Introduction
I'm the type of person who needs coffee to get me going in the morning. But after a few hours, I need another cup just to stay focused on what I'm doing. Luckily, there's a hack that will help you get more out of both your morning and afternoon jolts: scheduling "coffee breaks" throughout your day.
Coffee makes you work faster, but it won't make you work smarter.
When it comes to getting things done, coffee can help you stay focused on the task at hand. But caffeine alone won't make you more creative or productive.
Coffee will give you energy and help improve your mood, but it's not going to make up for a lack of sleep or other health issues that may be affecting your brain function. It'll also help keep stress levels down--and who doesn't want that?
If you're looking for long-term productivity hacks, there's one magic trick to try.
If you're looking for long-term productivity hacks, there's one magic trick to try: taking breaks.
Taking breaks is important because it allows your brain to recharge and rest, which makes it easier and more productive when you get back into work mode. But how do you make sure that these breaks aren't just an excuse to check social media or scroll through Netflix? The key is making sure that once the break is over, it stays over--and there are two ways of doing this:
-
Have an end time set before starting on a project (e.g., "I will take a 15-minute break every hour") and stick with it! Don't let yourself get distracted by something else; if necessary, put away all other devices until after this time has passed so they won't tempt you into staying longer than planned--you'll be amazed at how much more effective this can be than just telling yourself "oh well maybe later today I'll have time..."
Step 1: Turn off notifications.
The first step to boosting your productivity and focus is turning off notifications. It's important to turn off notifications for social media, emails, news, and anything else that might distract you from work. You can also set up a quiet time to work without distractions by blocking out the hours between 9 AM - 5 PM on your calendar (or whatever works best).
Step 2: Set a timer for 15 minutes and focus on one task at a time
Step 2: Find a quiet place to work.
To be productive and focused, you need to find a quiet place to work. The most obvious way to do this is through the use of earplugs or headphones with noise cancellation. If you don't have those available, then your best bet is finding an area that's away from distractions--a library would be ideal!
If none of these options appeal to you (or if they're not an option), another option is using white noise as an alternative form of background sound while working on your computer. This can help mask out noises around you so that they aren't distracting while also giving off a sense of calmness when listening through headphones.
Step 3: Schedule a coffee break from your phone.
Step 3: Schedule a coffee break from your phone.
-
Set a timer for 20 minutes and make sure that it's visible on your screen.
-
Set an alarm to go off when the time is up with an alert like "Time's up! Go take a walk." If you can't see the reminder, it won't help you take a break!
-
Take this opportunity to get away from work and do something else--anything other than working would be great! When the alarm goes off, go for a walk around the office or outside (if weather permits), eat lunch at your desk instead of eating at home in front of Netflix, or simply read through emails rather than responding right away. Whatever makes sense for you will do wonders for your productivity levels later on when it comes time to get back into work mode again after taking this mini-vacation from it all
A short focused session can make all the difference in your day.
Here's the thing: Long unfocused sessions are not always more productive than short focused ones. They can be counterproductive if you're not careful.
That's because it's much easier to stay focused when you set a time limit for yourself and stick to it--even if that means only working for 15 minutes at a time!
And it turns out that this kind of "cramming" approach can be very effective; it allows you to get a lot done in just one sitting, then take a break before returning later on in the day or week (or even next month).
Conclusion
In the end, the most important thing to remember is that productivity is a process. It's not about doing everything right in one day or even one week. It's about finding what works for you and sticking with it until it becomes second nature. We hope these tips have helped give some insight into how we work as writers at Buffer, but please feel free to share any of your own in the comments below!