The Internet is full of strategies to maximize productivity from setting timers to plotting out your week/day/hour/minutes. These can be a great help (I’m a fan of the Pomodoro technique myself) but they’re not what we are talking about. Those are ways to harness yourself and your time to make you more productive, but it’s still dealing with you. So how can you make yourself more productive, and how can you do it naturally? Here are 5 natural productivity-boosting tips to get you out there doing your best work yet!
5 Natural Productivity-Boosting Tips
Hydration
Our bodies are 60% water, with our brain and heart being a whopping 73% water. That shows just how critical water is for us to function correctly, let alone at our best. If you are dehydrated, your performance (and productivity) will suffer rapidly. So stay hydrated, keep your body working efficiently and you can deliver the performance you’re expected to.
There’s even an immediate boosting effect with drinking water that can help productivity! A study put out by the University of East London and the University of Westminster showed that drinking just 10 oz, or 300ml, of water can boost attention by up to 25%. With your attention boosted, you can focus on what you need to accomplish and push through to see it done!
To be your most productive, grab some water, keep a bottle filled and ready to go at your desk!
Vitamin B12
B vitamins are important for making sure the body’s cells are functioning properly and when your cells function properly, your whole body does. They assist in metabolism, converting food and into energy amongst other things. B12 is one of those and the role it plays is particularly powerful in managing energy.
B12 deficiency is unfortunately very common. With low B12, you will have a hard time generating the energy you need throughout the day. With low energy, productivity dwindles. How can you get your B12 right and have the energy you need to be productive? You can take dietary supplements or get an IV therapy packed with potent B12 to turbocharge your body.
Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral for our bodies to perform at the highest levels. Research has shown magnesium is involved in thousands of different reactions throughout the body, including assisting with healthy bone mass, higher performance during exercise, and improving blood sugar regulation. When you have your magnesium dialed in you are going to notice. You’ll feel less stress, less agitation, less interference – allowing you to find your calm and focus and to use it to get things done.
Need to get your magnesium up? Taking a magnesium supplement is a fine way to get more, or you can eat a diet rich in almonds, cashews, avocados, spinach, even dark chocolate!
Sleep
Sleep is the most important thing you can do not just for your productivity but for your health overall. Sleep is when your body gets to do all the maintenance it needs to repair it from the day, to process memories and experiences, to clear the mind. How do you know if you’re getting enough sleep? Take a moment. Do you feel tired? Well, there’s your answer, no further testing needed. Whether you need the standard 6-8 hours or even 9 to 10, you need to dial in your body’s unique needs and provide it. But it’s not just about the quantity of sleep. It’s about quality.
Don’t look at any screens for at least an hour before bed! Screens emit a type of light called blue light that disrupts our natural sleep rhythms and the regulation of melatonin. By avoiding screens your body is able to enter the natural sleep state and get right to restful rhythms quickly.
With tiredness being completely addressed at night, you can spend the day expelling energy getting what you need to do, done.
Whatever Makes You Happy
Whether it’s dressing up your desk and office, creating a space that you enjoy looking at, having friends at the office, treating yourself to a coffee every morning – whatever it is, happiness is a key indicator of productivity! Studies show that on average happy people are 13% more productive throughout their days.
No matter what it is, find something that makes your day just a bit happier and smile a tiny bit wider and you will see the results in your work. Then you can be happy about that and fuel a beautiful cycle!
Find out more about how to Hack Your Happiness!
Use just one of these and you will see great results, combine all five? Now you’re cooking with gas! Get the right sleep, make sure your body is at the right levels of crucial vitamins and minerals and most important of all be happy! Your work won’t be the only thing that improves!