6 Science-Backed Ways To Boost Productivity

We live in a world that is just obsessed with high productivity. Whether it is in your work life or your personal life, the ability to do more in less time is something most aspire to. It only makes sense considering how high levels of productivity mean greater chances of success. And who doesn't want to be successful, right? Also, when you manage to complete a lot of tasks within the perceived deadline, you get a sense of accomplishment. Again, who doesn't want to feel this way?

So, now comes the next part: how do you boost your productivity? The truth is that you are not as productive as you would like to be. Why else would you be reading this in the first place? You have so much potential within you, and you can do so much more than what you are doing right now. Still, for some reason, you are not able to tap into your full potential. This is the story of most people. However, it doesn't have to be this way. You can always take steps to boost your productivity. Below are just a handful of ways you can do so.

1 | Start Your Day With A Good Mood

It is no secret that you are at your best during the early hours of the day. You are energetic, and your mood is much more relaxed. If you can carry this good mood throughout the day, you are much more likely to get more done.

In a study, it was found that if you start off your day in a good mood, it is more likely to stay that way for the rest of the day. This leads to increased productivity. So, listen to some music, do some exercise, or meditate before you start your day. All of these things will boost your mood.

2 | Track Your Time

I don't know why, but we all tend to believe that we have a lot more time than we actually do. Sooner or later, though, the reality sets in, and we realize how much time we wasted on nonsensical things. Therefore, it is crucial to track your time. You see, when you measure things, they tend to improve.

This was shown in a study where participants were given a pedometer to see how much they walk each day. They ended up walking 27% more than before. This shows that when we have data, we tend to improve on it. So, no matter what you're doing, track how much time you spend doing it. This will help you be accountable to your own self.

3 | Break Large Tasks Into small Ones

This strategy is effective for more reasons than one. First, it motivates you to take the initiative and do things instead of getting overwhelmed before you even start. Second, each time you accomplish a small task, you feel better. The reason why that happens is that the brain releases a hormone called dopamine. It is the feel-good hormone and the brain wants to do something over and over again if it leads to the release of this hormone. So, by breaking your larger task into smaller ones, you actually use your brain's chemistry to boost your productivity.

4 | Eliminate Multitasking

Multitasking is a myth. Researchers have been proving this for quite a while now, and yet people insist on trying it out. The truth is, you can lose about 40 percent of your productivity if you try to rapidly switch from one task to the other. This is because the brain doesn't actually multitask. It merely hops from one activity to another. In the process, it has to constantly focus and refocus which takes a toll on your mental resources. Thus, it is better to focus completely on one task and then move once it is done.

5 | Minimize Distractions

I am sure you know by experience that it is so easy to distract your brain. One single notification on your phone and you completely lose track of what you were doing. Now imagine how many distractions you are surrounded by and what they are doing to your productivity.

To get an idea, consider the findings of a study done in 2003. Researchers found that the typical person checks their email once every 5 minutes. Also, on average, it takes them 64 seconds to resume the previous task. This was in 2003 when social media and other things didn't exist! You can imagine how bad the current situation must be. So, it would do you well if you can eliminate as many distractions as possible when you are working.

6 | Get Enough Sleep

This is perhaps one of the most prominent reasons why people experience decreased productivity. I am sure you have experienced this too. When you don't get enough sleep one night, you may find it much harder to do even basic tasks the next day.

Mountains of research have found that lack of sleep can have terrible impacts on your productivity. An average person needs 7-8 hours of sleep to function at their optimal levels. Keep this in mind the next time you feel like watching just another episode of your favorite series at night. Think of it this way: if you boost your productivity, you will have more time to watch whatever you want the next day! Win-win.

If sleep is something you struggle with, check out my popular article 10 Ways to Get Better Sleep, or my book notes on Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD. so you are getting the most out of every snore!

To Wrap Up

Boosting your productivity is a must in the high-performance world that we live in. You have so many obligations to fulfill both in your work life and your personal life. Since you can't clone yourself yet, you need to look for ways to improve your productivity. As always, you can look to science for the answers.

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