27 Tips to Optimize Your Productivity
Overcoming burnout symptoms, procrastination, and executive function freeze
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Figure out how many hours of sleep your body requires
Experiment with different bedtime schedules and listen to your body! The general recommendation we often hear is 7-9 hours, but each person is different. I personally feel more refreshed during the work week when I get 6-7 hours versus 9-10 hours. On weekends, I do not use an alarm and allow my body to relax and sleep however long it needs to. Often times, I am a Dakota Johnson pulling 10-14 hours — release yourself from any judgement and do what works best for you (of course, always consult your doctor before making major lifestyle changes)!
Get a sun lamp alarm
This is a game changer for fellow night owls who have a hard time getting up in the morning! They have a more natural and gradual alarm method with light, so you can feel more refreshed and in a better mood. It also helps with Seasonal Affective Disorder (I first got mine when I lived in Seattle), and contributes to better sleep quality (see ShopMy edit below).
Shower at night
My main agenda with showering at night is ensuring that I get my 45 minute daily hair blowout out of the way, but showering at night also helps with feeling clean going to bed, lowering stress levels, and promoting sleep quality. I use shower steamers and aromatherapy spray to elevate my shower experience (see ShopMy edit below)!
Noise canceling headphones and productivity playlists
Sometimes I even place my airpods next to my bed so I can help myself feel alert immediately after waking. I am most productive when I am listening to music with my airpods, and love making playlists for my different moods. I feel that I am most productive when I am listening to my Soundcloud mixes or relaxing hz music!
Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize
Productivity does not mean getting every single thing done, but getting the important things done! Many of us work in fast-paced work environments where severe health conditions would develop if we were to attempt to cross every single item off of our checklist. Not to mention all the to-do’s outside of work! It is important to prioritize and delegate where needed. Learn to say no!
In our personal lives, everyone is extremely busy — people will make time for what is most important to them no matter what. I am constantly in awe of leaders I work with who juggle non-stop meetings, their family, and personal obligations — but they have mastered the skill of prioritization! Do not let anyone you know gaslight you into thinking that their time is more valuable than your time; often times they have not yet mastered prioritization and time management.
Work with, not against your bad habits
I mention in a couple of my other blog posts that I have a handful of bad habits I have had since I was young, and instead of constantly feeling guilty attempting to heal or get rid of them - I have chosen radical acceptance. For example, as listed in earlier bullets I am a night owl so I have an early wind down routine and use my sun lamp alarm to give me a helping hand in the morning.
Declutter your space
I strongly believe that our home environment reflects our inner state, and it can be very telling when I am going through it. When your environment is chaotic, it can be hard to focus on anything else except the anxiety and guilt of needing to declutter. Try to do small increments on a daily basis so you do not experience the snowball effect. I have some Marie Kondo-esque organization systems that have helped me keep my own home in order (see ShopMy edit below).
Workback plans and time estimation
One of the best skills learned from working in tech is time estimation for tasks. A big vision or product idea can be broken down into smaller and smaller tasks and sub-tasks, until you have a list of actionable items, estimated dates of completion, and people to work with. This is a great skill to apply to your everyday life!
Practice quick task transitions
Sometimes after having a long, exhausting work day it is easy to get distracted for a long period of time either doomscrolling or watching TV. Before you know it, it is bedtime — and dinner, showering, and personal to-do’s get delayed. If you know you have other things you need to get done, set a timer for a moment of rest then quickly transition to your next task. You will thank yourself later!
Have a mindfulness toolbox
This may take some exploration, but you need to create your own mindfulness toolbox of products, activities, and/or media that help you de-stress immediately. Some examples of my own mindfulness tools include essential oil rollerballs, hz music, a gratitude journal, my skincare routine, bubble baths, my Heywell Calm + Restore sleepy girl drink, attending sound baths, and scrolling on Pinterest (see ShopMy edit below). Feel free to try some of these for yourself!
Do not overcommit
This is something I always actively need to work on, but it is of utmost importance. This is where prioritization and time estimation come into play, and you need to assess your own bandwidth. What tasks will create the most meaningful impact with the time and resources you do have?
Create an exercise schedule that works for you
My exercise schedule has definitely shifted over time, and that is perfectly okay! I used to be a 6am workout class girl, and never in a million years would have thought I would turn into an evening workout class girl. At least for me, my energy levels fluctuate month to month and you should not force yourself into extreme strenuous activity. If you are working 14-18 hour days and forcing yourself to workout when you have barely had water or food all day - you must self-reflect and listen to your body instead. If high impact workouts have felt to be too much lately, try out some low impact exercise! Any sort of movement is beneficial for your mood and body.
Take small breaks
When solving complex problems all day, it is important to take small breaks to clear your head. Especially with coding, it is easy to become frustrated trying to debug something. Sometimes all it takes is a small break and refreshed outlook to approach the problem differently. This may mean applying the Pomodoro Technique, or coming up with your own optimized way to split up your day.
