Category: Productivity

Here you will find posts regarding productivity, time management, motivation, and anything else regarding increasing productivity.

5 Key Tips to Make Your Apartment More Productive

If you come home and you just feel lazy, then it’s time to make some changes. Follow these tips for making your apartment ore productive.

For a lot of people, an apartment is a place of immeasurable relaxation. We strive to come home to a place where we feel comforted and at ease. Because of that, however, our havens often turn into places where we collapse after school or work rather than step into a realm of productivity. As important as it is to unwind at the end of the day, it’s just as important to continue ticking off the things on your to-do list and accomplish your daily personal goals. If you find you’re just not as productive at home as you should be—whether you work or study from home or need to get more done once you’re home from work—take a look at these tips for making your apartment a place of productivity. Even with limited space, you can make your home a relaxing yet effective place.

Switch Up Your Lighting Choices

You may not realize it, but the lighting choices you make play a large role in your ability to be productive. When your lighting in your kitchen, by your desk, or wherever you’re trying to be productive isn’t well-lit, then you’ll have a hard time focusing. Do yourself a favor and give yourself a variety of lighting choices to choose from depending on what mood you’re trying to set—for example, bright lights for the morning (avoid fluorescents), focused lighting for your desk, and dim lighting for relaxation.

Declutter Vigorously To Be More Productive

A key aspect of a productive home is that the clutter is at an absolute minimum. You’ll be much more productive if you can swiftly find everything you need. If your home has any of the signs of too much clutter, then you need to take steps to declutter your space. A decluttered space means a decluttered mind, which makes for a much more productive you.

Make Your Workspace a Place You Enjoy

Whatever or wherever your workspace is—the kitchen, a desk, your craft area—make sure it’s an area you enjoy. If you dread sitting down at your desk to work on homework, or if your kitchen is too cluttered for cooking, then you have a problem. Your chair should be cozy, but not too cozy. Make sure you look forward to using your utensils, whether they’re pens or cooking knives or knitting needles. If you don’t enjoy using the space, you won’t be productive.

Decorate Inspirationally

Sometimes all you need for a productive hour is some inspiration. Put up some inspirational quotes, photos, or goals around your workspace so that you always have something to strive for. Inspiration pushes us to do and accomplish more—surround yourself with it.

Set Up a Cleaning Routine

For some people, a productivity session begins with a cleaning routine. If you’re struggling to stay or get productive once you’re at home, try setting up a cleaning routine. For example, tidy up the apartment as soon as you get home or right after dinner, and then settle into work. Don’t use cleaning to procrastinate; rather, use it as a way to kickstart your productivity.

Meet the Author

Kayla is a writer, artist, and designer from the Chicagoland area. She incorporates her creativity to produce work that is informative and thought-provoking.

  • If you come home and you just feel lazy, then it’s time to make some changes. Follow these tips for making your apartment ore productive.
  • If you come home and you just feel lazy, then it’s time to make some changes. Follow these tips for making your apartment ore productive.
  • If you come home and you just feel lazy, then it’s time to make some changes. Follow these tips for making your apartment ore productive.

Take Breaks Why It Is Important To Take More Breaks

Strategic breaks during your work or study hours can give you that extra nudge and boost your productivity. Here’s why it's important to take breaks.

As humans, we are usually limited to two-digit life spans but need to accomplish a lot. You may feel like you have to do too much and shoulder too many responsibilities that need to be taken care of within a small time span. Breaks may appear as shedding away your responsibilities. However, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Strategic breaks during your work or study hours can give you that extra nudge and boost your productivity. Without breaks, you can’t keep a check on your stress level and it becomes a bit too much for your brain to keep up. Here’s why breaks are an absolute necessity during your work and study hours:

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1. Process & Retain Information More Efficiently

Our brains function in two different ways – focused and diffused. In diffused mode, your brain is relaxed and is almost in a wandering or “daydream” state. In her book A Mind for Numbers, Professor Barbara Oakley explains how we can’t function in a focused mode for too long and need to take breaks to shift to diffused mode. While in diffused mode or the “daydream mode”, our brain works at a subconscious level and is able to solve problems more efficiently and helps us to form connections. Focused mode helps us to master the details, while diffused mode helps us to figure out how things work with each other.

With short breaks throughout the day, you can switch between both modes to maintain a harmony that combines execution with creativity. Think about reading a book or watching a movie. You don’t really ponder over the details in every scene or line. After you have finished reading the book or watching the movie you are able to draw connections and make sense of a brilliant piece of work.  

2. Increased Productivity

In his book, The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working, Tony Schwartz has researched the physiological fatigue that humans have to suffer through after working for prolonged durations. According to his research, it kicks in after 90 mins of work and can make us lose focus. Like a well-oiled machine, your brain needs to rest a bit to recharge itself and refocus on your work. Short and planned breaks throughout the day can help you to achieve that.

You can divide your workday into small targets that can be achieved within less than an hour or a bit more. As you complete your targets, you can take a small breather and relax to allow your brain to juice up and move on towards the next target. This helps you to boost your productivity since you aren’t distracted from work fatigue and get more work done at the end of the day. According to research conducted by DeskTime on a group of employees, the most productive workers take numerous breaks during the workday.

3. Better Health & Overall Well-Being

Sitting on your desk throughout the day is the easiest way to shift away from fitness. According to a study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, short 5-minute walks during your workday can be good for you in more ways than one. It doesn’t just reduce lethargy, but lifts moods and improves your overall health. Researchers in the study found out that brief walks every hour is more effective compared to long and intense workout sessions. Sitting at your desk for too long can also have an adverse effect on your blood circulation and expose you to risks like obesity, heart disease, and chronic joint pains.

Moreover, eating your lunch at the desk is more inefficient than you may think. You don’t pay attention to your food and chewing is reduced by drastic levels. This can lead to poor food choices at best and poor digestion at worst. A lunch break away from your desk without the stress of work can boost your afternoon productivity and even prevent the sugar crash in your body that inclines you towards an afternoon nap.

4. Emotional & Mental Health

A Swedish office tradition known as “Fika” involves you grabbing a few of your mates with a sugary snack and a cup of coffee. This may seem odd, but is, in fact, a well-accepted office culture in the Scandinavian country. Employees aren’t questioned by their superiors when they enjoy a “Fika” with their colleagues away from their desks. It helps employees to reboot and promotes good mental health. However, according to a study conducted by the National Charity Partnership, it was found that most employees utilize their allocated rest periods for work.

Half of the respondents admitted that they don’t leave the office during lunchtime. This doesn’t just leave a toll on your physical body but also affects your emotional health since you experience increased levels of anxiety, stress and become easily irritable. Employers understand this as well and last year on 15th May, over 60 companies participated in National Mental Health Break, a campaign launched by Shine, a startup that targets negative mental health problems.

Conclusion

When you study or work for too long without a break you may pull through that day, but it will have a bad effect on your physical and mental health that may lead to burnout. According to research conducted by Gallup, one in five employees feel burned out quite often while almost half of the participants in the study admitted to feeling burned out sometimes. A report from Harvard Business School estimates that companies lose $125 billion to $190 billion each year from healthcare spending for physical and psychological problems of burned-out employees.

Short and planned breaks are very important for both studying and working. It is an inexpensive way to keep health problems to a minimum and maintain high levels of productivity. Both individuals and organizations need to emphasize on the importance of breaks at the workplace and in their curriculum. The goal should be to achieve productivity instead of being bound to the old traditions of long work hours. You can take breaks and choose to work smarter, not longer. 

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  • Strategic breaks during your work or study hours can give you that extra nudge and boost your productivity. Here’s why it's important to take breaks.
  • Strategic breaks during your work or study hours can give you that extra nudge and boost your productivity. Here’s why it's important to take breaks.
  • Strategic breaks during your work or study hours can give you that extra nudge and boost your productivity. Here’s why it's important to take breaks.

How A Timetable Can Help You Reach Your Goals

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Time management, the most vital role in your everyday life. It is one of the most essential and powerful parts of the day for every individual. No matter if you are an employee, a student or a business person. Managing time is a very important thing. This can be done by preparing a proper timetable. Especially, in the business organizations. This helps in improving the productivity of the company. Let me tell you one thing, if you are not sure either you are using your time wisely or not, there is a little chance that you’ll reach your goal. 

We get exactly, 86,400 seconds in a day, and we should make sure that we use these seconds productively and accurately.  Here is a complete guide to time management and making a timetable for all the organizations out there.

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How To Plan An Active Timetable For Your Organization?

1.      Set goals and Prioritize

The primary and most critical part of any good time managing strategy is to set your goals. You need to make sure that the timetable you are making must include the activities that support the goals of your business. Prioritize sanely. Keep the most important things at the start of your timetable.

2.      Manage the Breaks

It is essential to keep the tasks and activities managed.  If you lack the balance in your timetable and jam-pack it with work only, employees will get stressed out, and stress can never lead to productivity. So keep in mind to give breaks at the right time.

