It’s a really long and busy day. Meetings, emails, a looming deadline.
You are working hard. But somehow, it’s just not enough.You are feeling tired, stressed and it’s becoming harder to focus, none of which is helping your productivity. Happens to all of us, right?
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Isn’t there a smarter way? Changing a few habits can help motivate and recharge you, and in just a few minutes.
Here are 7 Habits to Supercharge your Productivity:
1. Take a quick break. Our bodies are not designed to work at peak performance for extended periods without breaks. After around 90 minutes, our heart rate, hormonal levels, muscle tension and brain-wave activity begin to decline and our bodies naturally crave rest. If you are working for 3 hours at a stretch, you will actually get less done. Productivity is not about being busy, it’s about getting more done. Taking a 5 minute break every 60 minutes will recharge your batteries for the next 60.
2. Exercise for 5 minutes. You might be exercising in the morning or evening. But do you exercise at work? Just 5 minutes of light exercise will pump up your energy, give you a fresh burst of confidence and make your creativity flow! Exercising also releases endorphins, making you happier, and boosting your motivation to tackle the next 60 minutes.
3. Have a healthy snack. Do you skip meals, or have only 3 large meals a day? This means that at some point of the day the sugar levels in your blood will fall – affecting your energy and your emotions. Having an apple halfway between meals can make you feel energetic and back in the game.
4. Breathe deeply. Hectic days usually come with a truckload of stress! A simple way to reduce stress is to take 10 -15 slow deep breaths. Try to focus your attention on your breathing only and do not let thoughts interfere. Making this a regular habit will keep stress outside the door!
5. Take a 5 minute vacation to Hawaii. No, you don’t need a teleporter! You just need to lean back in your chair, close your eyes and visualize yourself in a gorgeous location. Listen to the waves, feel the sand beneath your feet, smell the sea! And your stress… what stress?
6. Listen to a ‘Power Song.’ Do you have a ‘Power Song’? A song that has the power to magically lift your mood? Within 3-4 minutes the right song can inspire and motivate you to take on the next challenge on your To-Do list. Keep a playlist of your ‘Power Songs’ handy as rocket fuel for your motivation.
7. Take a quick nap. Napping is one of the easiest ways to supercharge your productivity. Companies like Google and Huffington Post have ‘energy pods’ where employees take quick naps. John D Rockefeller and Winston Churchill swore by naps as a vital productivity habit! How do you nap for just 5 minutes? It becomes easy once you develop a habit of falling asleep quickly. Until then, try taking a 15 minute nap.
Try it Today
Those hectic days will keep coming back. But you have the means to sail through them far more easily.
You don’t need an hour to supercharge your productivity. You just need 5 minutes.
Pick the habit which looks simplest. Try it today!
Question: What 5 minute activities could you add to the list? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Thank you Craig–great reminders; I swear by daily naps as well. I try to time it directly after my lunchtime diet coke. Caffine takes about 25 minutes to take effect, so by the time I’m through with the nap, the caffine has kicked in and it gives my afternoon a figurative “and real” shot in the arm.
Thanks Matthew! Great to see that you use the ‘coffee nap’ approach. John D. Rockefeller used to swear by naps too!
Great post, Arijit! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thanks Craig!
Physically leaving the office. Getting away from the office during lunch helps me de-stress and gives my brain a break. It makes me a more productive employee when I return.
Agreed. A walk outside during lunch can certainly work wonders Amy! On really busy days when you can’t take a walk you might want to try out the 5 minute visualization.
Power songs are definitely my fav way to de stress and recharge if quick exercise or a short nap is not possible. Thanks Arijit for this post.
Thanks Amogh, a power song playlist can be a powerful asset in everyone’s ‘productivity toolbox’!
What *is* your power song? 😉
‘Extreme ways’ by Moby from the movie Bourne Ultimatum…and etc, etc!
Listening to instrumentals throughout my work day definitely helps keep me Zen
Good one Amanda! Instrumental music does help maintain concentration for longer periods.
Simple ways to go a long way…… Thanks for sharing. Power song works for me. Will try the 5 minutes exercise.
I make it a point to do at least a few stretches after every hour. It works wonders Pankaj!
Exercise always gets me going!
Unfortunately, a lot of us can’t afford quick naps here in USA. But that is a good idea. The habit that I think you are missing here is Cleaning your inbox to Zero. Clean inbox = Clean mind.
Thank you for the awesome article, I’ve made it a point to share it with my Community on Centask.
Best regards from West Coast 🙂
Inbox Zero is always good. 🙂
Thanks Bojan, you couldn’t have been more correct! Inbox zero does give us a ‘fresh and clean’ feeling!
It’s not only about the feeling, there is so much more to it. When you process all your items, you have made a decision. Inbox processing takes energy, because it forces you into decision making. 🙂
Absolutely Bojan! Inbox Zero is an indicator of action, fast and good decision making, low procrastination and a lot more. The fact that someone has processed all their emails means that they have dealt with stuff or categorized items into the appropriate folders to deal with them later. I use it as a key indicator of progress in my coaching programs.
Just a quick note to thank you for these handy tips – so good to have advice that is not too hard to take yet will deliver the goods. I look forward to any further advice you might have to offer. Thanks again.
Thanks Zarayna, you can check out my e-book (link in the bio) for more tips! 😉
As one who is afflicted with ACD (Attention Concentration Disorder), this post is particularly helpful. Here are a few others (a couple of which are specific to those who work from home offices). Take a 5-minute “pleasure reading” break; Take the dog for a 5-minute walk; Take a 5-minute mini-gardening break; Spend 5-minutes “de-cluttering” something
Hey Kathy, all your ideas are great! Love your concept of balancing work with other activities. I do take tiny reading breaks every now and then.
Wonderful post Arijit. Will definitely try visualization, power song and breathing.
Thanks Gaurima! You might try out visualization while listening to instrumental music. It will help you to reach a relaxed state within 30 seconds or so.
Ah, I like the nap idea. It’s hard to find the time, but a great idea if your employer will let you do it!
I find planning my day out also helps for higher productivity. Five minutes is about the right time to get that done as well! I will share this post with my GTDNext twitter peeps!
Thanks for sharing!
Planning your day would be the ‘Eighth Habit’! 😉 I agree!
I agree that naps are still a tough sell in most organizations, but we are making progress.
Perhaps sharing this post with one’s boss might help get the suggestion rolling!
Good idea.. Let’s put the pressure on the bosses!
Great post Arijit. I find a few yoga stretches really help if I’ve been really focused for a period. And maybe a dance along with the power song?!
Thanks Ellen! My Tai Chi teacher has written a lot about Yoga at the workplace. It’s surprising how little time that takes.
A dance – will surely try that!