When it’s about productivity, there are a few things to consider to make sure you are at your best every day. Each of us is different; some people work better in the morning, others in the evening, some can quickly tackle multi-tasking, others need to focus on one thing. It also depends on the work you do. As a creative, I have a couple of essentials rules that grant me a good day:
1. Sleep
It’s the first rule of productivity. During the week, I try to go to bed early and wake up early, making sure I sleep at least 8 hours. My perfect time to wake up is between 7 AM and 8 AM. I’m not the kind of person that starts the day at 6 AM and go to the gym, but husband is, and this ritual does well for him.
2. Shower & Bed-making
The shower wakes me up and making the bed right away sets up the stage for the organization of the day. It seems such a small detail, but it sets the right pace for me. Not making the bed is like putting off a simple task you have to do for work. The time to do it will eventually come, and it will distract you from something else.
3. Healthy breakfast (not too light, not too heavy)
I am a vegetarian and milk intolerant, so my go-to breakfast is almond based yogurt and granola with a cup of detox infusion. I usually do creative tasks during the morning while I’m having breakfast because I like taking breaks from the screen to take a sip, or eat a bit of yogurt.
4. Keep your inbox organized
I’m an inbox zero person. I keep in my inbox just the emails that require actions on my side. I highly recommend this practice because it replaces part of a to-do list. In this way, as we look at the email many times during the day, we can always have the things to do available at first glance.
5. Take breaks from the screen
Every 20 seconds you should look away from the screen otherwise your eyes will get tired, and you will be exhausted by the end of the day. Working from home, I find it harder to keep the right detachment from the screen, but I’m trying to get better. It’s especially important to take a break at lunch. Please don’t eat in front of your computer and try to stay present and focus on the pleasure of eating!
6. Love what you do
Last, but not least: if you want to be productive make sure that you enjoy your work, and if you can’t have the luxury to choose, focus on the aspects of your job that can make a difference in the life of someone else. People in call centers, for example, find it hard to find a motivation—it’s a tough job with a high-stress level. But every one of us contributes to society, and it’s important to remember it.