3.      Plan Ahead

Once you have the idea about where to set your priorities and breaks, now you are ready to plan ahead. It might be a little tricky and time-taking to make a to-do-list. However, once you are done with this, it’ll relax you for days.

4. Don’t Burden

This is very necessary for your organization. Employees hate working in a suffocating environment. Try to lessen the burden of your employees. Manage wisely and make sure that you make the timetable by keeping everyone else in your mind, rather than the company benefit only.

How Can A Timetable Benefit Your Organization?

Now, as you have the guide to managing a good timetable, let’s see the benefits that it can give your organization;

1.      Meeting Deadlines

Allocate limited time for every task, and you’ll get the work on within the deadlines. When the employees would get the time-boxed functions, in the timetables they complete it no matter what. Especially when they are given relatively enough breaks, daily activities, and an enjoyable environment to spend the time. Besides that, accomplishing the task in a given time will not be a very difficult job, as you are not burdening anyone.

2.      Better Work Quality

Being a devoted employee to the company, the company expects you to provide the absolute quality of your work, along with good criteria. With the precise use of deadline and prioritization according to the timetable, one can effectively convey a framework of more high-grade quality. This assists in concentrating on essential tasks very easily. It allows you to work on them with full focus. Hence, the quality of working is improved day by day.

3.      More Productivity And Efficiency

It is no magic. Time management makes you more effective and productive, naturally. As you have the timetable in your hand, you know how to manage the tasks. This will make you a working professional. Some of the skills are essential in making you achieve your aim as briefly as possible. Complete the tasks without negotiating on the work quality. Your overall struggle and capability to work is tossed away when you’re working on tasks that are not your priority, but adequate skills to manage tasks let you do the assignments that are urgent and high-priority on time.

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4.      Less Stress And Anxiety

When has your work led, it’s pretty obvious that you won’t feel much stressed out and depressed, at least at your workplace?  You know the deadline and you know your task. Just sit back, enjoy your coffee, and concentrate on the specific job. Once completed, you’ll feel so much better and relieved.

5.      Say No To Procrastination

Procrastination is a very bad habit that almost most of us have. “Will do it later” is a big no. The meaning of time management is the effort to reduce the urge to delay. Never procrastinate over essential priorities. Practicing specific time management skills qualify you as a founder, manager, or employee to serve more energetically and smarter rather than harder. It immediately kills the delay by assuring that you’re comfortable with the tasks added in your to-do list and when it needs to be completed.

6.      Improved Quality Of Life

The adequate timetable doesn’t just help your professional life circle, but it can further enrich your life outside of the workplace. Being punctual is a big thing, and not everyone can do that effectively. If you grip everything beneath your command on the professional side, you get more time to enough time to appreciate your personal life too. You don’t have to sit late in the office and ruin your plans. Knowing the fact that assignments and projects are on the right track will bring a sense of peace and tranquility in your life.

7.      More Time For Leisure And Creativity

 Can you remember the last time you took time out for yourself? If yes, then impressive. You have your personal life and professional life under control. But if that is not the case, believe me, time management will help you a ton.  An organization can’t grow until its employees are satisfied with the working criteria and atmosphere. This enables you to create the perfect blend of working smart all day long.

Timetable effectively helps your organization to achieve the goal. It will shed a positive light on the productivity of the company. When the employees learn to take control over time management daily, the organization will automatically gain the strength to get things done in the boundary of the deadlines. Make healthier choices and most importantly, opt for ultimate restraint of your chief priorities.

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author-claudia

Meet the Author

Claudia Jeffrey is the author of this article. She is an excellent Content Strategist, works with Crowd Writer, which is a renowned and fantastic platform to buy assignments online. Claudia is an independent lady who loves to write and travel the world. Being a Content Strategist, she is a great person to talk to.

  • Time management, the most vital role in your everyday life. Here is a complete guide to time management and making a timetable!
  • Time management, the most vital role in your everyday life. Here is a complete guide to time management and making a timetable!
  • Time management, the most vital role in your everyday life. Here is a complete guide to time management and making a timetable!

7 Time-Wasters That Are Stealing Hours from You

If you're sick of wasting time on useless tasks, read this. We'll discuss 7 time wasters that you should cut out of your life if you want to be more productive.

Check out these seven-time wasters that are stealing precious hours from you. It’s time to stop wasting time once and for all!

As much as we try to stick to a schedule, time always seems to slip through our fingertips. In a world saturated with smartphones and social media, it’s no wonder it’s hard to get anything done. 

But, you can’t allow these distractions to get the best of you. You have it in your power to turn down the noise and focus. Whether you’re a busy student or a working professional, it’s vital to stay on task if you want to do well in life. 

1. Television

With the rise of social media, people aren’t watching as much TV. But if you do happen to enjoy the occasional Netflix series, you have to be careful not to watch too much.

To cut back on watching TV, try to limit the number of hours you watch each day. Work on watching your favorite programs only after you’ve completed everything else on your to-do list.

2. Smartphones

We’re all guilty of peeking at our cell phones throughout the day. After all, it’s how we stay connected to the rest of the world. But, checking our smartphones and getting absorbed in social media is a huge time waster. It turns out that we spend an average of five hours a day on our phones! 

It’s easy to look up and realize that you’ve been surfing on Instagram for an hour. How did that happen when you were supposed to be cleaning the house? Oops! It’s important to be aware of how much time you’re spending on your phone. And you need to set some boundaries in order to focus on the task at hand.

Keep your phone away from your desk while you’re busy. You should also put your phone on silent so that notifications don’t distract you. And, set a time to put your phone down before you go to bed each night. That way, you won’t lose out on sleep because you’re reading Twitter threads.

Implementing simple techniques like these will help you spend less time on your phone. You’ll find that you’re a lot more productive when your phone is out of the picture!

3. Poor Organizational Skills 

Are you lacking in the organization department? If you’re having a hard time keeping your apartment organized, figure out ways to solve that. 

Try setting aside 10 minutes or more to straighten things up each day. If you already have a big mess, try to knock it out during a single weekend. Cleaning is a lot easier if you tackle it in one go.

Get your phone, laptop, and calendars organized, too. A clean computer desktop and an orderly calendar will help you plan and work more efficiently.

4. Distracting Activities With Friends

Spending time with friends is normal. But if you use your friends as a way to avoid work, then you have a problem. Quit making excuses and stick to a schedule. If you don’t, you’re never going to get anything done. Eventually, you’ll find yourself falling behind in class or at work.

You might have a friend who pressures you to spend more time with them. In that case, you’ll have to say no. Explain that you’d love to hang out but that you need to do some other things first.

It’s important to maintain a healthy work-life balance. But before you go out with friends, you have to get ahold of your schedule.

5. Surfing the Internet 

How many times have you caught yourself surfing the internet instead of staying focused? If you’re anything like me, it’s probably a lot.

The problem with surfing the internet is that it’s easy to click from one link to the next without stopping. You start by reading Wikipedia articles and before you know it, you’re looking at menus for local restaurants. 

Instead of getting pulled away from what’s important, set some boundaries for yourself. When you’re supposed to be working, ban yourself from visiting websites that tend to distract you. Yes, that means you’ll have to stay off of your favorite celebrity news blog for a while. 

Time management isn’t easy. But after you get into a rhythm, it’ll become a habit. Before long, you’ll find that it’s easy to stay away from non-work sites when you’re busy. And when you have free time, you may find that you don’t even want to spend it on your smartphone or watching television! 

6. Traffic

Last year, the average American spent roughly 97 hours stuck in traffic. That’s more than four whole days! So, if you have a long commute to work, it’s draining a lot of your time.

To solve this problem, consider moving closer to work. Even if you’re saving on rent by living further away, you’re wasting hours and hours of your time. And you’re spending money on gas!

Do the math and figure out ways to cut back on traffic time. If you can say goodbye to a long commute, you can say hello to productivity time! 

7. Parking

Sometimes it feels impossible to find a good parking spot. Whether it’s at school or work, you can spend hours driving in circles. And when you do happen to find a space, it’s often so far away that you have to walk a mile to get where you need to be.

To avoid this, try showing up early when there are still spots available. You’ll have some time to kill, so bring a coffee and a good book. You can also use this time to prepare for something important. It turns out you can free up a lot of time by finding a premium parking spot early!

Carpooling with friends can also help you save time. This means one less vehicle in the parking lot, which is helpful for everyone!

In Summary

Now that we’ve identified the time-wasters in your life, you can start reprioritizing! It may take a bit to form new habits, but you’ll feel better knowing you’re making better decisions. Stay aware of what activities are eating up your time. As you figure out what’s killing your productivity, you can limit those activities. 

Now, it’s okay to reward yourself with some TV or Instagram at night. But, only reward yourself after you have completed your goals for that day. You and you alone are in charge of your time, so make every moment count!

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Meet the Author

Aaron Hunt is the property manager for Prime Place KSU. He can be reached by email at lincoln@myprimeplace.com or by call or text at 402-858-2858.

