Optimizing your time is essential for long-term success, but with so many distractions nowadays, productivity is a real problem for many people.
We know how distracting our smartphones can be. But did you know other habits that seem harmless can also contribute to lower work levels? Here are six daily habits that may lead to lower productivity along with apps that can help address them.
1. Drinking Too Much Caffeine
Some people swear by their morning cup of coffee and refuse to work without it.
Many people get energy from caffeine in the morning, while others get the opposite effect. Overconsumption of the stuff can lead to fatigue. Even worse, you'll find yourself becoming dependent on it to function.
In the long run, you may find that coffee causes you to feel sluggish, and you are hard-pressed to focus on tasks. If you use coffee in the absence of sleep, you also risk damaging your health.
2. Not Getting Enough Nutrients
Many people in the West, especially in the US, do not consume a balanced diet. As a consequence, they miss out on essential nutrients. The same is true for people who drink too little water.
Not getting enough nutrients can negatively impact your mood and leave you feeling tired and unmotivated, making everyday tasks difficult.
If you don’t supply your body with the right foods, your brain cannot function properly. Aim to consume at least five portions of fruits and vegetables a day, and limit the number of processed foods.
Including at least two vegetables and one source of protein, carbohydrates, and fats at each meal is an easy way to make sure you consume a balanced diet.
3. Multitasking
The notion of multitasking makes sense in our minds. Switching between different tasks increases our chances of accomplishing more tasks, right? Well, not always.
Studies have found that multitasking decreases productivity. You can also endanger your brain since you will be unable to concentrate on anything for long periods of time.
In fact, multitasking does not only apply to switching between work-related tasks. When you answer a text while you’re in the middle of deep work, you are also multitasking.
4. Working Too Much
An outdated concept is that putting in more hours will give you greater results. After a certain amount of time, your returns on your effort become lower.
After working too late one evening, you’ve probably also felt that awful digital hangover the next day. Working too much one day can have a negative knock-on effect on the next.
Besides destroying your productivity, working too much can also lead to physical and mental health issues.
5. Getting Distracted on Your Web Browser
Have you ever been midway through writing an essay only to open social media in another tab? If so, you'll know how difficult it can be to get back on track.
Opening multiple tabs for a “quick scroll” rarely works well at all, unless you have awesome willpower. However, you have a few easy solutions for this problem.
The first is to schedule downtime during the day, consisting of sharing cat memes or watching YouTube videos. The second consists of blocking these websites from your computer while you are at work.
6. Planning Too Much
When we plan too much, we feel like we haven't been productive enough. Whether it's filling our calendar with exact times or creating a 20-item to-do list, planning too much leads to overwhelm.
In most cases, achieving results comes from minimal output, so you're better off planning less. If you plan too much every day, chances are you're spending too much time on menial tasks.
When feeling overwhelmed, step back and decide what’s important, what can wait, and what you can automate. Then, you’ll make better use of your time.
Apps to Help You Solve These Problems
1. Caffeine Addiction Calendar
If you want to quit coffee, the Coffee Addiction Calendar app allows you to keep track of your progress. You can see how much you've saved by avoiding caffeine while also staying accountable.
Downloading Coffee Addiction Calendar is free. However, you’ll need to pay for certain features.
Download Coffee Addiction Calendar: iOS | Android
2. MyFitnessPal
The MyFitnessPal app is great for monitoring your food intake and ensuring a balanced diet. You can set daily calorie goals using the platform, plus much more.
You can also use MyFitnessPal to record your daily exercise, along with how much water you drink.
MyFitnessPal is free to download, and its basic version has an extensive range of features you don’t need to pay for. Premium costs $9.99/month, or $49.99/year if you pay annually.
Premium subscribers can access additional customization tools, such as breaking down goals by macronutrients.
Download MyFitnessPal: iOS | Android
3. Todoist
Paper lists are easy to overfill, and they are also bad for the environment. Todoist is a digital solution that allows you to keep track of your tasks and plan in advance.
With Todoist, you can categorize your tasks into separate projects. Moreover, you can add sub-tasks to bigger items on your list.
Todoist is free to download. You can also buy a Premium version, which allows you to have more active projects and extra features, for the equivalent of $29.99/year.
Download Todoist: iOS | Android
4. Cold Turkey
If you want to stop yourself from getting distracted in your web browser, Cold Turkey is a convenient solution. With the extension, you can block distractions for however long you want.
With Cold Turkey, you can batch-block websites by creating custom categories. Reversing the websites you block is very difficult, so don’t block something for 10 years if you only need to focus on work for the afternoon.
Cold Turkey is free to download for your desktop. You can also make a one-time purchase for $39, which unlocks all blocking tools and lets you schedule blocks in advance.
Download Cold Turkey: Mac | Windows
Monitor Daily Activities That Could Kill Your Productivity
Optimizing your time to be as productive as possible is difficult when so many distractions exist. Even worse, many people have been told that destructive habits like multitasking will help them perform better.
Often, the key to better productivity lies within your daily habits. By changing even a few of these, you’ll be able to improve your output. By using technology, you can set boundaries and focus your energy on your work.