Today it seems like we have more to do than ever before. With that long to-do list comes stress—but it turns out that increasing your productivity can help decrease your stress. Here are a few productivity tips you can apply to your personal and professional life.  

Practice Morning Mindfulness

Beginning each day with a few activities to inspire a positive mindset can make a huge difference in your productivity. Motivational speaker Mel Robbins suggests high-fiving yourself in the mirror each morning to build self-confidence. Alternatively, you might speak aloud or write down affirmations about your belief in your abilities or journal about your goals. Kicking off your day with these small practices will help you start your work feeling calm, centered, and capable. 

Create Your Ideal Schedule

If you run your own business or work from home, you may have flexible working schedules. You can use this by designing a daily routine that fits your lifestyle. Think about the times of day you’re most productive, and block those times off for high-priority or focused work. Then, fill in the rest of your working schedule with time for lower-priority tasks. Remember to build regular breaks into your schedule, which will help keep you productive. Figuring out your ideal plan might take some experimentation, but stick to it consistently once you’ve found a rhythm that works for you. 

Resist the Urge to Multitask

While it seems counterintuitive, trying to do multiple things simultaneously can result in less productivity. When you multitask, you’re not giving your full attention to any single task, meaning it takes longer to complete those tasks—and the work you’re producing is often lower quality. By focusing on a single task at a time, you’ll meet the work more quickly and to a higher standard. Limit unintentional multitasking by reducing distractions—for instance, try putting your cell phone in a different room while you’re focusing on a task.

Do the Hardest Thing First

When writing your daily to-do list, one task usually stands out as being particularly difficult, time-consuming, or tedious. If possible, try to make that difficult task the first one you complete. If you put it off, you’ll likely dread it the whole day, resulting in lower focus and unnecessary stress. But if you do it right away, you’ll experience the relief of getting it over with as well as higher productivity. After all, if you already got that hard thing done, you can handle anything else the day might throw at you! 

Boost Your Productivity Today

If you’re looking for new ways to get more done, try a few of the tips above. You’ll enjoy the sense of accomplishment and lower your stress levels in the process!