Key Ways to Set Yourself Up for a Productive Day

Productivity gets talked about a lot, and we all want to be more effective. Many of us don’t take many steps to make this happen, though. 

Happily, it doesn’t have to be too complicated to give yourself the best chance of having a successful day, time and time again. If you can get into the routine of following a few key ways to set yourself up for a productive day, you should start seeing results ASAP.

Look After Your Health

To be focused and effective in your days, you need to have excellent health. You can’t get the most out of your time if you’re suffering from lethargy, the common afternoon slump, a distracted mind, and other issues. As such, take care of your well-being to see quick improvements in your productivity.

There are numerous ways to do this. Exercise is one of the critical elements. Start your day with some form of activity, if possible, or break up your work day with some exercise at lunchtime, in the afternoon, etc. You may need to play around with what works best for your general bodily rhythms and work hours. Still, as long as you exercise regularly throughout the week, you’ll enjoy better energy levels and, in turn, productivity. 

Plus, food and hydration are vital too. You need to drink plenty of water throughout the day so your brain doesn’t get too dehydrated and run too slowly. A lack of water can also make you tired and more prone to snacking on sugary, salty, and other processed and not-good-for-you items.

Eating as healthily as possible and ensuring you get plenty of vitamins and minerals and other nutrients, especially protein, in your days will keep your mind clearer and your body happier and, therefore, more effective, too. It could be worth adding some multivitamins into your diet to boost you in the areas where you could be lacking. Plus, you might like to start taking a daily energy shot to see if that helps perk you up and get through more work and all of it more quickly.  

Focus on Good Sleep Hygiene

You’ll never be as productive as you’d like if you don’t get enough sleep every week. It’s essential to strive for seven to eight hours or more per night on average to keep yourself feeling good and stave off colds and other illnesses that can dramatically impact your ability to get work done. Sleep is when our bodies heal and refresh, so it’s crucial for many reasons.

To get more sleep and better quality sleep, it pays to go to bed and get up at around the same times every day, thus making it easier for your brain to switch off out of habit when it’s bedtime and perk up again in the morning when you need to get ready to start your day. Plus, stop looking at devices in the two hours or so before you go to bed, as the blue light they emit can signal your body to wake up rather than unwind. Furthermore, try stretching, meditating, or journaling before you sleep to relax and get anxiety-producing thoughts out of your mind. 

Clear Out Clutter

It’s hard to be organized, prepared, and clear mentally if you have a messy space that is stressing you out. If you want to set yourself up for a more productive day, it’s vital to keep your work area as clutter-free as possible. Get into habits that involve scanning documents so you can throw out paperwork wherever possible, go through piles of papers at least once a week to sort them and action them as needed, and consider if you truly have to print out or keep as many hard copies as you currently do. 

It helps to find a place for as many things you keep in your workspace as possible so that you know where to return everything after you’ve used it. Do this, and you’ll have less clutter and mess building up as a result. In particular, keep your desk clear so that you don’t get distracted by other tasks and worries whenever you try to work on something essential. 

Plan Out Your Day

Another vital aspect of setting yourself up for a day where you get a lot done is spending a little time planning what you want to achieve. Either the night before or in the morning, work out the three or more jobs that are most urgent for you to get done in a day and then complete them first before distractions come in and get in your way. 

 Prioritize tasks that aren’t just urgent but also important, and look for things you can delegate to your team or outsource, etc., so you’re not wasting time on things you don’t need to do. Plus, create a schedule for yourself and follow it as much as possible to stay on track more as the day progresses. 

You can’t control every aspect of your life or even a lot of them, but you can take steps to give yourself the best possible chance of having successful and more enjoyable days more often. Follow the tips above to help you do just that.