  • If you're sick of wasting time on useless tasks, read this. We'll discuss 7 time wasters that you should cut out of your life if you want to be more productive.
  • If you're sick of wasting time on useless tasks, read this. We'll discuss 7 time wasters that you should cut out of your life if you want to be more productive.
  • If you're sick of wasting time on useless tasks, read this. We'll discuss 7 time wasters that you should cut out of your life if you want to be more productive.

How Good Sleep Affects Your Work & Productivity

Lack of sleep is the biggest performance killer. This article will break down the relationship between good sleep and productivity.

In today’s work culture, where every employer expects a high degree of execution and productivity, lack of sleep is the uppermost performance killer. Most of us are aware (to an extent) that sleep influences productivity. However; this article will break down the details of the relationship between good sleep and the influence it has on work and productivity.

Stumblingly, 34 percent of US workers do not reap enough sleep. Reportedly, sleep deprivation, the major productivity killer, costs $63.2 billion across the United States.

Sleep and Productivity Relation Based Researches

  1. Sleep disruptions induce reduced employee productivity at a high loss to organizations, concluded in a study.
    • More than four thousand employees were distributed in four different groups based on their sleep health. Workers experiencing insomnia or insufficient sleep, at-risk, and the fourth one, having a healthy sleep.
    • It’s not surprising – The lowest productive groups – Insomnia and insufficient sleep suffered workers.
  2. Another study, done by StayWell involved 0.6 million employees from 66 different companies. This study found that improper sleep schedules could cause weakened workplace productivity.
  3. One thousand and seven adults participated in this study as a diverse community sample. The study focused on health and organizational concerns such as anxiety, workload, coworker issues, financial stress, lack of training, job hours, and sleep patterns.

B=1.31, 95%CI[0.05,2.58], p=0.042

Low productivity was directly associated with short sleep, the report concluded.

Sleep disorders diminish the probability of transcending at work. With inefficient sleep, people become more inadequate to concentrate, making decisions, collaborate, and social engagement with co-workers and clients. It severely impacts analytical thinking, problem-solving, and visualization skills.

Besides your impotence to be mentally present and productive at the workspace, sleeplessness doubles your probability of getting ill and absenteeism.

Common Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders are a typical dilemma for many people. Although it can sometimes be hard to tell if your sleepless nights can be classified as a disorder or just a circumstantial fluke. There are several common “sleep robbers” that steal your sweet dreams away.

  • You may also have insomnia if you keep waking up throughout the night after you have fallen asleep. This lack of rest will lead to drowsiness the next day. Yet when you go to lay your head on the pillow after the day is done, you find that you still cannot sleep.
  • A less well-known disorder is narcolepsy, which involves daytime sleepiness that is excessive and uncontrollable. Narcolepsy goes beyond that occasional tiredness. It can cause “sleep attacks” even in broad daylight when you’re at work or school. You may feel weak and lose control while laughing or experiencing strong emotions. This is as though you’re going to sleep right when you’re emotional.
  • Restless leg syndrome is a disorder that can feel uncontrollable for some people. It leads to urges to move your legs and arms when you’re asleep, keeping you awake even if you’re dead tired.
  • Circadian rhythm disorders are more environmental. Examples include if you are working the late shift, experiencing jet lag, or encountering other circumstances that force you to be awake when you would otherwise be asleep. These factors can lead to trouble falling asleep and staying awake at normal times.
  • Another common disorder is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea occurs when your upper airway passages are blocked, causing you to briefly stop breathing while sleeping. It’s a frightening experience and one that has kept many awake as a result.

Will more sleep help you get productivity? 

Studies proved it. I acknowledge it. 

I’ve accommodated my morning schedule to prove this point.

I began to get up at least one and a half hour before everyone else to start my work early. Though I was trying to be more performance-oriented, I found that I was tired in the middle of the day. This was likely because I had only gotten up too early.

So, I decided to go through an experiment to find out whether more sleep would help me be more organized. 

And I believe that it works.

I’m still practicing to be a morning person.

I get up early and chant a mantra for 15 minutes. I prepare breakfast for my family, get a cup of coffee, and get our little boy up and ready for school.

This grants me an extra hour to check LinkedIn updates, browse my Twitter feed, sending out some emails, and get everything synced without being rushed.

With this on-going daily routine practice, my mind is becoming sharper, and my thought process is more organized. And I’ve told you one change I applied throughout the process; I have not stripped myself of proper sleep. 

The obvious benefits are:

  1. Sleep is a primarily major and usually underutilized ingredient of the brain’s working.

Sleep deprivation provokes anxiety for your brain and slows down the rate of electrical impulses carrying the information and thoughts.

  1. It improves both learning and memory, enabling your brain to catch up with things faster.
  2. Prolonged lack of sleep can also inflate the occasions of having a mood disorder. 

With sleeping disorders like insomnia, you’re more vulnerable to cause depression, anxiety, and chronic illness.

  1. Your mind needs proper sleeping routines to realize and react to the emotions the right way.
  2. You may enhance your social interaction skills and be able to identify colleagues’ emotional expressions.

Final Words…

Various studies have proved that getting a balanced work-life style and quality sleep can help resolve all sorts of physical and mental issues. These issues range from your anxiety, mood swings, communication, and work performance to your workouts.

Superior sleep refers to the succession of both the amount and consistency of sleep schedules.

Proper relaxation sets you up for motivation, creativity, and execution, the most fundamental thing for a professional, like you.

Meet the Author

Michelle is a freelance blogger who’s covered a variety of different topics – Productivity, Health, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing. Before she became a full-time writer, she held various jobs, including tutoring and tele-calling, so she understands how working at home can stress you out.

This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you click the links and make a purchase, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps keep the blog running.  See other disclaimers here.

  • Lack of sleep is the biggest performance killer. This article will break down the relationship between good sleep and productivity.
  • Lack of sleep is the biggest performance killer. This article will break down the relationship between good sleep and productivity.
  • Lack of sleep is the biggest performance killer. This article will break down the relationship between good sleep and productivity.

How to Utilize a To-Do List to Enhance Productivity

An easy way to gain control over your schedule is by using a to-do list. Let’s explore a few helpful tips on using a to-do list to enhance productivity!

Many of us would love to be more productive on a daily or weekly basis, but having a lot to do can leave us feeling overwhelmed. One easy way to gain a sense of control over your schedule and productivity level is by utilizing a to-do list. With a to-do list, you can see everything that you need to do and make a plan to tackle each task. You’ll feel accomplished as the items are crossed off and start to see how much more you can get done in a day. Let’s explore a few helpful tips on how using a to-do list can enhance your productivity:

Prioritize Tasks

Making a to-do list shouldn’t be complicated or time-consuming. Jot down everything that you need and want to get done. Once you have it all written out, go back over the list and pick out the top priorities. You can circle those things, highlight them, or re-write your to-do list, placing the most essential tasks at the top. Starting with the most important items will give you a sense of relief as you get them done and cross them off. Prioritizing ensures that you’re being productive because you’re focusing on what you need to get done, rather than just ticking through random tasks.

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Make It Manageable

Let’s face it- there are only so many hours in a day to get things done. Even if it feels like your to-do list is a mile long, you aren’t going to get to it all right away. As you’re writing out the to-do’s that you want to complete, be reasonable about what you can realistically accomplish in a day. Make your list manageable to avoid feeling overwhelmed and defeated. Simplify it as much as possible and break it down over several days if there are just too many items to work on. Spreading tasks out over a week will help you stick to the to-do list rather than abandoning it in frustration. Review and revise the list each day, noting your top priorities.

Be Specific

It’s easy to write down basic tasks and worry about the details later. However, being specific and noting why each item is important can make it more likely that those tasks will get done. That’s because a broad item on a to-do list can make it feel unimportant or confusing. Writing out exactly what you can do to accomplish it and why it matters gives you clarity and adds value to the task. For example, instead of just writing “Work on research paper”, you could break that down into a specific to-do, like “search for information and locate sources and materials”. Taking that broad task and breaking it down into specific, actionable items helps you focus. When you focus on a single task at hand, you can complete it faster and move on to the next thing.

A to-do list can be an excellent tool for increasing your productivity. By creating a list of tasks that you can reasonably complete, you’ll gain a greater sense of accomplishment. That can give you a much-needed boost and motivate you to get more done on a daily and weekly basis.

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  • An easy way to gain control over your schedule is by using a to-do list. Let’s explore a few helpful tips on using a to-do list to enhance productivity!
  • An easy way to gain control over your schedule is by using a to-do list. Let’s explore a few helpful tips on using a to-do list to enhance productivity!

Why Time Management is So Important to Executives

There are good reasons for just about anybody to find ways to improve how they use and manage their time, and most people find that when they start working on this, they can become more productive. For people who work in senior capacities in businesses, however, managing time well can be the difference between success, and disaster.

Time Management and Executives

Executives have to oversee progress on multiple projects, make time for lots of meetings and discussions, and dedicate some time to keeping their skills fresh, and keeping themselves on top of the latest news in their industry. This is all on top of other work they might have to do, such as preparing proposals and presentations, and of course, on top of their personal lives and self-care.

