Have you ever ended your working day exhausted yet feeling like you haven’t got much done? Your productivity remains low although your to-do listing keeps adding up by the hour and you wonder if you’ll ever get any of them completed in this lifetime.

7 proven tips to help you increase your productivity & improve your performance.

Decorate your work area

Happiness at work lifts your emotion and productivity. Personalize your work area with some family photos, office plants, motivation quotes or your favorite painting, which help lighten up your smile

However, don’t overdo it and annoy your colleagues with your personal belongings. Besides, make sure your decoration aligns with your company’s rule and the office theme.

Write down your to-do list

A well-organized to-do list will guarantee that you can easily follow up all your works.

At the end of each week, spend a few minutes to prepare a list of crucial goals that need to be accomplished next week. Make this list in priority order, and prioritize the most urgent or important tasks first.

Add details of how long each task should take, deadlines, teammates who will collaborate with you or anything that needed. Divide any big projects into specific goals. Smaller goals will be done faster, which make you feel more manageable and productive.

On Monday morning, check this list again to remind yourself. You can also break down your to-do list by day to keep track easier. Don’t forget to remove completed items and add new ones to ensure nothing is skipped.

Apply the 2-minute rule

Any task that can be done in less than 2 minutes should be done immediately. Hence, you don’t need to get back on it later, which is more time-consuming.

This rule works for small tasks which could take just a couple of minutes such as send an email, make a call or book room for your meeting. Remember to go back and work on your list after completing these small duties. Don’t block out your working day by wasting too much time on simple tasks.

Block working time on the calendar

Your colleagues can schedule appointments, meetings or other activities while you need to focus on your work. To avoid this situation, always book your work blocks on your calendar for the important tasks.

Consider how much time you will need to finish the assignments and schedule your work time as “Busy”. You will be able to manage your workday efficiently instead of depending on others’ plan.

Avoid multitasking

Multitasking forces your brain to switch between different contexts with less attention to each task. Consequently, you will cause more errors and perform worse. In fact, a study from the University of Sussex also shows that this skill is harmful to your brain.

To increase your productivity, try monotasking. Simply working on one task at the time with your full attention. Only move to the next one when it is completely done.

Study your body clock

Everyone has a specific peak performance time of the day. Some people are sharpest in the morning, but others work best after lunchtime.

Understand your most productive time and match it with your most urgent task is the key to be more productive at work.

Take brief breaks

Working long hours causes fatigue and negative impacts on your mind. Meanwhile, short breaks allow you to relax, recharge yourself and prevent possible mistakes from the exhaustion.

To boost your energy and productivity, take short breaks for 5 or 10 minutes. You can use this time for small talk with colleagues, making coffee or doing some exercises.

Some day can be easy, someday can be tough, so don’t push yourself over it. Stick to these tips and you will be amazed at your productivity improvement