Small Ways to Make Your Day More Productive

By Chloe Thompson

Being able to get through each day is a huge accomplishment. However, when you didn’t complete everything you wanted to that day, it may feel difficult to honor any productivity and instead feel plagued by guilt. Even though each day may feel completely jam-packed, adding a few small things to your routine could help improve motivation substantially, and subside any negative emotions. With that being said, here are a few small ways to help make your day more productive, and a little more enjoyable too.

1) Start Off the Day with Movement

For students, or anyone working a 9-5, finding time in the morning to workout, or move your body in some way sounds near impossible. But allowing yourself to start the day with a physical challenge makes the rest of the day much less overwhelming. Getting up early in the morning to move also allows you to enjoy the process of getting ready before work or school, and even make time to prepare a proper breakfast, something most students and adults significantly lack.

2) Get the hardest thing done first

Following your productive and relaxing morning routine, you should kick off your day of work by getting the most difficult task done first. While it may feel strenuous or time-consuming, pushing off the hardest task of the day not only increases stress but makes that task feel much more overwhelming. When it comes time to finally do it, it's usually later in the day and your mind is exhausted, which leads to an incomplete result, or a very poor final product. Completing the hardest thing first allows you to relax and feel significantly less overstimulated or stressed. In addition, pushing through the hardest task first also helps to gain motivation, and finish the remaining work for the day.

3) Take time to rest and recharge

As students and adults, there is always immense pressure to constantly be improving or pushing yourself in some way, but people tend to forget the importance of rest. Taking breaks, whether from physical exercise, or studying for school,l is crucial for strength, growth, and motivation. Neglecting breaks usually leads to burnout, lack of motivation, and a severe decline and productivity. Using methods such as the Pomodoro method, which usually calls for 25 minutes of focused work, followed by a 5-minute break, maximizes one's productivity because of the promise of sufficient rest. Without scheduled breaks, it can be easy to find yourself getting off-task or struggling to focus.

4) Feeling overstimulated? Take a cleaning break

As important as breaks are, allowing yourself to stay off-task for extended periods of time is not always the most beneficial, especially on more loaded days. When you want to take a brain break, but don’t want to feel unproductive in doing so, tidying up or doing that laundry you’ve been putting off is a great way to give yourself a needed break, while also staying busy and productive. This can also go both ways; if you feel exhausted from cleaning or doing more physical tasks, taking time to knock out some homework is another great way to keep the brain stimulated, without completely overworking yourself.

Adding a few more healthy habits into your everyday routine can improve motivation and productivity drastically, while also tending to overall wellness and health in the process. Even if you can’t get everything done in a day, these healthy habits can reduce stress and overstimulation. Motivation is directly correlated with mindset and wellness, and prioritizing healthy habits is absolutely crucial to a productive lifestyle.