Because of this, executives need to use every means they can to track their time and how they use it. Here are some of the other reasons why, if you have your sights set on becoming an executive, you should work hard on time management skills.

How Well Executives Manage Time

In addition to time management making an executive more effective, it is one of the personal skills that senior people in leadership positions are judged so strongly on. Especially when it comes to things like hiring decisions. Someone who is applying for an executive position is likely to be asked what processes they use to make sure that everything on their plate gets dealt with in a timely way, and that they are efficient when it comes to knowing where they’re supposed to be, and who they need to make time for.

People who are looking to become candidates for good executive vacancies will need to be able to convince their contacts at the executive staffing agency dealing with the post they want that they are strong in this area, even before meeting with anybody at the hiring company. Most external applicants for senior roles find opportunities through an executive search firm. Someone like TruPath Search can look into the suitability of candidates before putting them forward for roles which will help the process to move along smoothly.

Executives Can Innovate in Terms of Company Time Management

Executives in some roles may be expected to innovate and lead in terms of company culture and help to boost productivity in general. It is important, then, that they have a good grasp on what makes managing time easier, and which tools and processes can help, so they can make good recommendations that will be implemented throughout the business. Things like meeting scheduling tools, time tracking software and even personal productivity apps can be brought in across teams and even whole companies to create improvements. So, an executive who values time management is well placed to do this.

There are lots of expectations of people in senior roles in business, and this can lead to a stressful working life. However, everything can become a lot more organized and successful when you empower yourself with good time management approaches, such as some of the things we talk about on this site.

This post was written as a contributed post. Contributed posts are written by another party who may wish to be anonymous. Further, all posts are edited and formatted by Elizabeth Ghekiere. Want to guest post for ElizabethJournals? Learn more here.

A Quick Guide To Amplifying Your Productivity

Amplifying your productivity is one of the best things you can do to get more done in less time. We’ll take a look at the best ways to do this.

Amplifying your productivity is one of the best things you can do if you want to make sure you can get the same amount done in a shorter amount of time. We’ll take a look at the best ways to do this below:

Set A Timer

Start by setting a timer at the beginning of each task. This can help you to stay motivated and avoid procrastination, providing you take a break whenever the timer goes off. For example, you might decide to set the timer for 30 minutes, before taking a 10-minute break. If you repeat this, you’ll probably get more done than if you were to attempt to sit and work for hours. 

Listen To Music

Music at just the right volume can help to keep you motivated and pushing forward. It’s usually best to listen to instrumental music, rather than music with a lot of words. Rap music, for example, can be too distracting. 

Exercise In The Morning 

Exercising in the morning before you get started can help to give you the energy you need to tackle the work on your plate that day. Not only will you enjoy all of the other benefits related to exercise, but you will also likely feel far more productive and clear-headed so you can complete the day’s work. 

Outsource 

Outsourcing is a lifesaver when you have a lot on your plate. Make sure you outsource smart, though, finding people who can do things that you’re not great at, such as marketing and PPC. The infographic below can help tell you more.


credit to Learning Management Systems PPC Guide Infographic

check out this Learning Management Systems PPC Guide Infographic

In conclusion, utilizing a timer, music, morning exercise, and outsourcing can greatly amplify your productivity! How do these tips or other tips amplify productivity for you? Let us know in the comments if you have more productivity tips!

This post was written as a contributed post. Contributed posts are written by another party who may wish to be anonymous. Further, all posts are edited and formatted by Elizabeth Ghekiere. Want to guest post for ElizabethJournals? Learn more here.

How to Stay Productive When Working From Home

You may find that your productivity levels slip when working from home. Here are some ways to stay productive when you are at home!

One of the best benefits that your employer could ever give to you is the chance to work from home. No commute, no annoying office politics and no worrying about what you have to wear for the next board meeting. You don’t even have to tiptoe apprehensively down the driveway in the dark because it’s winter and everyone goes to work in the dark in the winter months.

The only tiny complaint that most remote workers have is that it’s not always easy to stay productive when out of the office environment. Being around colleagues and working in a team can often improve office relationships, and you may find that your productivity levels slip a little when working on your own time. It’s okay – there are ways around it and you can make it work for you to be at home. Let’s take a look!

Play Pretend

No, really. It doesn’t matter whether you have a control virtual address online to receive your mail or you have a call forwarding service from your employee’s office, you need to play pretend that you’re going to work! You may not hear the phones ringing off the hook, or see the mailroom staff working their way around the office anymore, but that doesn’t mean that you should work in bed. Get yourself up early and get dressed just like you would if you were heading to the office. This alone can be a great way to get your motivation levels up and feeling like you are about to do something productive for the day. PJs are not appropriate work gear, even when you work from home!

Make Space

The best way that you can really up your productivity levels when you are working from home is to create a space that’s just for your job. This is going above and beyond the dinner table and creating an office for you at home. It gives you somewhere you can sit properly and work without sinking into the sofa and being distracted by day time TV.

Dance It Out!

When you feel your mind wandering it’s time to get up and move. Turn up the radio and shake out the cobwebs of sitting down for too long. That background music can also be beneficial for your productivity levels, as it’s true that you will work better with some surrounding noise.

Communicate Regularly

There are many methods of communication for getting back in touch with your office, and you should use them all. Text your former coworkers, Skype your boss if you have questions and utilize any of the methods of online chat that are at your disposal. All of these will help you to stay connected!

Working from home is nothing short of fun, but you still have to actively do your job if you hope to earn your salary. Don’t be afraid to communicate with your employer if you’re struggling, either. They need to know whether you feel like you’re doing well or not.

This post was written as a contributed post. Contributed posts are written by another party who may wish to be anonymous. Further, all posts are edited and formatted by Elizabeth Ghekiere. Want to guest post for ElizabethJournals? Learn more here.

Why You Should Keep A Journal In Your Office

An individual who holds a journal is one with an ordered lifestyle. Learn how to keep a journal and why it's important to have a journal in your office.

Writing, keeping records, detailing proposed or intended activities of the day, keeping a physical note of achievable goals and objectives; they say is a speedy way of getting ahead in life. An individual who holds a journal is one with an ordered lifestyle; nothing jumps at him out of his schedule, he or she lives a life close to perfection, as the day is perfectly lined up in such an attractive way. He keeps a mental note and strives to hit the targets for the day. Such is the unrivaled importance of keeping a journal. 

Personal Reasons for Keeping A Journal

There are always many reasons why people keep journals; either as a means of getting life issues off their mind, a method of offloading their thoughts elsewhere, or the many other common reasons which necessitate the many types of journals such as dream journals, travel journals, gratitude journals, daily activity journal amongst others are part of the many reasons individuals keep journals. It has been reiterated that sometimes a journal does not need a specific topic such as daily random thoughts or special life milestones. Many have kept journals for a long time, and some others wanted to, but have just not been helpful too. 

Professional Reasons for Keeping A Journal

In your career, keeping journals is a very essential and highly needed habit. It is a friendly culture that you need to cultivate. One of the many advantages of maintaining journals specifically in your workplace is it helps to keep a daily note of goals and objectives to achieve, and it also allows for your ideas to be recorded as they come. You are hence boosting your capacity in the workplace.  It will enable you to be able to keep a record of the ideas that come to your mind in the course of other responsibilities so you can revisit these ideas later.

The Importance of a Journal in the Workspace

The need for keeping a journal in your office or the working environment is critical.  Most people scribble random notes. These notes can get lost in transit or amidst the hustle and bustle of the workplace. They can also render your workspace cluttered; if you do this regularly, you may be missing out on the actual activity that can improve your job success and keep your workstation organized and efficient. In a recent paper from Harvard business school.

Studies on Keeping A Journal

It was asserted that setting aside 15 minutes to reflect at the end of the workday is part of being a productive employee. Assessing plans and future goals is one of the best ways to do this is to keep a journal. 

Studies carried out on employees of a business outsourcing company about the very essence of spending some extra time journaling; writing and reflecting on the lessons they learned during the day. They did it for about ten days; another group participant only kept working to the end of the day without reflection, writing or sharing whatsoever. At the end of the experiment, it was concluded that the journaling employees performed way better than those who kept working until their shifts ended. This exemplifies the singular act that human beings need to reflect before taking future actions. 

Write It Down

Merely thinking about the ideas that jump at you in your workplace is not enough. Writing these down is the very best of the options. Journaling in the contemporary world may have been termed as trendy only among teenagers keeping stories of their escapades, the emotional ups and downs and what have you. Keeping a diary is, in its real sense an activity that has been and still being used by successful figures on the global stage. Worthy of mention are Oprah Winfrey, artist Andy Warhol, amongst others. Journaling helps in the self-revealing quest in the area of one’s life in need of improvement or amplification as demand may be. 

Individuals have from time to time highlighted how journaling has helped to improve their inner experience. There are stories that tell of how journaling started as a class activity for them and later promoted to bring about improvement in their careers. It has enabled them to notice and recognize hidden, harmful behavioral patterns and brainstorm the needed solutions. 

