5 Tips To Be More Productive

Ahh January, the month we all set ourselves lots of goals and try to throw ourselves into the New Year with only the best of intentions. I mean, having spent the festive period gorging on beige food and laying around in an assortment of different Christmas themed clothing items, it's fair to say January has been a bit of a shock to the ol' system. I'm currently in my final year of uni, so am writing my diss and preparing for what could be the penultimate set of formal exams in my life, ever. So, yeah, I've needed to whip my finger out pronto and get straight back into a routine and actually spend my days being productive. In other words, I just need to get sh*t done, and lot's of it.

I like to think that I'm fairly organised and good at getting things done, but of late, I've been finding it a bit more difficult than usual. I'm not entirely sure why but I think it's because the end of uni is in sight and is hence acting as a bit of a distraction. I have 184729 things I'd rather be doing and career/travel/life plans that I'd rather be making than sitting at my desk slogging away at my keyboard typing up revision notes on the pharmacological treatments for ADHD.

But, I've managed to snap myself out of this rut of late and have discovered a few tips that really have been helping me get things done and stay on track. So, rather than just save them for myself I thought I'd throw a post together in the hope that some of these might help you out this year!

01 - DELETE / BLOCK SOCIAL MEDIA APPS

Haha, wow Becca, this is some really innovative stuff. But seriously, I hadn't realised quite how much time I was spending on my phone until Apple updated and started telling us how disgusting our social media browsing habits were. I, for one, had no idea that I was spending that long on the internet. So, I've been making a conscious effort to block social media apps during the hours I'm trying to get work done, in a bid to be more productive. And oh wow, is it working. For one, by the time the evening rolls around my phone still has far more battery than it's ever had at 6pm before. But two, I've been getting far more work done than usual! Oh, and three, the world doesn't revolve around being on social media, all those pics will still be there when you pick your phone up a few hours later.

02 - CREATE TO DO LISTS IN THE MORNING FOR THE DAY / WEEK

I've always found creating to do lists really helpful but I've only just discovered how much more beneficial they are (to me) if I make them in the morning. It's really useful having everything you need to do written down, but when I used to write them the night before I found myself getting way too into it and wanting to make a start on everything there and then. Which, when it's 11pm, and way past your 10pm bedtime, isn't very helpful. I find making them in the morning really sets out my day and I can chill in the evening knowing that I've done today's list and don't need to think about tomorrow's until I wake up!

03 - ADD FUN THINGS TO YOUR TO DO LIST

In an attempt to get more of my to do list done I started adding fun things to the list and it's worked marvelously. Now, when I say fun, I don't mean anything exciting, just things other than work. For example, painting my nails, watching an episode of a series. Whilst they're not the most productive of activities, everybody needs a break and being able to tick them off the list is oh so satisfying. 

04 - TIDY AND DECLUTTER

There's nothing more demotivating than going to sit at your desk and seeing the piles of crap sprawled all over it. Fact. So, before starting any work put all that stuff away rather than make a pile of it on your bed to then be moved back to the desk once you've finished working for the day... Is it just me that does that?! Getting rid of everything I don't need and decluttering my workspace has been a massive saviour this month, plus my room just looks better too! 

05 - TURN YOUR PHONE OFF AND READ BEFORE BED

I might just be talking out of my arse, but, reading before bed has made a great difference to my overall productivity. Let me explain... Yes, I know that we all know that the blue lights from screens etc are bad before bed, but, I don't think that's why I'm finding this tip so beneficial. Reading always makes me feel so sleepy, so, when I put the book down and actually go to sleep, I fall asleep waaaay quicker than usual. I also don't get distracted before bed replying to group chats or Instagram comments, that's a job for future Becca. 

And there we have it, a few of the things I've been doing of late to be more productive. Take it from me, they actually are helping, I'm up to my ears in mindmaps, revision cards, and essay questions... 

What's your top tip for being more productive?