The “ice”ing on the cake – Start your day with a cold shower
This one is pretty simple. Every morning, you take yourself to the nearest shower (which we hope happens to be where you live), turn on the cold water… and shower. How exactly will it help your productivity? Recent academic research suggests that cold showers can boost the immune system, help blood circulation and pump the body with feel-good endorphins.
You don’t even have to let the freezing water pour down on you from the very first moment. As long as you make sure you have a special moment or two with the dark blue side of the handle at the end of your shower. Try it for a week and see for yourself how those 90 painful seconds skyrocket your day and keep you more focused, positive and ready to face any challenge. As Mark Twain once said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
Horizontal life pause – Whenever you can, take a nap
We’ve all been there. A heavy lunch, a new TV show that kept you up until 2:00 AM, or just the fact that you’re a parent – are all good reasons to feel a bit tired in the middle of the day. You can try to fight the sleepiness, try to drown it with coffee and energy drinks or eat weird food combinations you read about in a magazine while waiting for a haircut. But just like a unicorn who’s looking for a way to fight off bullying horses, the solution is right in front of you. NAP.
Babies might have given napping a bad reputation, but if you’ll ignore the warm milk stereotypes that come along with sleeping in the middle of the day and close your eyes for a while, you’ll be amazed at the spike in productivity heading your way. The ideal nap is 45 to 90 minutes long, although a 25-minute break or even shorter power naps would also be effective in reducing negativity and impulsivity and can boost performance. So next time you’re feeling sleepy while working, try to get some z’s, and you’ll wake up more focused, making fewer mistakes and with a better working memory.
Vampire mode – Work at night
Some people find it difficult to detach themselves from their bed in the morning, and if asked at that very moment of alarm clock buzzing, they would sign a contract selling their own liver for a couple of extra minutes of sleep. Instead of forcing these people to do their job during the common working hours, they can be more efficient and productive during the night time.
When the sun goes down, so does the number of distracting texts and phone calls. No more unrelated questions from coworkers, social media tends to be less tempting at night and even the neighbor’s dog is fast asleep. It’s just you, the cool night breeze and the calm atmosphere. But turning your schedule upside down isn’t completely necessary. The next time you find yourself up late, try and get some tasks done between 11pm-3am.
Already feeling as productive as a busy ant? Easily create a stunning website with Wix!
By Chen Attias
Community Manager, Wix About The Wix Blog