Why You Need A Journal in Your Office

Keeping journals would sure help in giving a new perspective and a better understanding of individual roles within the work environment. It can also help in givin a new perspective and better understanding of the points of improvement in their communication techniques with others in the workplace. At this point, you have to personally do a self-appraisal to see if keeping a journal in your workplace would be right for you. Journaling is a great and effective way to help you work through issues and ultimately grow in your career. So it’s high time you start keeping a journal and progressively log in your ideas. 

In highlighting the overall importance of keeping a journal, it helps you in the following ways;

Learning your lessons

There lies in every experience either good or bad; the little value of you being able to learn from them. Never forget to pick up the lessons imbued in every encounter within the workplace. By writing down these experiences; noting what worked and what did not, you can improve your efficiency within your workplace. 

The advantage of venting in the right place

For all your experiences in handling your numerous clients, your ever-annoying boss, your annoying colleagues, you can vent in a safe place. Negative feelings, rants, your frustrations can be written in your journal. Bottling your emotions can be very harmful. 

Envisioning the future 

The human ability to rationalize and plan towards the future is a treasured human ability. Journaling further helps to develop this trait. Aptly considering the most importantly held goals and objectives while picturing the scenarios where they can be achieved is a fundamental reason for journaling in your workplace. 

Listing good advice from your mentors

There are incredible people everywhere in life. There are experts in every sphere of human endeavor. Hence, you can list these individuals who are your mentors in your journal. Some of your mentors can be close with you; assisting where necessary. When you get great tips or ideas from your mentors, your journal serves as a perfect medium to write it down. You can then refer to it any time in the future. 

Meet the Author

Tess Cain loves being organized. If she is not working at office.eco, then she’s dedicated her time to staying clean, clutter-free and organized. She also likes the outdoors, working out and volunteering.

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How Yoga Can Raise Your Motivation and Productivity

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On average, we spend 8 hours at work, sometimes doing overtime. Then, we come home and continue with our routine, cooking dinner, doing homework with kids, and continue being in the loop. 

With so much going on, we have less and less time to take care of ourselves. In fact, the work-home loop starts looking like a downward spiral with time, resulting in more stress, loss of motivation and productivity. 

What Does the Research Say?

Yoga is among the methods to tackle this problem. Different sources of research claim that yoga:

Reduces stress. Loss of motivation and productivity is often caused by stress that becomes chronic over time. According to recent research posted by the International Journal of Preventing Medicine, 52 surveyed women experienced less stress and anxiety after just 12 sessions of yoga. 

Improves physical activity and self-efficacy. According to research from the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 41 surveyed participants with PTSD reported feeling more motivated after several regular sessions of yoga, with reduced stress and anxiety symptoms as well. 

Boosts memory and concentration. To help you become more productive, yoga has a positive effect on our cognitive abilities, according to a study published in the Biological Psychology journal. Reportedly, 108 participants reported that breathing exercises that Hatha yoga includes, helped them feel more focused. 

Over the years, more and more people have started practicing yoga, either as a main physical activity or in addition to other activities like going to the gym or doing Pilates. 

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) shares some stats on why Americans try yoga. Among those reasons, the most popular are:

  • Less stress and improved concentration (86% of surveyed)
  • Better physical and mental health (82% of surveyed)
  • Better emotional state and more motivation (67% of surveyed)

NCCIH also recommends yoga as one of the additional treatment methods for patients with different mental health conditions. 

Yoga Poses to Boost Motivation and Productivity

As someone who spent 10 years in the downward spiral of losing productivity and motivation, I was looking for a way to get out of this vicious circle. It motivated me to participate in a  ‘30 Days of Yoga for Self-Care Challenge’. Inspired by my results, I prepared a routine that I now do every day to feel motivated focused.

Here’s my everyday yoga routine, proven to help you raise motivation and productivity. 

Tadasana and Ushtrasana for Morning Energy Boost

Tadasana is what I begin my day with. This is a perfect pose to do a morning stretch and wake up your body and mind. Also called the Mountain Pose, it is also good for helping you cope with a headache and improves posture. 

Here are some tips to make the most out of this pose:

  • Challenge yourself by doing this pose with eyes closed. This way you’ll be able to find balance without paying attention to the outer environment, helping you concentrate better. 
  • For beginners: you can improve your balance by standing with your feet slightly apart. 
  • You can position your arms as you see fit. A common way is to lift them upward to stretch your whole body. 

Ustrasana is another post to help you find balance and feel more focused. Besides allowing you to stretch your body and feel the balance, it is also good for your digestive system, helping you work on the stomach muscles. 

There are different variations of this pose. I’ve found that the following approaches help worked best for my body:

  • Slowly leaning backward helps gradually stretch your body and not hurt your muscles. 
  • Correct breathing technique is crucial when pushing your body above the waist outward and upward. 
  • It’s best to do this pose in two approaches, holding the position for no more than 30 seconds. 

While Ustrasana is recommended as the ultimate pose to wake up your body, Tadasana also works well before sleep, helping your body to de-stress. 

Seated Crescent Moon and Chair Pigeon Pose While Working

While at work, you can often find yourself unproductive and unmotivated, especially after sitting behind your desk for several hours. I found that some yoga poses can be very helpful to change your focus and bring back the motivation. 

I usually start my yoga routine at work from a seated crescent moon pose. This is a stretching pose for your spine and neck muscles. How does it help motivation and productivity?

  • You have to pay attention to every step of this pose, as you can strain your neck muscles. Thus, you bring back the focus by paying close attention to your body. 
  • This pose requires you to follow a breathing technique. Exhaling and inhaling correctly will help you feel more energized, as you slowly help your body de-stress. 

To finish my brief yoga session at work, I usually do a chair pigeon pose. Although it’s often recommended for seniors to prevent them from hurting their muscles, this pose is perfect to do at your desk (also, you don’t want to attract unnecessary attention). 

Tip! When doing this pose, try not to do it on a rolling chair. For this pose, it’s better to choose one that stands steadily. 

Balasana and Savasana for Better Sleep

 The quality of your sleep greatly impacts your motivation and productivity. After all, sleep-deprivation is the first reason that kills motivation and impairs our ability to focus. However, a little bit of yoga before sleep can help you sleep like a baby. 

For my simple evening yoga routine, I start with Balasana or a child’s pose. This is an effective pose for:

  • Gently stretching hips and thighs
  • Relieving back and neck pain after a long day of sitting behind the desk
  • Calms the brain and relieves fatigue

To finish my yoga stretch before going to sleep, I relax my body with a Savasana or a corpse pose. This is a perfect pose for complete relaxation of your body and mind, as you lie down on a surface and simply allow yourself to rest. 

Tip! While doing Savasana, you can turn on some music and meditate to achieve the complete relaxation of your body and mind. 

Wrapping Up

Doing yoga is proven to be a good method to raise your motivation and productivity if you do it persistently. I found that regular yoga sessions are effective for those, who want to feel more focused and motivated, whilst helping you take care of your body as well. 

Meet the Author

Kate is a passionate writer who likes sharing her thoughts and experience with the readers. Currently, she works at Flatfy. She likes everything related to self-improvement, traveling, and new countries.

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3 Reasons to Hire Someone to Create Your Bullet Journal

Bullet Journaling isn’t always as easy as some people make it seem. To create the journal you have envisioned, it can take up a lot of your time. Additionally, it may require you have better, more expensive tools. Then, what happens if you don’t have the skill or time to practice the skill to have the journal of your dreams? If any of this sounds familiar, then maybe you would benefit from hiring someone to make your journal for you. Here are three reasons you should hire someone to make your bullet journal for you.

Why You Need To Hire Someone To Create Your Bullet Journal

Check out these tips and reasons!

It Will Save You Time

The first reason you should hire someone else to make your journal is to save you time. In this day and age, we are so busy. It can sometimes be difficult to find time to create bullet journals. Because this type of planner is so customized and hand-made, it requires you to chisel some time out of your schedule to create them. If by chance you are not able to make time to create your journal, you can hire someone else to create it for you.

They Use Tools You Don’t Have

The second reason you might want to hire someone to make your bullet journal is a lack of resources. Having certain bullet journaling tools can get expensive. While these tools are entirely worth it for the quality of your journal, you may not have the resources to purchase them. If you are unable to get the items you need to create the journal of your dreams, you might want to hire someone who has these tools to create your bujo for you. Generally, if someone is creating a completely customized product such as the bullet journal, they have the proper tools and means to create quality equipment. When we create our custom journals, we are sure to use top quality pens and notebooks. Then, if we find we need another tool to meet the needs of the customer, we purchase them!

It Will Be More Professional or Creative

The final reason you should think about hiring someone else to create your bullet journal for you is because of a lack of skill. Perhaps you absolutely love the more creative style of a journal, but you don’t have the skill to create it, you can hire someone to do it for you. Perhaps you want to learn those skills, but you do not currently have the time to learn? That is another perfect scenario in which you should hire someone else. That way, your productivity, and planner don’t suffer, but you are no longer under intense pressure to learn a new skill.

