How To Effectively Manage Your Time & Productivity

Struggling with time management lately? You are not alone. Most people routinely feel stressed for not being productive the way they are supposed to be.

The good news is that you can prevent this stress by using time management strategies to become more efficient.

Why use those strategies? Well, it is quite simple - Time is your most valuable asset and so, you don’t really want to waste it.

So without further ado, let us take you through our 10 best time management tips and tricks you can put to use in your life!

1.  The Power of Mornings

Laura Vanderkam, who’s a career development writer, suggests that individuals have more willpower in the early morning than the rest of the day regardless of whether they are a morning person or night person.

Following this idea, you can utilize the time in the morning to do more productive things, such as reading, training, planning , and making decisions accordingly with a fresh mind.

“But… I’m not really a morning person, I feel like I’ve been beaten with a bat as soon as I wake up!”

If that’s the case, you can develop the habit of waking up early gradually if you are not a morning person.

2.  Keeping a Productivity Diary

Keeping a diary is perhaps one of the best things you can do in the context of monitoring your routine activities and the results that come from them.

This simple habit will enable you to define your goals, express yourself and even reflect on past actions, as well as record your progress.

In keeping a diary like this, you’ll have the chance to see everything pen on paper and will get a better idea of the time that certain tasks consume and the results that they yield.

3.  No Multitasking

Time management expert, Dave Crenshaw in his book The Myth of Multitasking: How “Doing It All” Gets Nothing Done says that: “When someone tells me that they are good at multitasking, I know they’re inefficient. Saying that you’re a good multitasker is the same as saying that you’re good at using a less effective method to get things done.”

And whether you want to believe it or not, this might just turn out to be the exact truth for most people.

Focus your undivided attention on the task at hand, to get it as quickly and efficiently done, as possible.

4.  Ultradian rhythms

Ultradian rhythms term is defined as the natural rhythms that the body cycles through every 90-120 minutes.

This term was coined by Peretz Lavie and it promotes the idea that you should work when your energy levels are high and rest when you feel tired.

If you want to boost your productivity consider following your ultradian rhythms and avoid working when your body and mind only offer resistance to that work.

5.  Using Your Phone Effectively

Phones have controlled our professional and personal lives ever since the first smartphone was introduced to the world.

And though phones can make us anxious and even depressed, they can also be a very effective tool to boost productivity when used correctly.

To fully focus, start by removing instant stimuli from your main screen and concentrating on the important tasks.

Use the applications that actually help your work process and avoid diving into those news feed scrolling sessions.

Remember that the phone is just a tool and if you don’t use it correctly, you might smash your nail (metaphorically).

6.  Productivity Apps

Speaking of phones, the best way to be productive through phones is to install productivity applications.

There are various applications that you can use - one of them is Focus@Will.

Apps like Focus@Will allow you to stay on the right track by removing all the distractions.

Look out for those apps and find the one that suits you best!

7.  Meditation

Just like mindfulness, meditation is a mental exercise, capable of bringing realizations of many things, including unconscious actions of yours that rob you of time.

Besides that, meditation may help you clear your mind and bring about a better focus, thus allowing you to manage your actions and time more effectively.

People who meditate regularly are able to avoid distractions and focus on important tasks.

The best thing? Meditation can massively help you manage stress and even overcome procrastination.

So hey, don’t forget to pay some attention to your inner world.

8.  Effective Use Of Caffeine

Being one of the strongest mental and physical stimulants, caffeine can be the thing that makes or breaks your productivity.

The right amount of caffeine can increase mental focus and output, but too much can make you feel anxious.

So really, analyze your coffee intake and judge it objectively - Is it helping you or is it burning you out?
If the latter is true, then consider using caffeine only in moments when you need it (i.e when you are tired or just need a kickstart).

Ultimately, aim for no more than 2 cups a day, as that will provide a healthy amount of caffeine, to promote focus and mental output, without leading to a caffeine crash or any other undesired side effects caused by excessive consumption of caffeine.

9.  Power nap

Did you know that personalities like Da Vinci and Einstein adored power naps in the afternoon?

The reason why power naps work is because they allow you to deprive the senses of information and thus, get into a more relaxed, playful state of mind.

Additionally, the fact that you’re not processing something from the outside allows your body and mind to get a brief, powerful energy rejuvenation.

Ever felt the energy from a quality sleep session? Well, the power nap is the same, but on a smaller scale, so do use that, but be careful not to fall asleep!

10. Practice the art of saying “No”

Overcommitting can always affect your productivity and oftentimes, it can rob you of your own time.

As per PsychologyToday, the extreme desire to please everyone and always say yes comes from our intrinsic fear of causing clash, dissatisfaction or upset by declining to help those around us.

This is why you should learn the art of saying no and be your best productive self, despite anything else!

Final Thoughts

In a dynamic world like ours, the effective management of time and effort is something to really pay attention to, as you may easily swerve towards a burnout, accompanied with a severe lack of time.

The secret to achieving balance is in analyzing yourself, your schedule and keeping good track of your habits, both in and outside of work, as well as your personal life.

At the end of the day, once you reach the point of balance, time management will be seamless.

Stay productive, stay efficient!