8 Micro-Habits That Will Help Your Productivity Skyrocket
Tiny changes can yield massive results
In our quest for productivity, we tend to seek life-changing habits.
We endlessly search for that one big productivity hack that will turn our lives around.
This mentality, however, turns our attention away from small, productivity-boosting habits that can have a sizable impact.
Sometimes, a combination of tiny tweaks to our daily routines can outweigh the effect of one or two “big changes.”
That’s where micro-habits come into play.
Together, these seemingly minor actions will create a productivity-fostering environment. And this environment will spawn consistent productivity, not isolated highs.
In short, small habits create a foundation for continuous productivity.
On this basis, here are eight micro-habits that will help your productivity skyrocket.
1. Drink lots of water and a few healthy elixirs
Many people underestimate the health benefits of drinking lots of water.
According to Healthline, the advantages of drinking at least 64 ounces (1.9 liters) of water a day range from better concentration to boosting your physical performance and supporting your weight loss journey.
This might sound obvious, but many people fail to reach the two-liter threshold without even noticing.
Such was the case for myself. I am a big fan of Coke Zero and coffee, and even though I always drank a lot of water, I never paid attention to my actual water intake.
Once I started tracking my consumption, I realized that I was only drinking one and a half liters a day, not enough to feel a significant productivity boost.
I came up with a simple yet effective method.
I filled a two-liter bottle every morning and put it on my desk. That way, I knew that if the bottle was empty by the end of the day, I had completed my water targets.
Over time, I increased the target to three liters. Three liters of water meant less Coke Zero and a lot less coffee. Even though I still enjoy those two, water is now my priority.
The benefits were immense.
After a month of drinking three liters a day, I felt energized and less exhausted throughout the day. This small change to my water routine led to profound productivity gains with very little sacrifice.
In that same vein, healthy smoothies and superfood-filled shakes can improve your morning productivity. Don’t add too much sugar or chemical substances. Focus on superfoods.
Ingredients like matcha, maqui berries, and almonds are called “superfoods” for a reason. They are rich in amino acids, natural fats, and Vitamin C, all essential nutrients that will safeguard your energy levels throughout the day.
2. Take the stairs as much as possible
Another micro-habit that can boost your productivity is climbing stairs.
Ask yourself: how often do you take the elevator to get to the second or third floor?
Stairs don’t take much more time, but the benefits are significant.
Climbing stairs is a low-intensity cardio workout that you can do every day without a lot of effort. Better still, it helps your balance and engages multiple muscles at the same time.
By ensuring constant movement throughout the day, you reduce the risk of feeling lazy and unmotivated.
Those brief cardio sessions will keep your body fresh and energized, helping your productivity remain high.
3. Make a to-do list before going to sleep
Today’s productivity started yesterday night.
Night routines are a powerful productivity tool, and making a to-do list before going to sleep is an integral part of that process.
First, you’ll feel organized before going to bed. That sense of “I am ready for tomorrow” will clear your mind and improve the quality of your sleep.
Secondly, you’ll wake up with a feeling of purpose and intent. In the morning, you’ll know what you have to do because you did your homework the night before.
In conjunction, the mental and organizational aspects of this to-do list will lead to substantial productivity improvement.
4. Banish the snooze button from your life
Much like waking up with a to-do list, forever eschewing your snooze sessions will lead to time gains and better mornings.
Not pushing the snooze button might only add ten minutes to your day, but these ten minutes can have a measurable impact on your productivity.
Again, there are mental and practical components.
Forgoing your snooze sessions will give you a feeling of poise and determination. You want to get up because you’re ready for today’s challenges.
Aside from that, you add a few minutes to your day — minutes you can use to draft your to-do list at night or drink a bit more water.
As such, your micro-habits can compound and gradually form a productivity-bolstering environment.
5. Write down all your ideas, problems, and solutions
We all have intriguing ideas, problems, and solutions in our heads.
We lie in bed and imagine interesting home office setups, solutions to our current professional challenges, and new ways of spicing up our relationships.
I’ll remember that. There is no need to write it down.
That’s where most of us fail. In reality, most of these midnight ideas never come to fruition. The antidote is to write everything down.
Most of your notes will remain vague ideas, but some will generate results.
As an example, at least half of my articles started as bedside notes.
I often come up with imprecise story concepts during my nightly reading sessions. I write them into my journal, and the next day, I transform them into proper outlines.
6. Time your tasks
Time blocking is a hailed productivity technique for entrepreneurs and employees alike.
Instead of jumping from task to task, set aside a well-defined period for specific tasks. These blocks will help you concentrate on the job at hand and eliminate distractions.
Let’s say your to-do list contains the following elements:
- cleaning your email inbox;
- finishing writing assignment X;
- completing business proposal Y;
- calling client Z; and
- organizing next week’s meetings.
With a block strategy, your day could look as follows:
- 8 am to 11 am: finishing writing assignment X;
- 11.30 am to 12.30 pm: calling client Z;
- 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm: completing business proposal Y;
- 3.45 pm to 4.45 pm: cleaning email inbox; and
- 5 pm to 6 pm: organizing next week’s meetings.
This daily plan might look rigid, but it will prevent you from multitasking and losing your focus.
To account for unforeseeable minutiae or emergencies, add a few breaks to your schedule. These holes will ensure flexibility and also provide rest periods.
All in all, timing tasks is a straightforward process, but few people stick to it. We all have a schedule, but we often interrupt it for minor occurrences.
As such, the block principle is an effective micro-habit that can train your focus and further your discipline.
7. Automate your email responses
The next micro-habit concerns your email responders.
We all receive tons of emails every day.
Many are futile. Others are “let’s check that one later.” And some are critical.
Automatic email responders can solve most of those cases.
You’ll deal with the unimportant ones swiftly. An automatic responder along the lines of “many thanks for your request, we will process it shortly” will buy valuable time without offending the sender.
If it remains an unimportant request, the next automatic responder could be:
“Thanks for your request. After carefully reviewing your query, we decided that we currently do not have any interest in your services.”
You can set a specific timeframe for both responders. If you aren’t interested in the email’s content after one or two days, the second responder will automatically close the case.
This technique will filter out all the futile and spammy emails. You’ll have more time to focus on the crucial ones that could advance your personal or professional endeavors.
8. Don’t check social media more than twice a day
Finally, setting aside specific moments for social media is a powerful micro-habit that will lead to incredible productivity gains.
First and foremost, don’t check your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter right after getting up. You’ll fill your head with distractions and cheap entertainment before starting your day.
Find the right moment to check social media, and don’t open your apps at any other time.
In this context, I spend around 20 minutes on social media after lunch and repeat the same feat after dinner. These are work-free moments — preventing social media from interfering with my working schedule.
In conclusion, the challenge is to identify your best moments for social media.
Ensure that you can benefit from the entertainment factor during these stretches without letting social media turn into a distraction.
