Taking ‘micro-breaks’ has been shown to help sustain attention and positively influence job-satisfaction. While many time-management systems encourage standard 5 or 10 minute rests, even 30 seconds has a huge impact on productivity. However, the science undeniably states that regular breaks are a prerequisite for the best long-term work performance, and many organizations are beginning to shift towards. In the never-ending quest for ultimate productivity, many neglect their fundamental, biological need to relax and recover. This so-called 90/20 rule is so effective because it is rooted in our physiology. In 1995, research from the US Army Research Institute found that when participants were allowed to break for 15-20 minutes between 90 minute work periods, they had greater focus and energy for longer time-frames. Just as we sleep in 90 minute cycles, we also consciously live them, through our natural arousal-rest ratio, the ultradian rhythm. You will have heard of circadian rhythm, our natural sleep cycle, but that’s not the whole story. Not only did these breaks reduce stress, measured by cortisol levels, they didn’t even prolong the total operation time.Īccordingly, scheduling aids like time-blocking or the Pomodoro method depend on taking regular breaks after each chunk of work. One 2014 analysis argued that, over an extended period, we stay far more creative and productive when stopping work at the right time, rather than trying to push through fatigue.Īn especially interesting study looked at the effect of surgeons taking 5 minute rests every 30 minutes, while performing laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery. It’s tempting to assume that the longer we work, the more we produce unfortunately, that’s not the case.

Get your priorities in order by using the Friday Planner to help you roadmap your day. You’ll know exactly what you need to be doing, resulting in more quality focus time and less distraction.

Number your tasks and the day becomes surprisingly straight-forward. Even if you end the day with an unfinished list, you’re much less likely to feel disappointed if you have prioritized and checked-off the tasks that matter most. Instead, use a priority system to create an updated list that allows you to tackle the critical stuff first. Productivity expert David Allen’s immensely popular Getting Things Done (GTD) method relies on a sophisticated system of checks to see whether a task is worthwhile, while an Eat the Frog approach is solely concerned with the most intimidating task of each day.Īvoid doing tasks simply in the order they were written or assigned. Numerous productivity systems rely on the process of prioritizing tasks, typically with two criterions: importance (value) and urgency (time). In other words, most tasks don’t directly affect the fulfilment of goals or dreams. Rather than stuffing your to-do list with everything under the sun, it’s crucial to have a screening process.Īs the 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle) dictates, 80% of output comes from only 20% of input. In such a case, the best place to start improving our chances of a productive day would be the to-do list! What constitutes a productive day will vary from person to person, but the general gist is that you meet a lot of goals, while completing daily tasks and responsibilities. However, if you do keep falling short of your ambitions, there are a few changes you can make to boost your output.īelow we’ll detail exactly how best to guarantee a productive day, and the best ways of using Friday to achieve your goals. Not every single day needs to be filled with record productivity – lazy Sundays are fine, we promise! We tend to have high expectations of how much we need to do in order to name the day productive, which can set us up for disappointment rather than success. There’s no one measure for a productive day, meaning there’s no precise definition either.

Tips for a productive day