How to have a productive day

We have all been there: It’s the end of the workday and you look at your to-do list that has somehow grown rather than shrunk and wonder how it is possible. Productivity is a seemingly difficult skill to master but by simply changing a few of your daily habits, you can make today, tomorrow and (almost) every day as productive as possible. Let’s look at what an ideal productive day would look like.

The evening before 

Before heading to bed, it is good practice to limit the amount of planning you will do the next day. Do this by writing your to-do list in order of importance the day before and by tidying your workspace. Then get a good night’s sleep. Working adults should aim for between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. 

Have a productive morning

Start your day with a good breakfast and a small amount of exercise. Stretching, cycling to work or even getting off the train or bus one stop before yours can have a huge impact on your productivity. Upon arriving at work, tackle the task you are least looking forward to right away to get it out of the way. 

Make the most of your day

If possible, schedule your meetings and tasks so that you have at least an hour of free time apart from your lunch. Allocate this time for admin work, personal development, new requests, and proactive work. 

Eliminate distractions

Turn off notifications on your mobile, listen to some distraction-free music and communicate to your chatty coworkers that you have a deadline. 

Learn to say ‘No’ 

Nothing halts productivity more than interruptions to your daily plans. Incoming requests from coworkers, clients, and management are unavoidable but in order for you to get your work done, it is important that the people around you respect your time.