3 Effective Productivity Hacks That Will Make You Groan (and a video from me)
And how to painlessly implement them
2022 is almost upon us. The diet and exercise industry is impatiently pacing, waiting for the holidays to end like a salivating like Kujo sizing up a tasty child trapped in a steamy Ford Pinto.
Get ready for the onslaught - New year, new you!
Gross.
As groan-worthy as every new year’s resolution diet or exercise plan is, I will say that there are a few things health-wise that you can do in the new year to boost your productivity.
But I’m not here to sell you a Peloton. I’m here to give you some data.
Hydration
It’s readily available to most people who are able to read this email and we all need it to stay alive. Water is the most often overlooked productivity changer, like, ever. I mentioned it last week, but truly - if you don’t drink enough water, you won’t have the focus to get things done.
Also? You’ll probably die earlier.
You can research the longevity thing. I’m here to talk about productivity. An article in Bloomberg.com says, “‘Even a mild dehydration might have a significant impact on work capacity and productivity,” a neuroscientist explains.
Here’s a cool infographic from DailyMBA:
Yes - a 3%-4% drop in your hydration could lead to a 25%-50% drop in productivity. I get headaches when I’m dehydrated and I am significantly more likely to slide down that slippery slope into watching Real Housewives on the sofa with a bag of Uber Eats Taco Bell.
So, how do you keep yourself hydrated? Well, when I find myself getting distracted, when my fingers itch to check my texts or scroll Instagram, I drink water instead. Distracted? Water. Need to stand up? Stand up and drink water. I also have an alarm on my phone that reminds me every hour to sip or chug-a-lug.
I also keep a ridiculously large water bottle next to my desk. If I just drink pint glasses of water or refill a regularly-sized bottle, I have to try to keep track of the number of glasses or bottles I drink. So, I fill up this ridiculously large bottle every morning and it gives me the real version of exactly how much I drink every day. Here’s a shamelessly retouched photo of me with my water bottle.
It’s so simple that it’s easy to forget, but hydration is absolutely key to productivity. You might have to take more trips to the restroom, but the focus you gain is absolutely worth it.
(By the way, if you know someone who likes focus and wants to do more of it, please pretty please share this with them.)
Sleep
I know, I know. You’re rolling your eyes again. But, let’s look at the numbers for how sleep impacts your productivity. A study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine says that workers with a lack of sleep had “significantly worse productivity, performance, and safety outcomes.”
Here’s an even more interesting bit of information from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Compared to those who regularly got 7 to 8 hours of sleep, those who reported getting 5 to 6 hours experienced 19 percent more productivity loss, and those who got less than 5 hours of sleep experienced 29 percent more productivity loss.”
So, let’s run the numbers for sleep. If you decide to sleep five hours rather than seven, we assume that in a perfect world, you gain two hours of productivity. But you lose 19 percent of your productivity. And if you work a ten-hour workday, guess what? 19 percent of that ten hour work day is 114 minutes. That’s six minutes of productivity gained by deciding to sleep two fewer hours.
And, in exchange for that six additional minutes of productivity, you get…sicker. This podcast is fascinating if you want to learn more about how sleep impacts your overall health and longevity.
How do I make myself sleep more? Well, it’s an ongoing battle. But the most effective way I have found for getting myself in the bed is to set a sleep alarm. Mine go off at 9:45, 9:55, and 10 pm to annoy me so much that I eventually hit the hay. Otherwise, I can spend hours playing Candy Crush and scrolling social media…and losing precious sleep.
Sun
Getting some sun for a few minutes per day is very effective. It makes you a little happier and it can turbo boost your productivity when you’re feeling a little depleted.
Final thoughts
I know you’re all still saying DUH in your head (if you’re still reading at all), but so many people won’t do these three simple things. If you’re making a new year’s resolution, you could choose to go on some crazy fad diet, decide to become a raw vegan, or resolve to meditate for a half hour every morning.
Or, you could choose to do a few simple things that will make a huge impact in your productivity AND in your overall health.
I will be continuing sending out helpful hints for pragmatic productivity in the new year. I would be absolutely honored if you would share this free newsletter with someone you know who wants to get more done in the new year in a healthy way.
Here’s to a fantastic 2022. Get some rest, reflect, and I’ll see you in the new year.
Love,
Michelle