6 Ways to Boost Your Productivity
By Jody Bell
There comes a point in every young adult's life where it feels like there isn’t enough time in the day.
Between homework, sports, college planning, and your after-school job, it can feel impossible to make time for your social life and personal hobbies. As stressful as this may be this is entirely normal, and when you have a packed schedule you will understand which extracurriculars and passions truly matter to you.
Plus, this is the time where you really learn how to hone your productivity and make the most out of your time.
This most definitely doesn’t happen overnight, and everyone is a bit different in terms of what works for them to maximize their productivity. That being said, we’ve put together a few easy changes to your daily routine that could seriously help you get a head start on your journey to peak productivity!
1. Get right out of bed in the morning
I used to hate mornings in high school.
Like clockwork my alarm would go off at 6am. I would snooze until 6:15am and then ease into being awake by scrolling aimlessly on Instagram. Suddenly it was 7:00am and I was just as tired, and now rushing to catch the school bus at 7:15am. And this cycle would repeat. Every. Single. Day.
I assumed I just wasn’t a morning person, and once I got to college I made sure to only register for classes that started after 10am. Yet, what I discovered is that the same process would repeat; I would wake up at 9:00am, scroll through my phone, and rush once the clock hit 9:45am.
Not to sound cliché, but I discovered I was the problem.
I started to sleep with my phone on the other side of the room, so when my alarm went off I was forced out of bed. Just that small difference has made my mornings (and day) so much more productive. In the 45 minutes I would spend scrolling through social media, I now journal for 10 minutes, stretch for 5, and make myself a big breakfast and morning smoothie.
Starting off your day in a productive manner really sets the mood for the rest of your day you may find that changing this small habit could alter the trajectory of your whole day!
2. Write down a to-do list each day
As part of your morning routine, I personally think it’s incredibly helpful to write a to-do list!
This is particularly helpful on days that lack structure (such as weekends where you still have homework and generally stuff to do.)
This doesn’t have to be complicated nor time consuming; just spending 5 minute writing down the assignments you want to complete could be helpful in setting the mood for a productive day!
3. Limit your screen time
Did you know that the average 15-18 year old spends 7.5 hours watching TV, scrolling through their phones, or playing video games?
This time tends to sneak up on your - whether its first thing in the morning, during your meals, or between classes/activities. You may only be on your device for a few minutes each time, but this seriously catches up to you!
Think about all the time that could be spent doing something more fulfilling. If you actively limit how much TV you watch, and set screen time limitations on your phone, you will find that you have a ton more time to hang out with friends, get your homework done, or practice your hobbies and skills.
4. Break up your activities and diversify your routine
When in high school, you have a set routine and schedule that forces you to switch activities every hour or so.
When learning, these switches are actually incredibly helpful in maximizing how much you are absorbing the information you are studying. Once you are home from school, and have a hefty to-do list of homework, sports, and personal activities/hobbies, it is beneficial to make your own diversified routine.
As opposed to doing all your studying in one sitting before moving on with other activities, try to break it up. Once you get home from school, have a snack and then focus on homework for a specific subject. When that is complete, you could do some chores (personally I walked our dog between doing work for my various classes!) Then you could go back and focus on other subjects before having your dinner and winding down. By breaking up these subjects you are continuously rewarding yourself with breaks which can boost productivity (plus its far more enjoyable!)
5. When it comes to studying, figure out what works for you and keep experimenting
Did you know that there are three major cognitive styles?
Personally, I’m a visual learner, so infographics, charts, and pictures are incredibly helpful and I tend to recall information by seeing the words visually. In terms of my studying, I find it helpful to take my notes and rewrite them with a color key and graphs. I then shave down this information into only the key topics and make flow charts and visual graphics out of the material to understand how it fits together.
Others may be auditory learners - who retain information by hearing lectures, having discussions, or even speaking out loud to themselves when studying. For these learners, it can be helpful to have soft music on in the background while they study.
Lastly there are kinesthetic learners who learn by hands-on experimentation and problem solving. These individuals may find fidget tools and chewing gum helpful while studying to remain active.
No one fits perfectly into one of these three buckets, however understanding which is your primary learning style will give you some ways to maximize your studying time. From there, it is always helpful to continuously experiment without other tips/styles (try making charts, chewing gum, or listening to classical music) because you may be surprised as to what works for you!
6. Reflect on your day and be proud!
As I wind down each evening, I like to take a look at my to-do list from the morning and cross off what I did.
This makes me feel proud of what I got done and is a great way to inspire gratitude journaling (which is something that could truly help with productivity along with nearly every other facet of your life!)
As you try to increase your general productivity, remember that everybody is different, and what works for me, your peers, or mentors, may not work for you! Just try to keep continuously experiencing with your daily routine, and keep track of what makes you feel the most productive and accomplished.
Jody Bell, 21 is Girls With Impact’s Editor in Chief and a program graduate from Greenwich High School. Girls With Impact is the nation’s only online, business and leadership program for girls 14-24, turning them into tomorrow’s leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.