Eat, drink water, take your vitamins, and sleep
This seems like a no brainer, but is actually extremely difficult! If you are deep into a project, have back-to-back meetings scheduled throughout breakfast and lunchtime, and/or simply do not have easy ingredients to put together a nutritious meal — skipping meals and working late nights becomes quite common. Try to meal prep as much as possible (you can refer to my Lazy Girl Grocery Guide), set timers if needed, and prioritize work so that you are able to get at least some sleep in. Vitamin deficiencies are more common than you think, so make sure you take any that your doctor recommends to help you feel your best.
Schedule meetings in real-time for task progress accountability
If you are multi-tasking across several different projects, schedule meetings in real-time for follow-up syncs or group reviews so that you hold yourself and your team accountable for all the actions that need to get done. This can even be done with your personal life, by scheduling phone or Zoom calls with family members and friends.
Take nothing personally
This may seem like an odd one (especially with me being an empath), but toxic co-workers and/or bosses, personal relationships, and even just everyday encounters can have a huge impact on productivity. Everyone is doing their best, but not everyone has the privilege of therapy or a positive support system to process emotions in a healthy way. People often project their own issues onto others, and just because they had an off moment does not mean that they automatically hate you or see you in bad character. Please do your best to prevent things being said replay over and over in your head, or a nasty comment get the best of you. I always say — your energy is precious, and most people and things are not worth wasting it over!
Do not disturb mode is your bestie
I became a do not disturb girl a few years ago and it has truly been life-changing. Constant pings and notifications can be very anxiety-inducing and promote unnecessary urgency. You can filter through your emergency contacts, but lowering the amount of notifications received helps to limit distractions! But also — do not use this as an excuse to not get back to people. It should be easy to respond to someone within 12 hours at the very least. Ironically, I find that the people who have the most on their plate are the fastest responders.
Do not skip your doctor appointments
With busy schedules, there never is a great time to schedule a doctor appointment but it is critical to ensure your health check-ups are up to date. If I had skipped my doctor appointments in the past couple of years, I would have missed vitamin deficiencies found in my blood tests and early detection of potential conditions. Remember — your health is your number one priority!
20 minutes a day morning or evening for a to-do list
Take some time to figure out how a to-do list works best for you. This could be in the form of a brain dump in your notes app, a fancy planner (see ShopMy edit below), or setting reminder notifications and calendar events. I am often forgetful, so it is important to write things down so critical items do not creep up on me!
Dedicated doomscrolling or creativity time
I used to be a huge fan of self-help and productivity books — except I often chose the most disciplined and militant-style ones. I actually laugh out loud now thinking back to the scoring systems and schedules I would set for myself with no minutes spared. I am much more flexible nowadays, and it is perfectly okay to set aside some time to doomscroll or work on a fun creative project. The key is to keep track of time so you can adhere to your loose routine!
Restrict the idea of late night working
Sometimes, especially for night owls, it can be easy to think to yourself that you will get to things later that night. Try to limit this from your thought process and prevent it from becoming a constant bad habit!
Have reward treats on hand
Everyone needs a little sweet treat! If you operate best by conditioning yourself into a healthy routine and good productivity habits, have your favorite treats on hand to reward yourself when you complete a task. This could be a little candy, delicious iced beverage, favorite snack, or even a larger long-term reward like a new athleisure set or purse (see ShopMy edit below).
Document everything
This is of utmost importance for anything — work-related or not. If you have been grinding hard on a project but have no documentation to show for it, your efforts will be far less visible. If you are in a meeting-heavy environment, take notes always so that you do not have to waste time circling back with anyone or having people repeat themselves. And if you are starting a personal project, document your progress as you go so you can see how far you have come!
Notice energy givers and energy takers
Energy loss does not always equal time, mental energy, and/or physical energy investment towards something. Your job could be an energy giver or an energy taker, depending on how much creative freedom and stimulation you get from the problems you are working on. Your hobbies should be energy givers, where you feel alert and fulfilled even when dedicating several hours to it. You can also apply this to the people you surround yourself with, and notice who you feel energized by spending time with, versus who makes you feel drained after seeing them. If you are only around energy takers all day, you need to find something or someone who is an energy giver!
Make time for hobbies
In line with energy givers, make sure you make time for your hobbies! It may seem counterintuitive to increase energy by working on another project, but sometimes that is just what your mind, body, and soul needs! This could be blogging (like me), artwork, music, or cooking — hobbies are needed to lead a balanced life!
Social media timers
Social media timers are great for people like me who don’t realize how long they have been scrolling on apps. Even if you exit the timer, you are at least recognizing the time spent and minimizing total screen time.
Failure is good
I always preach that if you are failing, you are doing something right! I honestly get concerned if I am not failing, because that means that I am not stretching myself out of my comfort zone, trying new things, or really striving towards my long-term goals and big dreams. This is especially important to regularly practice for perfectionist Virgos like myself!
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Below I have included products referenced throughout this list that are in my productivity toolbox! These are items that have personally worked for me — make sure they are actually helpful for you as well! Feel free to drop me a line if you are struggling with finding tools that work <3
You can also check out my own productivity products below!
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