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Dos and Don'ts for Being Productive When You're Incredibly Busy

Follow these tips to work smarter, not harder.


It can be incredibly daunting to try to be productive when you’re already busy enough at work or in life. While the purpose of being productive is about getting more work done, it’s also about working smarter, not harder. It’s totally possible to complete several tasks during a busy time, and luckily for us, there are hundreds of tips and tricks out there to help achieve that ideal productivity. Unfortunately, not every piece of advice about getting work done is effective, and for those who may be new to trying to truly be productive, it can be hard to weed through the good and bad tips. I’ve compiled this list of Dos and Don’ts regarding productive work to highlight some of the most important things to know about the subject. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it should cover the basics.



DO: Eat breakfast



No matter what shift you’re working, chances are you just slept for 8 hours or so prior to waking up and getting ready for work. You need to eat in order to function effectively, let alone be productive.


If you’re an early riser, cooking yourself something to eat will get you up and moving, and the food will give you the energy to power you through until your lunch break. For those on more of a time limit, grabbing a quick to-go breakfast or stopping through a drive-thru before coming into work will help you out in the long run.


DON’T: Eat a sugary breakfast



What you put into your body matters. There’s no shame in eating sweets in moderation, but if your goal is to be productive throughout the work day, it might not be the best idea to start your morning off with pastries and extra-sugary drinks.


The sugar rush might give you energy for an hour or so, but it will quickly burn you out and actually make you less productive further into the day. Healthy fats and protein are key to a breakfast that will fill you up and give you energy to get work done.


While drive-thru meals aren’t the best, they’re doing more to have a greater variety of options to cater to healthier choices, so this may be worth looking into if you find you don’t have the time to cook something for yourself on a regular basis.


DO: Make a to-do list to prioritize your tasks



Thinking about all of the things you need to accomplish can make even the quickest of tasks seem tedious and overwhelming. You may have heard this tip in several places, and that’s because it really works: making a to-do list of everything you need to get done for the day allows you to look at everything and prioritize each task. It will make things easier to organize so you can start tackling everything one assignment at a time.


DON’T: Abandon a task in the middle for a new assignment



Sometimes, even with to-do lists made, other projects or tasks may come up in the middle of your work. However, one of our recruiters stressed to not abandon an assignment just because another one came up. “Complete tasks in the order that you receive them unless it is extremely urgent,” she said. This will help to keep you focused and organized.


Don’t worry about feeling like you have to get the task done immediately after it’s given to you – chances are your supervisors are aware that you have other work to do, and if their new assignment was urgent, they would tell you.


DO: Break your projects up into chunks



Breaking your projects up into chunks can make a big assignment seem less daunting. Looking at each part of a project as a smaller task will help you get it done quicker.


DON’T: Complete smaller tasks over harder ones



Most of your energy will be with you when you first get to work and diminish throughout the day. You may think you’re getting more work done by knocking out small jobs early on, but it’s better to tackle the larger projects while you have the most energy. This way, by the time you get around to the smaller assignments, it won’t be as overwhelming when your energy levels are lower.


DO: Eat some lunch



Just like breakfast, eating lunch is essential to functioning. Towards the end of the day, you’ll need as much energy as you can get, and eating lunch will definitely help with that. For those who can’t make their lunches the night before, meal prepping and the occasional takeout are solid options to make sure you have a balanced lunch.


DON’T: Eat a ton of junk food for lunch



Don’t get me wrong; I’m no stranger to bringing in leftover pizza or hitting up Panda Express for my lunch break, and there’s nothing wrong with doing this every once in a while on days that aren’t as busy or when you don’t have any pressing projects to complete. Junk food will make you more tired, which simply doesn’t do any favors for you when you’re trying to get a lot of work done. If you can’t resist takeout (or have to get takeout as a result of not packing anything the night before), try to stick to places that offer healthy options so you don’t feel like you’re dragging through the rest of your shift.


DO: Set reminders for yourself



One of our recruiters recommends setting reminders for yourself “so you can perform your job efficiently and effectively.” This is especially helpful for those who stay organized by blocking out chunks of time to complete tasks.


DON’T: Use reminders for every little thing – keep it to the big stuff



Reminders are beneficial when you need to stay on top of time management for larger projects, but there’s no need to clutter up your reminders for the smaller jobs, especially if they’re part of a daily routine. Trying to micro-manage every minute will be overwhelming and may leave you anxious if you’re a few minutes off-schedule.


DO: Get plenty of sleep



If you start the day off sleep-deprived, chances are high that any other tips you may follow will have minimal effect. Try to get about eight hours of sleep a night.


DON’T: Force yourself to wake up early



Getting up and moving early on is a good idea because it helps you start your day. For those who have trouble getting ready after waking up, it may be best to not force yourself to wake up earlier than you have to, as it could deprive you of sleep. Instead, get as much done the night before as possible so you can get ready quickly with minimal effort.



If you follow even one or two of these tips, you may find that it’s easier for you to take on the busy days at work and make the most of your time during your shift. If you came across any more productivity tips, share them in the comments section!

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