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In one of my favorite non-fiction books, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey puts it best by saying that our productivity often comes in two dimensions. We are only as effective as our bodies are capable of at any particular moment. Without proper nurturing of our minds and bodies, we can only go so far. This piece of wisdom has stayed true throughout my years of undergrad. Without effectively preventing burnout in my early years of school, the outcomes were actually more detrimental than if I had taken the time to pause and reflect early on. It’s also important to note that the same “hacks” that work seamlessly for me might not be the best fit for someone else. It takes becoming familiar with your own styles, habits, strengths, and weaknesses to create positive habits that can be reinforced. Throughout the years, there have been a few tested and true productivity hacks that have worked for me.
We’re all guilty of times when our smartphones have stolen our time and productivity. Even before I began creating this blog post, I’ve unknowingly spent the last 30 minutes browsing Pinterest. For those days when you’re struggling with a term essay or starting to review for a midterm, turn your mobile phone to the “do not disturb mode” or. if you’re easily tempted like me, turn off your phone notifications permanently or until you’ve completed a task. Some other tips if you’re working from a laptop might be:
- Close unnecessary tabs
- Close chat windows
- Sign out of social media browsers
More and more I’m starting to notice how impactful my work or learning environment can be on my efficiency. In environments that are loud and disruptive, I begin tuning into a conversation between strangers or re-reading the same paragraph twice. For some, the right environment might mean moderate levels of white noise or music. Whatever your optimal environment is, take note of it and create a habit around the right environment. This will create that laser focus you need to complete that assignment or paper.
While studying I came across a technique recommended by a few of my peers known as the Pomodoro technique. The Pomodoro “tomato” method is a strategy of breaking your work or study time into 25 minute segments. Using this technique for many procrastination-list items on my to-do list has been highly effective throughout my degree. Not only can you change the length of time that you wish to work for, but it also helps you slot in short breaks to prevent burnout. The website I often use is Tomato Timer.
Productivity is encouraged by eliminating multitasking habits and creating an artificial sense of urgency that tricks your brain into completing tasks faster.
How often have you thought of something trivial and acted upon it right away while in the midst of another task? Even while writing this post, I thought of five different tasks I should be doing including washing my laundry, packing my lunch, and calling a friend. To heighten my efficiency, I would write down these non-urgent items and put them aside to complete in another portion of my day. This tip has drastically improved my own workflow and has helped me be productive not only in my urgent to-do items but also the day-to-day trivial tasks.
Being self-disciplined in your daily routine does not mean it cannot be fun. Inherently, many students find it difficult to stick to a familiar routine because it bores us. In the long run we might allow ourselves to become distracted simply because our brain craves variety. However, there’s great joy that can be found in improving your productivity. Having the ability to do more within the same amount of time can be liberating. So how can we create a self-perpetuating habit? To make things stick, create a reward pathway that helps reinforce productivity and reduces distracted behaviors. For example, as the app Forest allows you to grow an entire (virtual) forest if you can distance yourself from your mobile phone. The more the user unlocks their smartphone, the more virtual trees are killed in the process — this can be a fun incentive to stop reaching for the phone. Set up a reward method that works for you to stay motivated.
