4 Ways to Keep Yourself Productive
Balind on 08 Aug 2009 | Tips & Advice

Do you come home from work tired and stressed? You may be feeling pressure that you’re not even aware of. Below I’ve outlined several problems I’ve observed myself and my colleagues encounter in a typical work day – then I’ve given you suggestions on how to deal with them.

Problem:
- Low energy, can’t concentrate. Keep trying to focus on one thing only to find a few minutes later you’ve lost your train of thought. Usually after lunch.
Solution:
- Start your day be deciding what you want to accomplish and hammer each task out in order of importance. Take short breaks to keep yourself in the zone. If you want energy that lasts throughout your workday, get enough sleep and eat nutrient-rich foods in small amounts. Take a Green-Liquid-Multi-Vitamin as part of your late morning routine. If you need a boost, try a natural product like 5-hour-energy or have a FRS energy drink, just remember to only consume one – or you’ll experience hi’s and low’s throughout the day which is ultimately not good.

Problem:
- Dragging your ass into work hungry and tired. Takes you 45 minutes just to get into a consistent groove.
Solution:
- Get started early and develop a morning routine. I recommend jogging or stretching. First thing in the morning is a great time to deal with bills and personal tasks. You start your day on the right foot when you’ve already done something productive for yourself before your day begins. If you hate coming into work, then your only priority in life should be to find a new job.

Problem:
- Constantly interrupted with work-related issues. Can’t make headway on one particular task because you’re being pulled in different directions.
Solution:
- Keep your desk uncluttered. Turn off phones, email notification, instant messaging, anything that will break into your focus and make you jump from one thing to another. Don’t constantly switch between tasks. Focus on one task at a time and really lose yourself in it – then move on to the next.

Problem:
- Artificial Intelligence: AI rip
- Bored. Not feeling passionate about the project you’re currently working on. Client feedback has you stressed and overwhelmed.
Solution:
- Take breaks to go for a walk or mini-meditate. It breaks up the day, calms the mind and gets the blood circulating. Putting out occasional fires is part of your job, how you handle it says a lot about you. Make a conscious effort not to allow yourself to be irritated. The process is always changing, what’s important is how your react to it. Acknowledge what’s happened and make calm decisions about next steps. Whatever you do, don’t allow other peoples stress to affect you.

Nicolas Elizaga on 08 Aug 2009 at 4:22 pm #
I feel you on most of those, thanks for sharing!
If only most workplaces would warm up to naps… it would do wonders for productivity and morale. Even a 25 minute nap would be stellar at around 1-2pm when everyone starts to crash
And if you’re feeling desperate, just say you’re stepping away for lunch and sleep in your car!
Rishi on 08 Aug 2009 at 5:30 pm #
Hey man, thanks for these!! I recognise the problems!
samBrown on 08 Aug 2009 at 8:41 pm #
good tips Balind.
I usually spend the 1st hour of my day clearing out my RSS feeds/twitter, etc. – before I get to work; that way when I get to work I can really hit the ground running.
I used to spend the first hr at work doing the same thing and was distracting to say the least and would easily chew into the first half of the day
PS – nice to see you blogging again, always enjoy your posts.
FLASHized on 11 Aug 2009 at 11:53 am #
Hi,
Thanks for your great tips as always!
It’s really great to have your blog back.
Regards,
FLASHized
colourels on 12 Aug 2009 at 12:24 am #
Couldn’t agree more on the last solution. If confrontation is needed in this situation or just report such happening to the real manager in the group ?
Wers on 06 Nov 2009 at 12:41 am #
Great words and reminders. Inspiring me for the days ahead.
Mohan Arun L on 06 Jan 2010 at 4:22 am #
You could also use the Pomodoro technique for time management (google for it) in order to stay productive when faced with multiple tasks and issues at hand.