9 Ways to Boost Your Productivity in 2022
While 2019 was all about the hustle 24/7 culture, 2020 and 2021 taught us the essence of balance and flexibility. Although online classes spared most of us from the quad-soring walks and rowdy commutes, this also meant more work, time, and energy depleted to fulfill a standardized benchmark.
Transitioning online was tough for all of us, regardless of whether you’re a student, employee, or business owner. We all realized the importance of having work/college/life as the critical driver of making the most out of what we have with the best we can.
As a junior-year student, I have had a full two years of experimenting (if you will) on how to get the best of both the hustle mentality and maintain a balance in mind. I scoured through books, articles, podcasts, and YT videos. And to spare you those sore eyes from reading, I came up with a shortlist that entails the best from what I found.
Here are the nine practical ways to optimize your productivity in 2022:
1.No phone contact in the first hour after waking up
Being bombarded with 50 notifications of emails, texts, and app reminders, is not the best way to start your day. Your brain must take the time to be prepared for the tasks ahead.
Upon waking up, our brain is malleable. Hence, activities like a morning stretch, practicing gratitude, and meditating are what many CEOs practice as a morning routine.
As an ex-skeptic, I decided to try it out for its sake, and guess what? It made a HUGE difference throughout the day. I was more focused, composed, and got more work done (obviously).
2. If it can be done in a minute, do it now
As a part-time procrastinator, I found it one of the most effective principles to reduce the “I’ll do it tomorrow” mind frame. Big problems or obstructions are often caused by minor delayed tasks, leading to unnecessary stress caused by decision fatigue.
So, if you have tasks such as washing the dishes, paying your electric bill, or sending a quick email to your colleague, do it! This helps you get the simple to-do’s out of the way, enabling you to keep track and focus on the primary tasks at hand.
3. EXERCISE
When I started my bodybuilding journey back in late 2017, I thought it was just some passion I happened to enjoy. No, it’s a lifestyle.
Long story short, it’s been more than three years since I started, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. It’s stress relief, a safe haven, and almost like a canvas to express the art of physique architecture.
Even if you’re not in the mood, trust me when I say this, exercise anyway. I guarantee you will not regret that decision; it pretty much gives you the dopamine rush you need to get back on track, may it be just 30 minutes or an hour a day.
4. Take those steps, no matter how small
If you constantly set your eyes on the summit of Mount Everest, then 99% of the time, it will be overwhelming. But when you choose to focus on the one-meter-climb that’s ahead of you at a time, it just suddenly seems more realistic and achievable.
E.g., Finish the 6-month finance report vs. Work on the Jan-Feb finance report
Notice the shift there? The same goes for managing your workload. This framework is crucial in burnout-proofing (believe me, I know).
Utilizing scheduling or reminder apps is precisely the way to go, to map out what you have ahead to divide and conquer accordingly to the set deadlines and task importance.
Usually, I would create a routine to follow from Monday to Sunday with my calendar apps and reminders. This way, I don’t have to think of what I have to do each morning as I have it all planned out the night before.
5. Listen to music
One of the most underrated energy boosters is music. Whatever genre it is, may it be pop, rap, EDM, or even jazz, can very well sharpen your focus into the work you do. For me, it’s rap and trap run for workouts, jazz or LoFi for studying and working, and pop for chilling out.
Here are some links to my go-to favs for workflow on Spotify:
6. Clear away all distractions
One of the simplest yet most effective tweaks I’ve done so far. But if you need your phone, say, to update your manager on the project progresses, then silencing notifications for social media, games, Netflix, etc., is the way to go.
Humans aren’t capable of the so-called “multitasking.” We can only rapidly shift our focus on one thing at a time, and that’s not the most efficient and effective way to get errands done on time.
7. The 90/20-minute rule
Just as the name itself, for every 90 minutes of work, take a short 20-minute break (and when I say break, I mean rest and unwind). If there’s one thing the pandemic gave me, it’s pretty much lower back pain. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Stand up, stretch
- Grab a drink (coffee, hot choco, tea, etc.)
- A light snack, maybe? (Oreos, ritz crackers, etc.)
- Walk around your home for a bit (the tour de fridge or a bathroom break, maybe)
8. Time blocks
Maintaining a work/life/college balance is no piece of cake. To stay on track with my goals may be in my projects, job, school, and personal relationships, compartmentalizing my mental energy at specific times of the day or week has been an absolute gamechanger.
Here’s what mine looks like:
Doing so helped train my brain to shift its state from one task to another. That way, when it’s family time, then it’s family time. Think of it as a sort of mental compartmentalization.
9. Do a mini air punch for a job well done!
Small beginnings and milestones are often underestimated. You know that feeling when you get to check off all your to-do lists after a long day? My God, best feeling ever!
A small win is still a win, so celebrate them when you can! May it be getting an A in your research essay, finishing a marketing project, or finishing a deliverable for a client, they’re all worth the joy!
Through appreciating the small wins, you get to truly value the rare moments of brilliance life has to offer for you.
Revving up your productivity
Getting by the days is nowhere near easy, especially in these times. But with a little bit of grit, time management, and focus, you should be able to tweak some productivity gears along the way.
Remember, we are only human (though I wish we were partially machine at times)! This also means downtimes are more than necessary to get you through the daily marathon of errands, assignments, and work. As tempting as it may get to procrastinate or snooze off tasks, mark Wahlberg’s words:
“In strictness, you create freedom.” — Mark Wahlberg
