Ever wake up determined to make the most of the day, only to find that you haven't accomplished nearly as much as you had originally set out to do? You're going to encounter distractions every day, especially because we have access to email, text messages, social media, etc. Even if you work in an office, you experience many of the same distractions we experience at home.
Check out these tips to see how they're impacting your workday.
A Well-Balanced Diet
So, you're skipping breakfast and reaching for a bag of Doritos to munch on throughout the day. If that sounds like you, then you're not feeding your brain and body the healthy nutrients they need for you to be at the top of your game. It affects your energy levels, making you turn to coffee or energy drinks to obtain that boost, which coffee really isn't that bad for you—in moderation. Energy drinks (even I'm guilty of drinking these on occasion) are horrible for your health.
If you want to increase your production level, don't skip breakfast and eat natural, unprocessed foods. I'm not saying that you can't splurge now and then. However, consistently eating foods high in antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients will make you feel better, improve your immune system, and fight off diseases like cancer or heart disease.
Plus, you'll avoid overeating later in the day by eating a little something for breakfast. If you feel that you cannot make breakfast every day, maybe creating a batch of fresh juice might do the trick. Certainly, by now, you have heard of juicing. If not, let me break it down for you. Juicing is the act of taking raw produce and extracting the juice using a manual, centrifugal (fast), or masticating (slow) juicer to separate the pulp from the juice. The most commonly used are centrifugal or masticating.
Most of the experts recommend juicing, mostly vegetables, which is something juicing proponents will agree with. If you're going to juice your produce ahead of time, it is important to understand the best way to store your freshly pressed juice. If you're drinking your own juice, then you will get all the nutrients you need to start your day off on the right foot.
Not Enough Exercise
Exercising helps you stay healthy by maintaining your weight, lowering your risk of diseases, and increases your energy levels. In addition to the physical improvements, it also sharpens your focus, awareness, and overall clarity. Feel like you don't have time? Little changes in your life will result in significant improvements. For example, park at the back of the parking lot instead of fighting for a spot near the front. Besides, you know if you live in South Florida, you're fighting for a spot under a big tree anyway—and those are never near the front!
Some other things you can do are take the stairs instead of an elevator, invest in a standing desk (for those who work at home), or wake up earlier than usual to add a little cardio or yoga to your day. If you work at home, why not get up every hour or add some jumping jacks, squats, and push-ups to your daily routine? If you really think about it, there are many ways to add exercise to your life here or there if you have a tight schedule. Don't make excuses about why you couldn't spend 30 minutes at the gym. Even if you only have time to hit the treadmill for 10 minutes, that's great! Just get it done. Your body and mind will thank you!
Get Your Rest
Make sure to get a solid night's rest. By not getting enough sleep, you are robbing your body of its ability to perform optimally daily. Lack of sleep affects your critical thinking skills and your ability to learn efficiently. It can make you forgetful, gain weight, and use poor judgment. The amount of sleep each person needs varies, but a good sign is that you no longer need that jolt of caffeine to wake your brain in the morning. If you can roll out of bed without feeling like you can barely move until you have your first cup of coffee, then seriously reconsider your sleeping habits.
Eliminate Distractions
When you're working at home, you need to eliminate anything that distracts you from work. For example, you might find that your family doesn't always consider that when you're in "work mode," they need to leave you to it. The kids come running in fighting, hungry, or simply want your attention. The husband comes in talking about this or that. Set up clear boundaries and be firm about them. You're working—not hanging out. You can schedule regular breaks to give the family some much-needed attention throughout the day.
The same thing goes for social media and cell phones. Unplug and avoid social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Yelp. People waste HOURS on these websites doing absolutely nothing except browsing, chatting, and playing games. Unless your job is to manage your company's Facebook page, wait until later when you're not working before updating your status. And, unless it's urgent, you can wait to text your mom (sorry, mom! I know you're going to read this!) until you go on break. If you're constantly stopping to do something other than the job in front of you, then you're never going to get anything done. It's as simple as that.
Daily List of Tasks
Don't rely on your memory to get everything done. Your memory forgets and lies to you occasionally. Trust me on this. Does this phrase, "Oh, I'll remember this, no need to write it down," sound familiar? Just don't do it. Plan and use a systematic process with a daily list of tasks to mark off as you complete them. Prioritize the list to ensure the most important and difficult tasks are completed first. Keep the list in a location where you can see it as you work. It will stay at the front of your mind if you can see it. Remember, write it down—always.
Stop Multitasking
This is one way to lose a lot of time, splitting yourself up into many pieces. Maybe you believe you are conquering the world by working on several tasks simultaneously, but if you really think about it, you're still spending the same amount (if not more!) time on each task anyway. You will reduce the time needed to complete each task if you simply focus on one thing at a time. Also, the quality of the task increases since you devote yourself to only one thing at a time.
Set a Timer
Set a timer for every task you set out to complete. If you have poor time awareness, this will help you become more aware of your total time spent on each project. You eventually learn to focus during the allotted time. When you learn to manage your time better, then you get more accomplished every day.
Thanks for reading! Leave your comments and additional tips below!
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