Improving Productivity in a Few Simple Steps
By Bella Seligson
For most of us, workloads pick up as the midterm approaches. During this time, it is super important to develop effective practices to improve our productivity. Procrastination is something we all struggle with, but there are many preventative practices you can adopt to avoid burnout. Here are some easy tips and tricks you can implement into your daily life with some mindful effort.
Planning Effectively:
One of the most difficult parts of being effective with your time is knowing exactly what needs to be done at a given moment. This is why using a planner has been essential to my productivity. Making a list for the next day or an hourly schedule can be substantially helpful. Personally, I am more productive when I feel like I have structure, which is why I use this method of hourly scheduling. Time blocking for my classes, extracurriculars, homework assignments, exercise, and social time helps me manage my time effectively because I always know what to expect. It is also extremely motivating to be able to check off items throughout the busy day.
Identifying Your Optimal Time:
It is vital to understand your own personal patterns of productivity, which is why you should identify your optimal time of day for getting your tasks done. I personally feel most productive early in the morning after I drink a cup of coffee. I feel less obligated to check social media or my text messages since fewer people are active around that time. I also enjoy getting my work out of the way before I start the rest of my day, which gives me a sense of accomplishment early on.
Do Your Hardest Task First:
When we get our easier, quicker tasks done first we feel confident. However, when we move on to the harder task, we feel discouraged since we are not met with the quick gratification that easier tasks give us. This is why starting with a harder task is the best way to be successful and feel confident in your other endeavors throughout the day. By doing your harder task first, you avoid procrastination and you feel more confident in easier tasks.
Utilize a Study Space:
Another element of mindful study habits has to do with your environment. Where you do your work is very important to your success because our brains associate certain settings with certain actions. For example, when I write an essay in bed, it is much more difficult to fight the urge to scroll through social media than it would be in a study room. Being able to switch on and off from “work mode” is dependent on our environment. For studying, writing, or doing work, I suggest finding a study space that is quiet and comfortable.
Here are some other simple tricks for productivity:
Set a time to check your email so that you don't interrupt your workflow.
Group similar tasks together.
Use bright colors in your planner to emphasize certain tasks.
Take breaks. Personally I use a 4:1 ratio. I work uninterrupted for 40 minutes, followed by a 10 minute break.
Turn your phone off when you start your work.
Make a dated master list of all of your assignments on Excel, Word Document, or Google Calendar.
Ultimately, routines relieve anxiety because they establish a sense of control. Since our routine is often reflective of our time management., I encourage you to go the extra mile and invest in your future productivity. There are 168 hours in a week, and all of us can likely use them more wisely.
