Being productive is not about doing more, but about doing things in an efficient manner.

We all want to know how to be more productive for very personal reasons—to accomplish more, to achieve our goals, to make more money, or sometimes, just to get things done earlier to make more time for personal life. A lack of productivity leads to a lack of happiness. You become anxious and stressed when you can’t see yourself making progress or getting things done. That’s why it’s essential to learn how to be productive.

There are also many things that contribute to lack of productivity: social media notifications, e-mails, texts, and chatty co-workers are just a small fraction of the disruptions we’re bombarded with. These “little things” can stack up fast and hamper your happiness and productivity levels.

Try incorporating some of these productivity tips into your daily schedule.

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Stop multitasking

It’s often tempting to try and multitask, juggling numerous workday tasks at any one time. While this may feel productive, it rarely produces the best results. By focusing on just one task at a time, you will complete it to a higher standard and in less time, enabling you to move seamlessly on to the next task.

Batch e-mails to reclaim focus

E-mail can easily become a constant source of interruption, stealing precious time from focused work. To combat this, adopt the habit of batching emails. Utilize tools like “batched inbox” to set specific times for e-mail delivery, limiting it to twice a day. You will like to dedicate focused time in the morning and the end of the day for e-mail management, which frees up the rest of the day so you can concentrate on essential tasks and projects.

Set small goals

Large tasks or projects can feel intimidating and we often overestimate how long they will take to complete. You can create forward momentum by breaking tasks down into manageable, bite-sized milestones, which build until your project is complete.

Silence Slack and phone notifications

Phone distractions can be the biggest productivity killers, so for the love of God, turn off Slack and phone notifications while you’re working — there’s nothing like the “knock knock” sound of a Slack message for breaking your concentration and momentum. By silencing these notifications, you create an environment conducive to deep work.

The five-minute rule

If procrastination is a big challenge for you, try the five-minute rule. By promising yourself that you will spend just five minutes on an outstanding task, you eliminate many of the excuses that stop you from starting. Almost anyone can dedicate just five minutes to writing an e-mail, researching a topic, completing some filing or outlining a new task. Often, once the five minutes are finished, the motivation to continue remains. Even if you move on to another productive task, the small jobs completed within the five minutes still represent an important contribution to your overall output. As ever, it is these small tasks that we put off the most.

Time blocking

Using time blocks is an established and well-known productivity strategy. By creating time block frames in your workday schedule, you make the conscious decision to dedicate a ‘block’ of time to a certain task. Time blocks are usually divided into 60 or 90-minute sections. You may like to print the schedule out or colour code your tasks, as one of the benefits of time blocking is that once completed, it creates a visual guide for your workday.

Delegate

If you work as part of a team, look at your daily tasks and consider if any can be delegated to other team members. Often, we take on work that is outside our remit or can be done far quicker by others. Delegation isn’t about offloading work you don’t want to do. Instead, it’s about ensuring everyone is working on the tasks best suited to their skills and availability.

Limit distractions

Becoming distracted is very normal, and focus doesn’t always come naturally. However, it is a skill that can be developed. Turn your notifications off, switch your phone to aeroplane mode, or use a productivity app.

Do the hardest thing first

It can be tempting to avoid difficult or time-consuming tasks and instead focus on quick wins. However, by taking on your most difficult projects first, you can increase your motivation and focus for the rest of the day. Consider prioritising these bigger tasks first in the day, or when you feel most productive.

Identify when you’re most productive

With the advent of remote working, the traditional 9-5 is becoming increasingly less common. Flexible and hybrid working has promoted the concept of working in more productive ways. Everyone is individual. Some employees work best in the morning, while others hit their productive stride after lunch. Identifying when you are most productive and then organising your daily schedule to make the most of these peak times is an excellent way to increase productivity.