Bullet Journaling Services We Offer

Are you in need a professional journaler to create your bullet journal for you? Well, look no further! We create completely custom bullet journals and other planning products right here at Jihi Elephant. Here are some of the services we offer!

A5 and A6 Sized Custom Bullet Journals

This are our most popular custom bullet journal option. We offer completely customized bullet journals in A6 and A5 sizes. You can pick the notebook size, notebook brand and color, ink color, layouts,etc.! However, if you prefer a notebook or color we do not have listed, contact us and request it, we’d love to work with you to make the journal of your dreams!

Pocket Calendar

The pocket calendar is a more simplified version of the bullet journal. This planner is much smaller and has fewer pages. Additionally, it is a softer cover meant to fit neatly into a purse or wallet.

Shop Custom Pocket Calendars

Custom-Made Planner Printables

The last custom bullet journal service we offer is custom printables. While I have a wide range of pre-made bullet journal or planner printable pages for you to choose from, you can also request something just for you!

Shop Custom Printables

Still, Prefer to Create Your Bullet Journal Yourself?

If you are not convinced to hire someone to create your bullet journal for you, then you should at least put in the effort to learn how to journal properly. If you want to create your own journal and don’t know where to get started, check out our Bullet Journaling for the Overwhelmed Beginner course! In this course, I take you through a step by step process to create a bullet journal while remaining stress-free!

Bullet journaling is time-consuming and sometimes requires skills and tools you may not have. For this reason, it might be beneficial for you to hire someone else to create it for you. Just remember, if you hire someone else to create a completely customized product, it may take longer than purchasing a generic planner from your local stationery shop. Regardless of the time it takes, it is surely worth it to have a planner made just for you!

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How to Stay Productive and Work From Home

How to Stay Productive and Work From Home

Working from home is becoming increasingly popular in many professional fields. While this is amazing from employees, it can sometimes become difficult to remain productive in the isolating home setting. Chloe has come up with some amazing tips to stay productive and work from home.

One of the most impactful changes that have arisen with the dawn and flourishing of the internet age is that connectivity is leagues above where it has been historically. The effects of this are wide-ranging and diverse, transforming industries and day to day life all across the globe. One of the most affected areas is the average work culture.

It is frequently not in the interest of an employer to have an employee in the office when what they do can be easily achieved from within the comfort of their home. Similarly, if employees need to take business trips or even personal trips, work can still be completed quickly and effectively.

Statistics show that 10% of the American workforce work from home, with that figure looking set to continue to rise as more and more tasks, require a computer, a smartphone, and an internet connection.

One issue which does arise when working remotely, freelance or not, is that working from home presents its own set of challenges. As lovely as it is to work in your pajamas on your bed, it can be isolating and can suck productivity to the point where you can get to the end of the day and not name one thing you’ve achieved. So, with that said, let’s take a look at how you can keep your productivity levels high when working from home.

Work With Someone

Working with someone seems a strange piece of advice to come first on the list when talking about working from home, but there are some real benefits. Given how popular freelance work is, it’s more than likely that you will know someone who is working freelance as well as you. If you’re good enough friends, then you can develop a sort of informal office atmosphere.

In this atmosphere, they come over to your place every day for a few hours, and you work together, holding each other a bit accountable for your work schedule. The only thing to remember is that you probably don’t want to be too close with whoever it is, since, if it is your best friend, then there is a good chance that you’ll distract one another with a conversation. But, done right, this can maintain the informal atmosphere while creating a pseudo-office out of your home.

Build A Working Area

Another way to create an office-like world for you to work in relates to space. Working from bed is usually a pretty good recipe for drifting off for a delightful afternoon nap, not a formula for conquering objectives and leaving the day satisfied at your work. A quality working space will usually involve a desk, a comfy, ergonomic chair, a source of natural light and some bright lamps, a clean space, charger ports for a laptop and close enough to the kitchen and toilet that you don’t have to break your mood any time you need either.

The advantage of creating a workspace is manifold. On the one hand, it allows you to formalize your work in a way that will make you feel satisfied. Working from home can sometimes make people feel like what they do isn’t really work because it isn’t in an office. It will help you stay organized because all of your work things will be in one place not spread around the house.

Finally, it will help delineate between work time and free time. Working from home can breed an unhealthy lack of boundaries where work can either be non-existent or entirely consuming, taking every waking minute and destroying your private life. Both are bad for productivity in the long run. Having space where, when you are in it, you know it is work time really helps solidify your work-life balance.

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Make A Schedule

This seems an obvious one but it’s certainly worth saying. There’s no need to block out a 9-5 slot with 45 minutes for lunch as if you’re in the office. You ought to experiment with the freedom that designing your own work schedule gives you. Are you most productive 4-7pm? Then start work at midday! Do you have 20-minute attention spans? Then do 40 minutes work every hour from 9 – 6. Figure out what works for you and what you’ll likely discover is that the traditional workplace ours are actually conducive to high inefficiency. You’ll be amazed at how much of your average 9-5 work can be achieved in a couple of super concentrated hours.

How to Stay Productive and Work From Home

Make Sure To Communicate

Your productivity will very likely drop off if you aren’t communicating with people on the outside at least a little bit. The difficulty shows when everything you do you can complete from home, the practical reasons for meeting and talking with others disappear and that then kills the desire to meet with people. Isolation like that can be dangerous and can lead to depression as well as unrealistic standards for your volume and quality of work. Make sure you stay in touch with the outside world.

Conclusion

Working from home is a blessing and anyone locked into a dull office schedule Monday to Friday will be able to tell you that easily. The challenges it presents are actually very difficult but certainly not overwhelmingly so. Hopefully, this list will give you a good sense of what to look out for.

Meet the Author

Chloe Bennet is a productivity writer at Academic Writing Service and Assignment Help portals. She enjoys working from home and writing while on the road. Also, Chloe teaches proofreading techniques at Paper Fellows website.

Simple Methods That Will Boost Your Productivity

Simple Methods That Will Boost Your Productivity

Work isn’t just about working. It’s about the best method of using your time and effort to get your tasks done. Of Course, to be able to achieve this consistently, you really need to have your productivity under control. A topic you can find out all about in the post below.

Create TouchPoints During the Day

One thing that can really help to boost your productivity is to have touch points through the day. These are short sessions of time where you either write down your goals and focus for the day or come back to them and check how you are doing.

A bullet journal or planner is the perfect place to record your goals for the day.

In fact, by knowing precisely what you want to do each day, and monitoring this, you can really boost your productivity. Even if you have get distracted or get in too deep with some research, you can reassess where you need to be and return there.

Simple Methods That Will Boost Your Productivity

Find Out Where Your Time Is Going

Do you ever go through a day and wonder where all your time has gone? If so, you are not alone. In fact, one of the biggest drains on our productivity is that we waste time unknowingly.

Of course, when you are working at a computer as a vast majority of us do now, this problem only intensifies. After all, it can be effortless to fool ourselves that we are doing work related research, or tasks when we are doing things for our entertainment.

Luckily, there is you can do something to find out where all of your time is going. In fact, all you have to do is go to sites like https://setapp.com/apps/timing that offer automatic timing apps. Then you can use the app to track exactly how you’re spending your time when working on your computer. This then allows you to get a much clearer picture of what needs less attention. This also makes it more evident which areas need more of your attention for productivity improvements.

Pomodoro That Work!

Another straightforward way of increasing your productivity is to only allow yourself a certain amount of time for each task you need to do. After all, it is so easy for tasks to expand ad infinitum and something that may only need an hour of time spent on it can end up taking you a day or two!

In particular, using a simple Pomodoro timer as described at https://lifehacker.com can work well for this. Especially if you give yourself a quick break in between times of focus to allow you, mind to rest and refresh.

Say NO to Unnecessary Distractions

Finally, in the digital age, we live in it can be all too easy to become overrun with distractions in the form of notifications. In reality, however, there are very few things that you need to know about straight away, even on social media or email.

To that end, as the post at https://www.inc.com suggests it is a wise move to turn off notification distractions. In fact, doing so can help you keep your focus on the task at hand, and so have a very positive effect on your productivity.

This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I may receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.

5 Easy-to-Follow Tips for Creating a Productive Home Office

5 Easy-to-Follow Tips for Creating a Productive Home Office

Thinking of creating a new home office space in your smaller home? Well, you came to the right place. Fitting a functional workspace into a home with minimal square footage can be a special challenge. Do so also presents some unique opportunities for expressing your personal style. So, how can you get started building a custom small home office that will make you want to work even more? You can start by following these simple steps from start to finish.

Stay on Task by Planning Your Project

Before you start decorating and styling your home office, you need to have an organized plan in place. Proper planning will allow you to better anticipate what supplies and services you need, as well as an anticipated timeline. For example, you may want to leave time to shop for office furniture. Additionally, you may prefer to have built-in desks made for your office. The latter is perfect for tight spaces and allows you to customize to fit your work needs. However, you need to give yourself time to think about these kinds of pros and cons.

