How to regain productivity? 5 Must-follow tips for the New Normal

In the times when we’re all either staying home, working from home, or going to offices, staying productive remains one of the most difficult jobs. It doesn’t matter what type of work we do, it is easy to get distracted when you’re surrounded by tough times. A lot of factors influence our mindsets, it could be the media circulating negative news or just the incapability to stay indoors and be as productive as we were when everything was normal.

It’s not just the physical space that needs tidying up, our mental space also requires cleaning. Do you feel like your productivity has reduced? Do you find yourself being in an inescapable cycle of procrastination? Read ahead as I talk about some tips & tricks to regain productivity.

⒈ To do or not to do?

2. Snooze

No, I don’t mean to tell you that you should snooze and sleep a little extra (unless it’s the weekend). Snooze your notifications & snooze the urge to check social media every single time you get free or feel like taking a break.
Create a no-interruption zone, I know this will be difficult at first considering the internet consumption amount of an average person. Block your notifications for a specific period. This will help you to focus better and stay more productive.

3. Go with the flow

By “Go with the Flow”, I don’t expect you to get on a bandwagon or follow the herd. A “flow” is a state of mind that keeps you going consistently and motivates you to perform better. For example, there are 20 tasks to be done in a day on your list, start with small tasks, and move to bigger ones. Once you get the hang of working and completing things in your list, you will easily accomplish the biggest tasks.

Encourage yourself, pat your back every single time you have successfully completed a task. This will help in getting into the flow with better motivation and therefore better productivity.

Keeping things in your mind sounds quite easy. Our mind can only remember so much. The best way to stay productive is by planning ahead, knowing what needs to be done today, tomorrow, and in this entire week. Start by making a to-do list. This sounds very basic but believe me, it works wonders.

This method not only helps you remember everything that needs to be done but also gives you a sense of motivation when you check things off your list. The biggest driving factor is internal motivation.

4. Take time out to relax

I have been a Mind Performance Coach for quite a while now and in my training programs, I make sure that I help people relax for a better mental state. To achieve more, one must be able to relax and rejuvenate. It is impossible to think clearly with a cluttered mind which makes relaxation more important. There are a variety of ways to relax – start your day with meditation exercises, Yoga, or anything that helps you take off things from your mind. Breathing exercises have proven to be very effective when it comes to destressing. I usually suggest starting slow with 5 minutes of breathing exercises in the first few weeks and then gradually increasing the time.

5. Stay inspired

Productivity has a lot to do with being inspired. Studies suggest that those who are inspired more perform better in work environments, even in difficult situations. The biggest factor influencing people to procrastinate is the lack of motivation.
Challenge yourself each time even if you think the task is very difficult and you can’t achieve it alone. I’m sure that once you challenge yourself, you will find yourself more focused on goals. Take feedback, understand what you’re doing right and what you’re not. And above, let go of all the negative thoughts in your head.

Difficult times have led to difficult situations in this new era. Productivity is definitely an important factor but you shouldn’t stress about why you’re unable to perform well. Rather, you should focus on the bright side and how to escape the unproductive cycle.
I’m Manjunath, your Mind Performance Coach. Get in touch with me to consult with me and join my training programs in the future.