8 things I do daily to be more productive

Productivity can be difficult to maintain, especially if you have a lot of things in life to juggle, but here are some tips to help you be more productive each day.

January is never the best month for a lot of people. It marks the start of a new year, but it's filled with January blues, cold weather, and having to get back to work after the festive holidays.

However, whilst January can be a month where people struggle, it can also be the month where you start the year as you mean to go on.

For me, January has gotten off to a great start. We're in the second week of 2024 and I feel good about the year ahead.

In the past week and a bit of the new year, I've carried over some lessons and habits from 2023. These all help me in my work/uni student/personal life. But I've also created new habits that I do daily to help too.

All of the habits I'm doing allow me to be more productive and I think, especially at this time of year, we could all use some help to feel more positive and get things ticked off our to-do lists.

I'm no expert in productivity, but I wanted to share 8 things I do daily that help me be more productive and allow me to look back on the week and feel happy, and proud, of what I achieved and completed.

Write a daily to-do list

I've mentioned this habit before in previous posts, but it is one I stand by.

I like to think of myself as an organised person; I thrive off organisation and I love lists. And a to-do list is one of my favourites.

Each morning, I sit at my desk and take a post-it note or my to-do notepad. I then write down all the tasks for the day ahead. Now, these aren't just work-related tasks or exercises for my degree; I include things such as Facetiming my grandparents, Replying to a specific email, Sorting out the Tesco order etc.

Adding each task not only helps me focus each day but it also gives me a sense of accomplishment when I have completed a job and can tick it off.

Journal each night

For Christmas, I asked for a Wellbeing Journal. I wanted something that would hold me accountable and make me reflect on my days and mindset.

I've struggled with burnout in the past and it's something I'm trying to get better at avoiding this year and the wellbeing journal is one of the ways I'm doing this.

So each night, just before bed, I write about my day and fill out the prompts, which include: Today I'm grateful for..., Today I achieved..., My self-care for today was..., My positive self-affirmation..., and My mood today has been....

This helps me reflect on my day and remember the things I've done and it also calms my mind before bed, allowing me to fall asleep quicker, setting me up for the following day.

Go for a morning walk

2024 is the year I'm determined to become healthier and fitter. Therefore, each day of the year so far, I've gone for a morning walk.

Last year, I did go for daily walks, but it wasn't at a set time and sometimes if it was really cold out, or really hot in the summer, I stayed inside.

But in the first week and a half of January, I have committed to my daily walks and maintained them. I go after my breakfast, so before I start any work, and my aim is to increase the distance little by little each week.

Going for a walk in the morning, whatever the weather, has made such a difference, I think. Not only does it allow you to get fresh air (and it has been very fresh recently), it gives you that boost of energy from exercise for your working day, and gets the blood pumping.

When you return home, you made be a bit out of breath or a little bit sweaty, but having started the day with exercise and being active sets you up to be more productive and determined to continue being active by completing tasks.

Drink your water

Now this habit is rather new to me. I've never really drunk as much water as I probably should have. In school, I always disliked the toilets and so tried to avoid using them, meaning I didn't drink much.

And last year when working at home, I would just sit at my desk and think, I'm in the middle of a task, I'm in the flow so I don't really want to go downstairs and refill my water bottle.

However, that mindset has gone out the window for 2024.

This year, I'm using a different water bottle that holds one litre of liquid and it has the times of day marked on the side. I'm trying to be more aware of how much I drink because whilst it means you'll need to go to the toilet more, drinking water is incredibly important for your health.

Getting your water content for each day will not only help your body function better, but it can help you feel better in yourself because you'll feel refreshed and it energises your muscles, which will help you be more productive.

Habit stack

Habit stacking is a term I learnt from Media and Content Strategist Shelby Sacco. Essentially, it means to combine habits and do them at the same time. For example, if you're going for a walk but like to listen podcasts, why not listen to the podcast on your walk.

This year, I've tried to habit stack more so I'm not spending time doing tasks that could have been done earlier in the day or more efficiently.

For me, I find when I'm having breakfast, that's a good time to habit stack. So I either read the news, check emails and text messages, check out the ERIC app, or simply, look at social media, which I know if I did in the middle of the day, I'd probably waste a lot of time on it.

Habit stacking combines tasks and gives you extra time later on to do something else. It allows you to do the things you want to do but in a more efficient and productive manner.

Read part of a book

As a bookworm, I love to read, so it's no surprise that I read daily. However, even if you're not a book lover, reading each day can benefit you.

It can be fiction or non-fiction - whatever your preference is - but you have to make sure you do read.

Reading can help you be more productive because it sharpens your mind, exposes you to different topics, and boosts communication skills. Plus, it also lowers your cortisol/stress levels.

Having lowered stress levels will make you be more productive because you'll approach the tasks on your to-do list in a calm manner, meaning you'll most likely complete them more efficiently.

Have your diary visible

I have a diary for 2024, which gives me a monthly and weekly overview of the whole year. On the first couple of days of January, I filled out my diary with all the events/birthdays/deadlines that I knew of so far.

As each week goes on, I fill it out with more tasks and have even had to colour-code it this year to make it clear what is what.

But one thing I do daily for productivity is having my diary open on my desk.

I don't write in it each day, I simply have it there for me to look at. And this may sound a bit strange, but I've found that having my diary accessible to me, even for a quick glance, helps me feel productive because it gives a sense of organisation.

Organise your workspace

This is perhaps one of the most important daily habits you could do.

Organising your workspace can have such a big impact on how you work and function throughout the day, so it's imperative that to be as productive as you can, that it's tidy.

I love organisation, as I mentioned above, and this year I'm determined to keep my desk clean, tidy and uncluttered.

Each morning, I set up my desk with everything I need. I have my stationary tools on one side with a stand for my phone, I open my diary but so it's out of the way if I need to write or bring my laptop forward, and I set up my water bottle, lip balm and hand cream on the other side.

Having a set place for the essential tools that I need, and having a clean desk, allows me to be more productive because I'm not stressed when working, I can easily find the things I need and it calms my mind.

As the saying goes: Clear your space, clear your mind.

I hope these eight tips help you in becoming more productive or perhaps give you ideas on what you can do daily to increase productivity.

If you have any other habits or tips, feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Until next time...