Are you searching for productivity hacks for that needed boost of productivity? Well, you’re just in luck.
This article covers seven unique productivity tips and tricks to help improve your workflow and fight procrastination.
With thousands of productivity hacks, it’s hard to establish which ones work and which ones don’t.
This is why I’ve made sure to include some scientifically proven habits to let your mind at ease. These habits have worked tremendously, and I’ve increased my productivity by 100% in the past twelve months.
I highly recommend experimenting with multiple hacks to see which ones work best for you.
Anyways, without further ado, let’s jump straight into the top seven productivity hacks for 2022.
Seven Best Productivity Hacks
1. Set a timer for tasks
The first hack to maximize your productivity is to set a timer for simple tasks or work.
Whenever you have simple tasks that need to be done, set a timer to complete them in the shortest time possible.
Let’s say you need to empty the dishwasher, set a four-minute timer, and race against the timer to get it done.
Or, if you need to clean your house, set a 30-minute timer and try to achieve as much as possible in that timeframe.
Setting a timer works well for productivity because it forces you to get tasks and work done quickly.
This technique is much like the Pomodoro technique. This is where you choose one task, set a 25-minute timer, and work on the said task until the timer goes off.
After the timer has ended, you take a short break, around 5 minutes, and repeat the cycle three more times.
After the fourth cycle, you take a more extended break, around 15 to 30 minutes.
The Pomodoro technique works so well because it forces you to focus on one task at a time and eliminates the need for multitasking.
Multitasking is often done incorrectly and leads to a false sense of productivity when in reality, you’re just wasting time.
2. The Two Minute Rule
The two-minute rule stems from David Allen’s book, “Getting Things Done.”
He states, “if an action will take less than two minutes, it should be done at the moment it’s defined.”
If you come across a short task, don’t put it off and postpone it; try to complete it the moment you come across it.
Doing so helps you get stuff done quicker and eliminates that lingering task you need to complete. Which, in turn, makes you procrastinate the longer you put it off.
Some two-minute rule tasks in action are:
- Replying to an email – will take 1 – 2 minutes
- Putting dishes into the dishwasher – will take less than 30 seconds
- Organizing your desk – under 2 minutes for a simple tidy up
- Unsubscribing from emails – 10 seconds
The two-minute rule eliminates procrastination with smaller tasks and lets you focus your time and energy on the more essential duties and work in your life.
3. Get some houseplants
A UK study showed that adding houseplants into workspaces can decrease stress rates and improve productivity by up to 15%.
Surrounding your workstation or home office with plants can give you a much-needed productivity boost and gives your brain something alive to look at.
This productivity hack also has something to do with color, as green represents balance and gives off a calming and reassuring presence.
This is one of my favorite productivity hacks on this list, and I think it’s an excellent addition to add some greenery into your workspace.
So, if you want to get more productive, add some houseplants on your desk or in your workstation.
Beginner-friendly houseplants:
- Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata): Tolerates low – bright indirect light, let the soil dry out completely between watering.
- Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum): Thrives in low – bright indirect light (sun will burn the leaves), let the soil dry out between waterings.
- Philodendrons: Most varieties are very easy to care for.
- ZZ Plant (Zanzibar Gem): Thrives in low – bright indirect light, let the soil dry out between waterings.
4. Chew gum
Research has shown that chewing gum is associated with higher productivity. It’s also shown to boost your memory, reduce fatigue, and help you fight distractions.
While it’s no one-in-all solution to boosted productivity, it’s a cheap method to experiment with and see if it works for you.
Many have disputed these claims, but it could also boil down to something super simple that domestic and wild dogs do.
This is chewing on sticks and bones.
Chewing is a pastime for dogs, and they’ll chew for fun, plus they’ll chew to relieve stress and anxiety.
This, in turn, could apply precisely the same to humans. Chewing gum could simply relieve our stress and anxiety for work, making us more productive.
Experiment with it yourself, and see if something as simple as chewing gum could boost your productivity and workflow.
5. Change your workstation
Mental walls and creative blocks can happen anytime, to anyone. They happen more often when I work in the exact location for days or weeks at a time.
This is when I found a super simple fix, which is to simply change your workstation location.
All I do is alternate between working on my main PC and working on my laptop outside or in different areas.
This simple location change reinvigorates my mind and helps me become as productive as ever.
Being stuck between four walls for eight hours a day can become a nightmare for me, so if it’s possible for you, change your workstation as much as you feel necessary.
Four ideas for where to change your workstation:
- Work outside: Fresh air and sunlight does wonders to the human brain.
- Head to a local coffee shop: Social interactions and busy coffee shops can be excellent background noise.
- Work in a local park: Parks are peaceful with many benches and tables to get work done.
- Head to a library: A guaranteed quiet location.
6. Listen to music
Research has shown that listening to music can help improve your productivity and cognitive levels.
It may sound counterintuitive to listen to music while doing work, but it depends on the type of music you listen to.
Music without lyrics is preferred for productivity, but if you’re able to work fine with lyrics, then do so by all means.
Research has also shown that the most productive songs are paced at around 121bpm.
Popular songs with this tempo are:
- Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
- Kids – MGMT
- One More Time – Daft Punk
- Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
- Buddy Holly – Weezer
The most exciting thing about listening to music while working is that it can pump you up and put you in an excellent mood.
I listen to music while working all the time and find it perfect for those dull and monotonous tasks that don’t require too much focus but still need to be completed.
7. Don’t aim for perfection
The final productivity hack that I’ve implemented in the past year is to never aim for perfection.
Perfection is an impossible standard to reach and will ruin your productivity if sought after.
A famous quote by Salvador Dali states, “have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.”
It’s such a powerful quote because it instills the idea that perfection is impossible to reach because something considered perfect to yourself means something entirely different to the next person.
So, instead of aiming for perfection, I aim for 80% excellent.
This means that when I do a task or complete work, I aim for it to be 80% excellent, and then I hand it in or complete it.
Completing your work this way will open your eyes and help you realize that 80% excellent is still really good.
So, complete work that is 80% excellent, and hop on to the next task. You’ll save a lot of time by not trying to do that extra 20% of work.
Wrapping Up – 7 Productivity Hacks
So that wraps up my top seven productivity hacks that genuinely work in 2022.
These habits have actually changed the way I approach work, and they’ve been able to help me fight procrastination and get more work done simultaneously.
As I’ve stated, I highly recommend experimenting with a few of these hacks to see which ones work best for you.
While these hacks do work, they only function if you’re willing to become more productive and complete tasks.
You also still have to work and actively aim to be more productive and change your habits. These hacks aren’t just an all-in-one solution or a miracle productivity booster.
Which productivity hacks do you plan on implementing into your workflow?
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