If you’re not sure where to start with your home office planning, you can use a project app to map out the details for you. Many of these apps have features that allow you to digitally measure out your room or space. This feature

can be handy when coming up with a plan to fit office furniture into a smaller home.

Include a Project Budget in Your Office Plan

In addition to allowing you to maximize, proper planning will also help you come up with a budget. When budgeting for home improvements, it’s important to think about the scope of your project to help determine costs. Since you are creating a small home office, your project will likely be a smaller scale home improvement.

As long as your chosen home office area does not need any major work, you should be able to keep your project around $1,000. That may seem like quite a bit but it’s really not. This is especially true if you need to purchase any new home office tech. A laptop can come in handy for working at home and on the road. Whereas, having a printer can be useful in a variety of business and personal situations. Do you already have the basic equipment? If so, you can create a home office for $100 that’s both functional and beautiful, even in a smaller home.

Choose An Appropriate Work Area in Your Home

In addition to a budget, you also need to include a location in your home office plan. Since the purpose of a home workspace is to help you concentrate, it’s preferable to find an area of your home that is free from distractions. So, if you have a spare room, use it to create a focus-friendly home office. If you do not have an extra room, you can still fit in a home office, but you may need to be more creative when space is limited. This is where those built-in desks mentioned above can come in handy because you can easily use them to incorporate a workspace into your kitchen if needed.

You can also use shelving to fashion a home office out of an empty closet or corner, or you can set up a workspace in your bedroom. Your limited space does not limit your options at all, so try to think outside the box a bit. Or, think outside your home and set up a workspace in your garage or even a small shed. Prefab sheds are pretty easy to assemble and are perfect for those who need more space to incorporate a studio.

Come Up With a Color Palette for Your New Workspace

You have a plan, space, and a budget all sorted out. Now it’s time to have a little fun with your home office project. While the central focus of your efforts is about maximizing space in your smaller home, you also need to make sure your new office complements your personal style. Selecting the right paint colors can help you do that. Calming shades of blue, gray, and even off-white can all create a cool and collected atmosphere in your new office. Since you are working with a smaller area, you can use these colors to create an accent wall that will help your workspace feel more put together.

Paint is the simplest way to add an accent wall to your home office, but you can up the style by using other materials as well, such as stone or wood. If you want to add some storage to this space, DIY floating shelves can set an organized tone as well. This is an effortless way to create some custom style in your home office while also providing spots to store all of your office essentials.

Know Where to Go to Find Multi-Tasking Furniture

Once the paint is dry and your space is all set up, it’s time to start putting your home office together. Before you begin, you’re going to need at least some basic furniture to make your space functional. If you chose not to go with a built-in desk, you need to look for a desk that will give you space to work without taking up too much space itself. A secretary desk could be a good option, especially when you can easily fold it up to create more space. Most modern secretary desks are made especially for smaller spaces and take up as little room as possible.

Another home office furniture essential you need is a comfortable chair. These fashionable chairs will fit in with any aesthetic and offer comfortable support for your body as you work. You can even use them as extra seating if you have company in your smaller home. Finally, no home office, or room for that matter, is complete without some decor. There are some pretty creative decor options, depending on your personality and taste. Just try to look for decor that’s functional to really maximize the utility of your limited space.

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Customizing your new office to fit your smaller space can feel impossible. With the tips above and the right planning though, creating a stylish home office in your smaller apartment or house is actually pretty simple. It can be fun and fulfilling to complete on your own too. If you’re still feeling overwhelmed with your home office project, you can always spring for interior design services too to make your project completely effortless.

More About the Author

Alice Robertson began her career in the home organization industry as a professional house cleaner. After cleaning and organizing her clients’ homes for years, she decided to open her own home organization business. Over the years, she has built an impressive client list, helping to make spaces in homes and businesses more functional. She recently created tidyhome.info as a place to share the great cleaning and organizing advice she has developed over the years.

The Science Behind the Bullet Journaling Craze

The Science Behind the Bullet Journaling Craze

In the past few years, an innovative planning tool has been changing the way a lot of people plan out their upcoming days, weeks, and months. Bullet journaling is an interesting new way to organize your time and tasks. These journals work by the user writing down tasks daily and then either checking them off, scheduling them, or relocating them. To someone unfamiliar with a bullet journal, it will look quite chaotic and confusing at first, but some science supports users’ claims they are effective.

Bullet Journal Basics

In short, a bullet journal is made up of different components, or as the creator defines them, modules. There’s a future log for long-term plans, a monthly log that works similarly to a calendar, and a daily log for more in-depth, specific tasks for the day. An index and a system of symbols organized these modules.

A person puts their whole life into their bullet journal, and this is its biggest strength. The thinking is if all your important tasks are in one location, then you’re much less likely to forget about something. It’s the journaling equivalent to placing your wallet, keys and cell phone together in a bowl, so you don’t forget one when you leave the house but on a much higher level.

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Benefits Of Bullet Journaling

We already know that there are significant mental health benefits to journaling of any kind. So, it follows that a tool with as much organizational potential as bullet journaling should be even better. A bullet journal functions so well because it allows its user to put everything in one place. It can be thoughts, ideas, new facts, important information, etc.

According to research from the Journal of Experimental Psychology, journaling helps people by acting as an external extension to their memory. Your brain can only juggle about three things at any given time without losing its effectiveness; a bullet journal may help its user bypass this limitation.

The Zeigarnik Effect

Bullet journals may also be a way of hacking the Zeigarnik Effect. This term describes the psychological phenomenon of people having an easier time remembering uncompleted tasks than completed ones. When you’re trying to focus on the task at hand and keep remembering that thing you’re supposed to do later, that’s the Zeigarnik Effect.

Writing down tasks in a bullet journal seems to alleviate this problem, as does writing down a to-do list. Once your brain realizes you’ve got a plan in place to accomplish the task, it stops reminding you about it. This phenomenon allows you to be more productive with a clear head.

Mental Timeouts

Doodling and writing in your bullet journal also can give you a break from whatever work you were doing previously. Sometimes just taking a bit of time off from a task can help you come back more focused and productive. According to the study, conducted by Jackie Andrade, a psychologist, doodling helps you to remember over 80% of information, as well as, to become more concentrated and focused. Thus, taking some time with your bullet journal when you’ve hit a brick wall, or are having a tough time focusing, is useful.

“Every now and then I need a break from work. I find that taking a walk, sketching, but especially doing some updating in my bullet journal are great ways to get refocused,” shares Sonia Alston, a tutor, “My bullet journal gives me a creative time out that brings me back to the task at hand, fresh and focused.”

The Science Behind the Bullet Journaling Craze

Achieving Goals With Your Bullet Journal

Using a bullet journal helps to achieve your goals and dreams. According to a study conducted by Southern Methodist University, writing about your future goals makes people happier. Additionally, you are more tend to do your best to make your dreams come true. It helps to focus on the most important tasks which lead to success and make you more productive and effective.

Also, bullet journals allow your brain to mentally refresh, and that’s great for allowing you to concentrate better. Even just the simple fact that you’re writing on a physical piece of paper helps. Writing with your hand allows you to retain more. Also, the notebook gives you flexibility and freedom to build on ideas and be creative.

Conclusion

Bullet journals are not necessarily for everyone; no organizational tool ever is. Bullet journals are a fascinating mind hack; if they work for you, they work for you. They’re a new innovative tool, so they haven’t been studied directly, but the science that relates to the concepts they represent is quite substantial.

They work not just by organizing, but by becoming an extension of your natural memory; reminding you of things by having you see them when checking in on something else. The simple phenomenon of the way they encourage you to switch between different kinds of tasks also seems to enhance your concentration. Whatever it is that makes them so useful; people swear by them, so, it’s worth trying one out and seeing if it works for you.

The Science Behind the Bullet Journaling Craze

Meet the Author

Content marketer Michael Dehoyos is usually found assisting organizations in their digital marketing approach. He also helps with email marketing. Michael is an editor at PHD Kingdom and Academic Brits, and a regular contributor to Origin Writings academic service.

  • The Science Behind the Bullet Journaling Craze
  • The Science Behind the Bullet Journaling Craze
  • The Science Behind the Bullet Journaling Craze

How to Be a More Productive Manager

Being a successful manager means enabling your team to achieve maximum efficiency. Therefore, being productive with a minimal amount of effort. When a manager steers their team into a workflow that works, the business starts to largely manage itself. Of course, there will always be work for a manager to do. But with an efficient team, managers can focus their time on other important tasks.

However, when a manager prioritizes productivity above all else in the wrong way, it can cause enormous damage to their workforce. Worse still, managers run the risk of burning out their employees. They achieve a short-term boost in productivity but rapidly burn out the team; thus, demoralizing them.

If you want to be more productive in your workplace, you need to go about it the right way. The wrong approach will sink your business and actually decrease your productivity. You need to increase your productivity in a way that is sustainable in the long-term.

Using Empathy

This is really important if you are going to get the most out of your team. Ideally, you should actually try and experience your business from the perspective of your frontline workers. This might mean going into a retail store to spend time serving customers. It could also mean going through the back of house administrative procedures and seeing for yourself the efficiency of your current processes.

