9 lifestyle changes that will improve your productivity at work

How do our job productivity, time management, and concentration levels affect our ability to balance work and life and increase happiness?

Making the most of your time is essential because there are only so many hours in the day. You can either put in more hours or work more efficiently to boost your output. It's not difficult to increase your productivity at work, but it does need careful time management.

Here are nine productivity ideas to help you produce more work and start the positive cycle towards work-life balance. These in turn will lessen work-related stress, provide you more time each day, and encourage the balance that raises your happiness.

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DO NOT EVER MISS BREAKFAST

It can be simple to miss breakfast as you race to start your workday and get to where you need to go. However, this may significantly affect how well your brain can concentrate and work.

Breakfast gives your body the nourishment it needs to start the day with energy after a night of fasting. Both your body and brain require glucose to operate properly. Without it, your body will enter a state of energy conservation, and your brain will slow down all activity. Consuming wholesome, slowly releasing carbohydrates like oats and whole grains will help you get enough glucose.

Complex carbohydrates are necessary to maintain memory and concentration levels in the brain, which consumes a tremendous amount of energy compared to the rest of the body. Your car wouldn't be driven without fuel. Run your brain on food, not nothing. Make the most of your day by eating a nutritious breakfast that includes the carbohydrates your brain requires.

Cut down on disruptions (to the best of your ability).

Even brief interruptions seem to cause a change in work patterns and a corresponding decline in productivity. Having a co-worker drop by your office to chat may seem harmless. Setting office hours, keeping your door locked, or working from home for urgent jobs can all help to reduce distractions.

Avoid the temptation to put in additional hours at work or fill your already full calendar if you feel the need to boost productivity there. Instead, take a step back and consider how you can operate more efficiently.

Start with 45-90 minute increments at first. The most efficient strategy to eliminate outside distractions is to work away from our desk in an open-plan workplace (a meeting room, café, library, a hotel lobby, our home, or even a cozy park bench). Keep out of your emails and put your phone in flight mode (or at least silent)! Enjoy the time, attention, and satisfaction that come from producing high-quality work!

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Eat small, regular meals

It's not just about taking regular breaks or avoiding work stress; fueling your body properly is equally crucial. Consider planning your meals and opt for a meal kit with no hassle prepping to save time on weekdays and ensure you're eating balanced, nutritious food.

Don't ruin the good work you've done by skipping breakfast or, worse yet, by snacking on high-sugar foods to boost your dwindling energy levels. Instead, eat a healthy, nourishing breakfast to start your day.

It is simple to forget when you are busy that your body requires more fuel throughout the day to maintain energy levels and keep your level of attention high.

Choose healthful snacks like low-sugar flapjacks, nuts, fruit, plain yogurt, and seeds to consume every three to four hours. Avoid sugary foods and beverages since they will spike your blood sugar levels briefly before decreasing and depleting your energy, leaving you drained and unable to concentrate.

To make things simple for yourself, be ready and carry a stock of wholesome snacks at your workplace to maintain your blood sugar levels for a successful day.

meditate during lunch.

The research is conclusive: regular mindfulness and meditation practice can alter our brains' gray matter in ways that improve our ability to focus and complete more tasks in the same amount of time. Making meditation at lunchtime a discipline gives the added benefit of a break.

Eat a light lunch

Try your hardest to avoid overindulging at lunchtime while keeping in mind that you should eat every 3–4 hours. Food digestion requires energy, and if there is a lot of it, your body may be working hard at it and cause you to feel drowsy and unfocused.

Eat a fairly sized lunch that includes complex carbohydrates, protein, and lots of salad or veggies in various colors. Include some healthy fats as well, like those found in fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and eggs. The combination of these nutrients will give your body enough slowly released energy to keep it operating at its most efficient level.

Avoid processed foods that are high in sugar, salt, and hydrogenated fats because they won't give your brain enough energy and could impair its function. You'll discover that if you eat properly at lunch, you'll come back to work alert, focused, and prepared for any obstacles the afternoon may bring.

periodic breaks

Regular breaks throughout the day are necessary to recharge. Despite the perception that breaks impede down progress, research have shown that breaks really boost productivity.

Avoid dehydration and drink water 

All types of life require water to survive. Our bodies' systems need sufficient of water to function at their best, just as a plant will wilt in the absence of water.

The fluid equilibrium in the body is maintained by drinking water. Water makes up roughly 60% of your body. These biological fluids are responsible for maintaining body temperature, digestion, absorption, circulation, and the delivery of nutrients.

Mild dehydration, or a fluid loss of just 3% to 5%, can significantly lower brain and memory function as well as affect mood and energy levels. Physical performance might be considerably hampered by losing as little as 2% of your body's water content.

Keep a sizable reusable water bottle on your desk and sip from it throughout the day to stay mentally and physically alert. You should aim to drink about 2 liters total every day.

Exercise

Even a 45-minute exercise or workout routine can significantly alter your overall quality of life. Any type of exercise increases endorphin levels in the body, which improve mood and lower stress levels, both of which have a positive impact on productivity as a whole.

Maintaining the health of your body requires exercise. It raises fitness and endurance levels, keeping your body healthy and robust. You must keep your strength in order to work properly every day, just as you must make sure your body has the fuel it needs to function. Regular, moderate exercise enhances mental health and increases your likelihood of being engaged in and enjoying your work by releasing endorphins, a brain chemical that makes you feel happy. Try low-impact activities like swimming or brisk strolling.

Regular exercise boosts your immune system in addition to your physical and mental wellness. Thus, in addition to having more energy, you are also less likely to fall ill and miss work. Regular exercise is also connected to better sleep, reduced stress, and higher self-esteem.

Try a few easy things, like parking further from your workplace or getting off the bus a stop earlier to walk the additional distance, if you are a desk worker who struggles to find time for exercise. Make phone calls while standing up and take the stairs rather than the elevator.

Read: Career mistakes you're probably making in 2022

Create fun times

We need to do things we enjoy in order to unwind and relax, even while work is an essential component of life since it provides us with structure, regularity, personal fulfilment, social connection, and, of course, it pays the bills. It's crucial to strike a work/life balance if you want to make sure that you enjoy your job and can contribute completely.

Maintaining this balance is crucial for your relationships and personal wellness, which will enhance your self-worth and boost your productivity at work. Make sure to set out time for yourself to engage in your favourite activities.

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