PRODUCTIVITY HACK #1: DITCH THE MORNING SCROLL 

If you’ve found yourself mindlessly scrolling through your newsfeed or responding to social media messages as soon as you silence your alarm, you are setting yourself up for a slow, and draining day ahead. 

How many times have you been aimlessly scrolling only to realise how much time has gone by, and how little energy you now have to pull yourself out of bed or off the couch to achieve your tasks for the day? 

We are far more likely to be productive and have the energy to do the things we not only need to, but fill up our cup, if we swap out the morning scroll for some mindfulness, so why not use that extra 10 – 15 minutes in the morning to journal, read, listen to a podcast or meditate… notice how much it recharges you and kick starts your day! 

PRODUCTIVITY HACK #2: MAKE YOUR PRIORITIES THE TOP OF YOUR TO DO’S

When we spend our time responding to the environment we are in, either the images we see, or emails we read, or news we listen to, we are starting our morning off in a state of reactivity (i.e. the morning scroll)

But if we take it one step further, and tie it into our workday, by starting off checking emails… This then leads to putting everyone else’s priorities before your own, and sets you up in this reactive state for the rest of your day. 

If you’re wanting to be productive, you need to be PROACTIVE, not REACTIVE! 

So, instead of reacting to your inbox and newsfeed, try turning off notifications for the first hour of the morning (because let’s be realistic, you can’t do your emails in the shower)! Also, creating some time and space for focusing on YOUR priorities, so you are in a state of creation vs. consumption!

PRODUCTIVITY HACK #3: FUEL YOUR FOCUS

The amount of incredible women I talk to that start their day rushing out the door with nothing in their bodies, or just a coffee in their hand, honestly is raising a lot of concern! 

Your brain needs energy too… ever heard of brain food? It is not just feeding the mind through learning new things, it is giving the brain the fuel it needs to focus on the day and the tasks ahead. 

Take away the breakfast, and the brain and body are running on adrenaline and cortisol! This leads to making poorer decisions because we are operating out of a state of fight or flight, not a growth mindset. 

So starting the day with a nourishing breakfast of high quality proteins + fats, think eggs, or a smoothie (check out my go-to breakfast smoothie recipe here if you’re looking for inspo).

Eating breakfast will give the mind the fuel it needs to focus and smash your day ahead! Just be sure to keep the food flowing in throughout the rest of the day too. 

PRODUCTIVITY HACK #4: PRE-PLAN FOR SUCCESS

Waking up and trying to plan your to-do list in the morning, can be a set up for disaster. Remember that reactive state I mentioned above? Well, the same thing can happen here! 

The best thing you can do is pre-plan for the next day, the night before! Allow a little time and space for things that may pop up that need dealing to that were unexpected, but for the most part, you can time block out the tasks you need to get done effectively and efficiently the night before. 

The best time to do this is as soon as you close out for work in the evening (hopefully around 6pm), or after dinner… we make better decisions when we have been fed! 

PRODUCTIVITY HACK #5: RE-HYDRATE YOUR MIND

Coffee, coffee, and more coffee… unfortunately, coffee is not what runs through our veins, or what hydrates our cells to keep us focused. In fact, it can do the complete opposite. 

Whilst caffeine can be great for concentration, it causes dehydration too as it is a natural diuretic. It also increases our cortisol levels with every cup, and means we are far more likely to have a blood sugar and energy crash throughout the day.

So what is the solution? HYDRATE!! Yup! Drink plenty of water to keep your cells happy and doing their job. We (humans) are 70% water, so think about the effect that it is going to take if you are dehydrated. It also means nutrients can be transported around the body easier and when we are hydrated we are able to focus with much more ease. 

This is your sign to drink that 2L of water per day!