Not only is this a fantastic strategy for improving productivity, but it will also go down well with your workers. It will demonstrate to them that you care about their experience of your business. It’s all well and good telling your workers that you care about them and that you value them; but, this will be a firm and undeniable demonstration of your commitment to them.

Reduce Stress to Increase Productivity

Stress is a common cause of inefficiency, both for an individual and at a systemic level. Stress can come from a variety of sources in our personal and professional lives. Some people are able to roll with the punches and remain unphased by everything; other people are in a perpetual state of anxiety and worry constantly about things. Both personality types are capable of being productive.

People who worry will always worry, but you can help them to channel their anxieties into thoroughness. Instead of worrying about a big project, worry about the smaller steps involved that you can easily achieve. Encourage your workers to see their larger goals as smaller, more manageable steps. This is the least stressful way of approaching large projects and it also encourages productivity.

Be Patient

You won’t be able to transform your business’ productivity overnight; you will need to have patience with your employees and with yourself. They will require your patience because new procedures and policies often take a while to sink in. Whether you are learning to play an instrument or training to lift weights, practice is the key to success. It is natural that we are not very good at things that we have little to no experience with; the more we do them the better we become.

Managers who attempt to increase productivity by cracking the whip harder and browbeating their workers will rapidly deplete the morale of their workforce. This is when those worker burnout scenarios begin to arise, and productivity ends up decreasing. If you want your productivity increase to be sustainable in the long term, you will need to be prepared for it to take time to implement the necessary changes.

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Be A Consistent Manager

When you first start implementing your new productivity measures, you might need to adjust them. Even the best ideas on paper often need to be adjusted after they come into contact with reality. Your productivity measures will be no exception. For example, you may well design a new procedure for managers in your business to complete their end of day admin work that seems like a great idea on paper. However, when you actually go through the procedure for real, you will often notice other, more efficient methods.

If you want to reduce the amount of runway, you need to get your new productivity measures off the ground. Consider sending your managers to a first line management training course that companies like The BCF Group provide. Their first line management course will equip your managers with all the skills they need to not only boost their productivity but to increase their overall efficiency. First line management courses will provide your managers with the training that they need to perform their job correctly. For the best first line manager training courses, check the link.

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Productivity is one of the most important metrics for measuring how well a manager is performing. A workplace that is productive is a workplace that is making money. However, a productive workplace should also be a happy workplace. As a manager, you have the power to induce long term changes to your business’ productivity. Start planning today for a more productive and more profitable future.

This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I may receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.

How to Turn Your Space into the Perfect Work Environment

When people decide that they’re going to make a living from home, they often underestimate the importance of their environment and how it can affect their productivity. Often, they realize too late that their home is not conducive to work. In many cases, people assume that their favorite room or their study will be perfect for a home office, only to realize that there are too many distractions or that the room is not secluded enough to prevent noise interference. Whatever the case may be, there are some things that you can do to change any space into the ideal work environment. Here are a few of them.

Never Underestimate the Power of Color

Colors have a direct effect on our mood and creativity. Use the wrong colors, and you might feel antsy and unable to stay focused. Choose the right colors, and you’ll be able to perform to the best of your abilities and keep your concentration for hours. This is why choosing the right colors should be one of your priorities.

Blue, for instance, is often used in offices to stimulate concentration, but too much blue can be depressing. You can add a touch of yellow to the room if you’re going to do some creative work. If you intend to stay in the room for long hours, earthy tones like green will allow you to stay grounded. And if you can, try to avoid colors like red or gray. Red should only be used in rooms where you’ll be performing lots of physical activity, and gray may trigger feelings of insecurity and anxiety.

Get Rid of Workspace Clutter

Speaking of insecurity, one of the main principles of Feng Shui is making sure that any room is free of clutter since it can have a direct effect on your physical and mental health. And whether you believe in Feng Shui or not, working in a clutter-free space will definitely have an effect on your productivity. If anything, it will allow you to get to your stuff faster and make sure you have everything you need at your fingertips.

Store important supplies and materials in carefully marked bins, put all of your pens on your desk in a container and make sure you store reference materials and files on an easily accessible shelf.

Surround Yourself with Positivity

While you want to keep the distractions to a minimum, you should also make sure that you add some of your personality to the room. You could do that by reminding yourself of your accomplishments, for instance. Maybe you could add pictures of a competition you won or awards you may have received.

Getting a nice diploma frame and proudly displaying your credentials somewhere in your office space could also be a great idea. If you’re looking for a top-quality diploma frame, you could go on a site like diplomaframe.com. They offer a wide range of diploma frame styles, and you can use their online design tools to create your very own custom degree frame. This would make the perfect addition to any room and can really accentuate some of the furniture in the room as well.

You could also add greenery to the room if you’re a nature lover. Adding a few water features could provide your room with a soothing backdrop. Or you could also add a sound system and play soothing music or nature sounds.

How to Turn Your Space into the Perfect Work Environment

Work on Lighting

Lighting is another essential aspect when building a home office. Natural light is best. If you can, try to find a room that allows natural light in during the day. But make sure that it’s in a quiet area or you might get distracted by street traffic or noises in your backyard. Also, make sure that you pick some good window treatments to prevent glare.

When picking out lighting fixtures, try to avoid harsh direct light coming from the ceiling. Instead, use dimmable lights so you can limit the intensity. Also, make sure that you have indirect lighting around the room. This way, you’ll be able to work at night while maintaining a calming environment.

Do Not Skimp on Furniture

You’re going to be spending a lot of time in this room, so it needs to be comfortable. It’s worth it to purchase a sturdy desk that is not only attractive but is also ergonomically supportive. The desk should also fit the room and your personal style. And make sure that it is positioned in a way that will allow you to get a view of the exterior.

Creating a positive work environment from home shouldn’t be difficult. If you follow the few simple tips outlined in this article you should be able to create the home office of your dreams in no time.

This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writing means that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content and formatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I may receive financial compensation. Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here. 

  • How to Turn Your Space into the Perfect Work Environment

7 Tips for Balancing Work and Studying in College

In today’s world, it’s crucially important to continue growing professionally. For this reason, so many people try to balance work and studying at college.

If you also have chosen this challenging path, you should learn how to cope with the stress to live your life to the fullest. If you are looking for useful tips on how to improve your overall performance and better your state of mind, keep reading.

Establish Healthy Eating Habits

When you immerse yourself in work and studying, you burn lots of calories. For this reason, you should eat healthy food and control your calorie intake. Additionally, it’s important to make sure that your body gets enough nutritive elements to keep functioning effectively.

Doctors and scientists state that individuals who experience physical and mental stress must avoid eating junk food and fast food. Further, it’s highly recommended to increase the intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, and superfoods. If you feel exhausted, you should add the following products to your grocery list:

Must-Have Groceries

  • Blueberries
  • Olives
  • Almonds
  • Chia seeds
  • Avocados
  • Spinach
  • Quinoa

These products contain vitamin E and A, omega-3, antioxidants, copper, magnesium, selenium, and iron. Therefore, if you consume them regularly, you will boost your vital energy.

7 Tips for Balancing Work and Studying in College

Exercise Daily

Only a person, who is physically and mentally healthy, can cope with the balancing work and study. So if you want to be healthy, you have to exercise daily.

It doesn’t matter whether you attend Zumba classes or work out at the gym – be sure that you enjoy the process. The sport will help you to decrease the stress level, and you will feel yourself much better.

Don’t say that you can’t go into the sport because you don’t have enough time. However, it’s not an excuse. You can always find at least 20 minutes a day to make some basic exercises or practice yoga at home.

Get Enough Sleep

Your mind and body require at least 7 hours for recovering after the long day. Further, a lack of sleep can cause anxiety, depression and even more severe mental health issues. So, if you want to live a happy life, you shouldn’t sacrifice your night’s sleep under any circumstances.

Moreover, it’s okay to take a 30-minutes nap during the day. It will not affect your nighttime sleep but will improve your mood and performance.

Spend Time with Friends and Family

Balancing is all about setting the right priorities. First, find your priority number one:  your work, studying, family or friends? You need less than a second to answer this question.

Keep in mind that you shouldn’t let your busy schedule ruin your relationship with your loved ones. Further, you should always find a little time to talk to your close people on the phone or to meet them in person. Even if you live far away from your family, you can use Skype or any other services to have an in-depth conversation.

You should understand that the people whom you love provide you with great emotional support. They help you to overcome all the difficulties in your life. If you ignore your family and friends, you will not feel happy while working and studying.

7 Tips for Balancing Work and Studying in College

Take Time Management Seriously

Time is the most precious resource, which people have. Do you agree with this statement? Try to imagine that you get 24 precious hours every day. Then, you have to decide how to invest them in building a happier future.

You should learn more about modern time management strategies and apply them to your real life. Doing so will help you to become the best employee and the best student.

The problem is that if you have poor time management skills, your attempt to balance work and study can turn to be a disaster. Further, to prevent the troubles, you should learn how to create an extra hour in your day.