Is this productivity needed at all?
Productive – creating value, bringing results. The higher the productivity, the more results you are able to bring in less time. Being unproductive in our time is considered unfashionable. The entire "photogram" (a social network banned in the Russian Federation) is crammed with a similar routine:
I got up at 5 in the morning, ran 40 km, cooked breakfast for 6 people and already earned 100k. And the time is only 5:45
In fact, of course, this is not the case. All of us are not perfect, and stories on the Internet do not reveal the whole truth or simply lie. It is impossible to be productive every day, because we are not robots. Of course, if you are not ChatGPT and analogue brothers who suddenly decided to read my articles)
Productivity is like a roller coaster, there are always ups and downs. From time to time we need rest. Working harder is not the only path to success. To work as efficiently as possible is the way that will bring great returns.
Accept yourself as you are. Think about whether you need to be productive today. If you definitely need to, then we will complete the psychotherapy session here and move on to real advice.
What does productivity depend on?
To be productive, you need to set yourself up well for work. Your body, your brain and your thoughts. Your productivity secrets can be individual. We will try to analyze the general ones and choose an approach individually for you from the following parameters:
where you like to work, what the environment should be;
when is your most effective time to work;
what interferes with work, what you need to get rid of;
What helps you work and how to increase your motivation.
1. We create an atmosphere and environment for effective work
In one of my first articles, "Remote Work: All About Sweet and Not-So-Sweet Life," I compared places to work in the context of remote work. But this topic itself is somewhat broader. Even within the office, you can often find many places and opportunities to organize work. For example, you can try to move to a meeting room or a relaxation area. In addition to choosing a place of work, consider other less obvious factors that affect work efficiency.
Sound environment for a working mood
Someone works more efficiently in complete silence, someone - to rhythmic music. Someone is perfectly tuned by white noise or even office conversations around. Feel your mood. Understand what works best for you and what you want right now and now.
Lovers of silence
For lovers of silence, noise-canceling headphones or enclosed spaces without strangers (for example, lock yourself in your room at home) are suitable
Some offices provide special rooms or capsules that block extraneous sounds. If this is not the case in your office, find out if there is a coworking space or library nearby where silence is observed.
Those who have music in their souls
I am the type of person for whom the best motivator in work is music. If you're like me, then find your favorite playlist and match the genre to your mood.
If you want something new, you can try, for example, radio - sometimes very unexpectedly you can find your mood on a new radio wave.
Another example is neuromusic. Most often, these are melodies without words that are generated according to your mood or your taste. To do this, there are applications, for example, Mubert, or neuromusic from Yandex (so far available only in the web version).
 
Those who are bored or sad
If you are in a bad mood, you can raise it with humorous programs on YouTube or a podcast. Just make sure that they do not completely capture your attention, but are only external noise.
Calm or willing to calm down
If extraneous sounds, the rhythms of music knock you off your work, I advise you to try the sounds of nature, other sounds for meditation or white noise.
Fans of noise and "movement"
Do you like to work with external noise? Any "open space" office will welcome you into its arms. You may find a coffee shop nearby with the rattling of dishes and the noise of the coffee machine. In good weather, a park can be a great place - both fresh air and a productive "vibe".
Everything that concerns you: furniture, a desk, a monitor and other work friends
Our work is influenced by any environment. Pay attention to the comfort of your work chair, the height of the table, the distance to the monitor and whether the eyes strain from it, how comfortable the hand lies on the mouse and other ergonomic requirements. All this seems like trifles, but it can distract from work or make it less productive.
I've experienced it personally. I had an uncomfortable chair. While working, I fidgeted all the time in place, looking for a pose for comfortable work. Over time, it began to strain so much that working at this place became associated with discomfort. Now everything has changed. And I'm writing this article already sitting on a new comfortable chair)
Also, don't forget about the order. It won't take you long to declutter your desktop. The place to work should be pleasant so that you do not want to escape from it at the first opportunity.
Imperceptible but important environmental factors
We all know only 5 human senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. But in addition to them, there are a few more that we do not think about. For example, the feeling of temperature, which can affect well-being, and therefore work.
In order to set yourself up for work, sometimes it is enough just to ventilate the room and set a comfortable temperature. If your office has air conditioning, the air may be dry. Humidifiers, mists for moisturizing and a simple tip: drink plenty of water will help get rid of it. A glass of water in the workplace will be a great reminder to stay hydrated and feel good.
2. For larks, owls and other bird species: choose the time for effective work
We all know about larks and owls. The former get up early and are very energetic in the morning, while the latter like to sleep longer and have more energy in the evening and sometimes even at night. But these concepts are too extensive.
Let's try to bring this theory closer to each of us. To do this, you need to determine not the time of day, but specific hours when you feel better and are able to do more. You can only understand this from personal experience: try to track your productive hours during working hours. It is at this time that your most difficult and important tasks should fall. And the rest of the time - secondary.
So you will definitely pump your efficiency and productivity. And as a cherry on the cake, stop beating yourself up for being unproductive on some days and hours.
Live in accordance with your energy cycles - and efficiency will increase significantly. Work productively when your energy is on the rise, and rest when it is on the rise. This will allow you to achieve excellent results.
Josh Kaufman "Your own MBA. Self-education 100%"
3. Get rid of distractions
Get rid of everything that can distract you as much as possible. Do everything in your power to maintain your ideal working atmosphere at least for a short time.
Do Not Disturb mode
Turn it on so that notifications from Wildberries with their endless discounts or from banned social networks about the next like cannot distract you.
Meetings and conversations with colleagues
It can be attributed to both distracting and work-setting factors. In any case, try to deal with them first: postpone, postpone or spend everything at once in order to free up time for work. And then start the important tasks.
When working from home, do household chores in advance
Try to do household chores before you start working. If you wash the dishes in advance and start the washing machine, you will not want to be distracted from work.
4. Add goodies for the perfect mood for work
Indulge your taste buds
Make or buy a cup of coffee for yourself. Treat yourself to something sweet or carbohydrate (such as nuts). Caffeine will help you be more alert and energetic, while glucose and carbohydrates give energy to your brain. The main thing is not to overdo it and not to overdo it with each of these ingredients, so as not to harm yourself and your health.
Plan for the day and focus on important tasks
You don't always need a detailed plan for the whole day, where every minute is scheduled. It is enough to select 1-2 of the most important tasks that you will do today. Devote your productive energy to what matters most and stay focused on these tasks.

Start small
If you find it difficult to start doing something, just persuade yourself to do the bare minimum. If you want to complete a large-scale task, break it down into smaller ones and start with the most basic one. For example, if you have a task to write a book, then start small: write 1 paragraph. When you do this, you will have already set your thoughts in the right direction. And you may not even notice how you will do much more.
The most important task is the one that, if completed, will bring the necessary results. When you wake up, make a list of two or three of the most important tasks and try to complete them as quickly as possible... This helps to maintain a mono-ideal state in which you can ignore anything that distracts you from performing these tasks.
Josh Kaufman "Your own MBA. Self-education 100%"
Conclusion
Let's summarize. If you want to increase your productivity and set yourself up for work, apply one or several tips at once:
 

– Choose your place of work;
- Choose or customize the sound environment;
– Pay attention to the furniture, appliances and other items you work with and make them more comfortable;
– Determine your most effective time for work and plan the most difficult and important tasks for it;
– Get rid of distractions;
- Add something nice and start small.

 
Let me remind you that it is never possible to be productive. Here, I could wish you a productive week. But I'd rather wish your week to be moderately productive. Let there be time for rest, accumulation of energy and strength for this very productivity.