Managing time well is a skill that we are all trying to master in this fast-paced world. As our personal and business lives have become intertwined in our daily routines, it has become more challenging to remain focused on important tasks. Whether you’re currently working from home or looking for ways to be more efficient at work, there are certain strategies for improving productivity that you can put into practice. From changing your daily habits to finding a better use of technology, we’ll cover the best time management tips to help you turn distraction into action.

Start the Day Early

Are you familiar with the old saying ‘the early bird catches the worm’? Well, it’s true! One technique for improving productivity is to go to sleep at a reasonable hour and wake up early. According to HuffPost, most successful people are up and at it before 7 am. Giving yourself time to wake up, exercise, have a decent breakfast and plan and organise your day will only make the rest of the day easier. Your mind will be clearer and your energy level will be higher when you wake up well-rested – and the time you spend on tasks will be more effectively spent. Whether you get the worm or something a bit more palatable, you’ll be singing like a bird and soaring high with this top productivity tip.

Organise Your Time

Do you ever ask yourself where the time goes? Using a calendar effectively is a great way to cut back on wasted time. Start each day by making a task list and prioritising the urgent tasks from the less important ones. Set aside time for breaks and outline your goals in advance. Write your task list down to refer back to and hold yourself accountable. Organising your schedule is an excellent strategy for maintaining efficiency and peace of mind, giving you space to focus on getting things done. Once you organise a detailed schedule for your day, you’ll find your stress levels go way down and your productivity goes way up.

Eliminate Time-Wasters

Let’s face it, we spend way too much time on social media or other non-essential entertainment. How many memes can one person take? A great way to cut back on wasting time is to take stock of how many hours a day you are spending on various sites and apps. Try to eliminate a certain amount of time each day on the biggest time-wasters until you’ve reached a level that gives you the greatest chance of improving your work productivity. Instagram, for example, has a handy feature where you can manage your time on the app by setting a daily reminder after you’ve spent a certain time on the app (head to ‘Your activity’ > ‘Time’). If you’re feeling bold, delete the apps that are consuming the most time. You never know, you may feel lighter after an app detox.

Reduce The Number Of Tabs You Have Open

We’ve all been there when we have too many tabs open in our browser to keep track of. Being overwhelmed by having too many tabs open can lead to paralysis and wasting time by clicking around endlessly trying to find what we are looking for. One solution for this is Switch Extension. It’s a Chrome extension that helps you to manage your tabs more effectively, in a more user-friendly way, so you can see the information you need easily at all times. Sometimes it’s the little things, like spending less time clicking around, that adds up to the most time gained back to spend more productively.

Positive Thinking

Your mood and mindset can affect the course of your day and have a corresponding effect on your work productivity. Maintaining a positive mental attitude will go far in determining your success. When things get tough at work, try and find the good and let go of draining negative thoughts that don’t deserve your headspace. Remind yourself that setbacks are temporary and that nobody gets it right all the time. There is much to learn from and grow from facing difficulties with a positive attitude. Although it can feel really hard to put this advice into practice at particularly frustrating times, your positive attitude will send a message to those around you – including yourself – and will help keep you stay productive.

Delegation Is Your Friend

The best techniques for improving productivity include knowing when to delegate your work. Multitasking can become overwhelming and your creativity and output can suffer if you try to take too much on and spread yourself too thin. Delegate tasks that could easily be done by a colleague when possible and try to focus on one thing at a time. If you are in a managerial role, it is essential to set clear deadlines and expectations when assigning tasks to help employees manage their time appropriately.

Get Your Priorities Straight

Prioritising your tasks is critical for effective time management. Sometimes the most crucial task is not the most time-sensitive one. Urgent tasks will always come first, but it is important to know the right time for tackling those non-urgent tasks. Write down all of your tasks or use an app and ask yourself what is important, what is urgent, what is less important and what can wait. Don’t let your priorities list be dictated by whoever shouts the loudest. Although hard to navigate, making decisions this way is rarely a good strategy for working most productively. Remember, good time management involves figuring out what works best in both the short and long term.

Communication Is Key

Whether you’re setting goals for yourself or delegating tasks to others, it is important to have excellent communication skills to make sure messages are understood correctly and everyone is on the same page, working towards the same end. Simplify your message to the bottom line when you engage with others, and don’t forget to listen! Effective communication is two-way, meaning hearing what everyone has to say, not just being a mouthpiece for messages. Ineffective communication often means wires get crossed and work has to be re-done.

Take a Break

When organising your schedule, be sure to carve out some time for a break. On busy days it can be easier said than done but it’s important to step back and recharge to remain productive. Blocking out time for a break on your daily calendar will remind you that you need to take a breath, and it will improve your productivity in the long run. You may need a snack or some fresh air, or just a reason to step away from your screen and take a walk. Making time for yourself will help to boost your levels of concentration and keep you focused on the important tasks. An unscheduled timeout may be necessary as well, even for a short break. It’s also good for your mental and physical health to have time away from the screen.

Try Switch Extension Today For The Ultimate Productivity Hack

Switch Extension is a productivity software solution that helps you manage your tabs more efficiently and switch between your online accounts without having to log in and out, saving you precious time. Try Switch Extension today to begin working more productively.