Want to Be More Productive? Try These 12 Lifehacks [Infographic]

graphic of 12 lifehacks to be more productive

As a small business owner, you have a thousand things to do every day and no idea how you’ll get to everything. It can be stressful and exhausting. Try these 12 tips to help you be more productive and take control of your day.

1. Eat better

When you’ve been working late, it’s easier to grab fast food than go home and cook a healthy meal, but it could be hurting your productivity. Add as many superfoods to your diet as possible and drink plenty of water to stay more productive during the day.

2. Get enough sleep

Your sleep affects your productivity, focus, memory recall, and your ability to solve problems. Try to sleep at least seven hours every night to be your best self the next day. Learn more about how to get more sleep.

3. Turn off push notifications

Smartphones are great because they keep us connected everywhere. They can also be extremely distracting and make it easier for you to procrastinate. So, turn off your push notifications during the workday. When you’re not being notified every time someone texts you or likes your latest Instagram post, you’ll be less tempted to reach for your phone to waste time, and you’ll spend more time getting stuff done.

4. Limit social media

Facebook and Instagram are constantly changing, so it’s tempting to check them every couple of hours. It takes 23 minutes to regain focus after being distracted, so if you look at Facebook twice during the day, you’ve lost almost an hour of productivity. Instead of scrolling through your newsfeeds throughout the day, check social media in one block of time or as a reward for finishing an important task.

If you need help staying off your profiles during the day, download SelfControl for your Mac or Offtime for your phone to block specific websites and apps for a few hours. 

5. Take a break

It might seem counterproductive to stop working, but it’s essential to take time for yourself to refocus and reenergize. If you work constantly, you’ll get burnt out. Learn to turn off at the end of the workday so you can focus on yourself. If you can’t commit to turning off every night, start with one or two days a week. You could also consider going offsite for lunch every day so that you come back to work in the afternoon refreshed.

Read also: 9 Easy Ways to See Your Small Business through Fresh Eyes

6. Create a to-do list the night before

At the end of each workday, take a few minutes to write and prioritize your to-do list for the next day. Tomorrow, you will already have a jumpstart on the day and will be ready to hit the ground running.

7. Complete important tasks first

Once you’ve prioritized your to-do list, knock out your most important tasks first. It’s easy to postpone bigger things, but you might feel rushed at the end of the day. By finishing your important duties first, you’ll know they’re done correctly.

8. Stop multitasking

Most of us grew up hearing that multitasking makes you more productive, but it’s just not true. When you multitask, you’re splitting your attention between multiple things, instead of focusing on just one. It will take you more time to finish everything than if you devoted your energy to one task at a time. So, knock out one part of your to-do list before moving on to the next.

9. Reward yourself

When you finish an important task, reward yourself – with a small piece of chocolate, a walk around the block, or a few minutes browsing Instagram. You’ll be motivated to finish the next thing on your list so you can reward yourself again.

10. Exercise

Exercising boosts your productivity. It might feel like you don’t have time to get everything done and go to the gym, but it doesn’t have to be time-consuming. It could be a short walk during lunch – just something to get your blood pumping.

Read also: 7 Exercises You Can Do at Your Desk

11. Share your goals

When you share your goals with somebody, they’ll hold you accountable. You’ll want to work harder toward those objectives, so the next time that person asks how they’re coming, you have an answer.

12. Learn to say, “no”

You can’t do everything. It can be challenging to say, “no,” but if you try to do everything, you’ll end up burnt out.

Read also: Top 3 Small Business Tasks to Delegate Next Year

infographic of 12 tips to be more productive

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