What are your favorite ways to increase productivity and what do you think of my methods?

I am extremely productive and efficient during the day, and I’m curious to hear what everyone else’s favorite methods are, but first I think I’ll list mine. I split my methods into two categories, those that affect your productivity in the short term and those that affect it in the long term. I’d like to know what you all think of these, and if we should add any to each list.<br><br>My short term productivity methods:<br><br>1. Take breaks: Every 70-90 minutes, take a 15-30 minute break. If you are faced with a long task, you can work 90 minutes and get two 15 minutes breaks. This is very helpful depending on the task; I’m currently doing a lot of work that requires a lot of typing, so I take my longer breaks.<br><br>2. Set 1 or 2 large goals for the day, but also set shorter, but less important goals, and smaller subgoals for your main goals. Don’t set too many because you’ll start to lose focus of what exactly needs to be done. I don’t want to say exactly how many because I don’t want to limit your amount of productivity, but I think you can figure it out yourself on your most productive day<br><br>3. While you’re on your breaks, take time to make sure your work environment is as optimal as it can be. Make sure everything is organized in some way, preferably by what you need easiest access to. Keep your living space tidy for the same reasons. I keep my bedroom spotless, and while my desk may get cluttered while I’m working on something, I usually clean it up when I’m done working.<br><br>4. Make sure you are in optimal physical health. Eat right and drink lots of water, but not too much. Don’t eat too much sugar or salt because they’ll cause you to get drowsy and unfocused, but not too much either. Don’t eat too much meat but stay good on your protein intake, I personally like beans and soy products. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. I also make sure I’m not completely full, especially if I’m going on a break from a task. If you don’t finish a meal I recommend eating it later; for example, if I don’t eat all my lunch, I eat the rest of it on my next break.<br><br>5. Sleep well. I recommend waking up and going to bed at the same time each day and getting at least 9 hours of sleep. This also helps with long-term productivity as well. If you’re tired or groggy, it’s going to be harder to get started than if you were well rested. I also make sure my room is as dark as possible at night to give me more melatonin and I keep all electronic devices off each night.<br><br>6. Have a daily routine, but don’t get too attached to it. It’s okay if you can’t stick to your routine some days, it’s better to set a day aside to do anything you want than to get too stressed about not sticking to your routine. I personally don’t do this very often, but I personally like following a routine. This also helps with long-term productivity.<br><br>7. Don’t think about what you have to do, just do it. I have a little saying I like to use whenever I’m working on a task, which is “you can’t think about it, just do it.” When I’m working on a task, I repeat this to myself over and over, and it really helps me get in the zone and focus. This can also be applied to having fun, when I’m at a concert, at a party, or anything like that, I use the same phrase to keep myself in the moment and enjoy what I’m doing.<br><br>8. Don’t let people bother you while you’re working. Set aside time to hang out with people, but also make sure you have time to yourself to work. If you absolutely have to work in a group, do your best to manage the conversations and keep everyone on track.<br><br>9. Set aside time to play sports or work out. Working out is great for your physical health, but I think it’s even better for your mental health. I like to work out in the morning to get myself ready for the day ahead.<br><br>10. Don’t let yourself get stressed or anxious. If you ever get stressed or anxious, it could make it hard to get in the zone and make it harder to focus. Make sure you have a way to release a lot of stress and anxiety at once, whether it be exercise, spending time with loved ones, or something like meditation. One way to help manage your anxiety and reduce your stress is to practice gratitude and reflection. Use a daily journal or a gratitude journal to capture your thoughts, reflect on your experiences, and focus on the positive aspects of your life.<br><br>Now for my long-term productivity methods:<br><br>1. Make sure you’re in good long-term health, and know how to make sure you are. This is probably the most important because it is also crucial to your short-term productivity. If you get sick or injured, it’s going to make it much harder to be productive.<br><br>2. Be easy on yourself; there will be days where you just simply can’t be productive. Your body might need to heal, your mind might need to heal, or you just need to have a relaxing day. It’s okay to have these days, we all need them every now and then. Don’t get this confused with laziness though.<br><br>3. Practice self-care. Take time to do things that relax you, whether it be baths, yoga, meditation, or anything else that makes you relatively relaxed and happy. Make sure you have plenty of options in case one doesn’t work, and if you’re really stressed and need to blow off some steam, do your best to keep yourself from harming others.<br><br>4. Learn to say no. If you don’t want to do a task, even if it’s as simple as hanging out with someone, don’t do it. Yes, it may upset someone or cause some inconvenience, but it can help you be more productive in the long run. There are things that I’m just not good at that people want me to do, and I know if I do them I will struggle mentally and physically, so I simply say no. One way to help minimize potential backlash is to have a valid reason not to do it. In my case, I’m not good at it and it will cause me to be stressed, so I say that if I were to do it I wouldn’t be able to do it as well, and I’d be more stressed out, which isn’t good for me or my work.<br><br>5. Be open to new experiences and challenges. If you get too comfortable with doing the same things over and over, you won’t be able to adapt to new challenges and experiences as well.<br><br>6. Set big goals for yourself, but realize that if you fail some, it isn’t the end of the world. I know it can be very disappointing if you set out to do something big and you don’t quite get there, but that doesn’t mean you should give up. There are always more opportunities to reach your goals and have success.<br><br>7. Make sure to have some fun and relaxation time. If you’re always working and never having fun, you’re going to focus too hard on work and burn out. When I was younger I used to be all about getting done with my work, but as I’ve grown older I have realized the importance of fun and relaxation time. I have learned a lot about myself and what I need to optimize my productivity.<br><br>8. Learn to manage your finances. Having too much debt, having too much money, having too little money, and not having enough money are all stressful. These kinds of stress can make it hard to focus on your daily goals and make it hard to maintain productivity.<br><br>9. Don’t compare yourself to others and learn to be content with what you have. If you constantly compare yourself to others and try to “keep up with the Jones’” you’ll never be satisfied with what you have, and constantly trying to get more will make you focus less on reaching your goals and make it harder to keep yourself motivated.<br><br>10. If you ever really struggle with stress, anxiety, or burnout, seek help from a professional. Don’t be afraid to talk about your struggles with your friends and family.<br><br>I’m really curious to hear what everyone’s favorite methods are and what they think of my methods. If anyone has any questions or comments feel free to leave them below.