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Improving your productivity at home or in your life, in general, is a goal many people aim for. It can be easy to get sucked into a vicious cycle of not doing as much as you should and then being unable to get yourself back out of the place you then find yourself in.

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How can you increase your productivity and allow you to get more done every day?

Decluttering

Did you know that physical and mental decluttering can help you get your life back on track and increase your productivity levels? You may not see the clutter in your home as you are used to living with it, but subconsciously it could be weighing heavy on your mind and affecting you in other areas of your life. 

Make a list of all the cupboards and storage areas you have in your home and plan to attack each one to remove unwanted or unused items that you no longer want or need. Little and often will help you break down the task into more manageable chunks, and once you have sorted your belongings and removed the unwanted items from each section, you can move on to the next one until you are finished.

Carrying stress and worries can increase your chances of becoming anxious and stressed. As well as dealing with the physical clutter of your home, you need also to tackle any issues that are taking up space in your mind. 

Journalling is a great way to get things out of your head and written down so you can make sense of them. Then you can make an action plan to resolve any problems or deal with your worries to avoid them weighing heavy on your mind.

Sleep Better

We all perform better when we have had enough sleep, and many adults in the UK do not get enough sleep regularly. Burning the candles at both ends can lead to feelings of lethargy and a lack of willpower to complete tasks or get things done.

If you struggle to get a good night’s sleep, you need to address why this is happening. If your bed is uncomfortable, it may be that you need to find the right type of mattress for you to help you sleep better at night. The Sleep Station has a range of different beds to accommodate a wide variety of designs and comfort levels.

Then look at your bedroom to see how you can make it more conducive to sleep. Avoid bright screens and electronics before, find your ideal room temperature for sleeping and try not to eat so close to bedtime to avoid feelings of fullness or acid reflux when trying to sleep. Set a regular bedtime and alarm to help you get into a sleep routine of going to sleep at the same time and waking up each morning. Essential oils such as lavender can help you to unwind at bedtime and take a relaxing bath.

Set a Routine

Does your day have any structure? If not, this may be why you are feeling unproductive at home. Left to our own devices, it can be tempting to put things off until tomorrow. Avoid this by writing checklists and to-do lists to help you organise your day. Write down everything that needs to be done. Then look at the time you have to do it. If you are trying to fit too much into a short amount of time, you will already feel defeated before you start.

Instead, break it down into easy to manage tasks. For example, can you do a quick clean of the kitchen while making a cup of tea? Or how about hanging the washing out while waiting for dinner to cook.

Cleaning schedules can help you keep on top of housework by allocating specific tasks to different days to ensure everything gets done but not all at once.

Once you have your cleaning list, make a note of everything else you need to achieve during the week and assign it to a day where you are reasonably able to complete it. Reducing the overwhelm you feel when faced with too much to do and not enough time can be counterproductive. Remove this by focusing on the most urgent tasks and getting this completed first before moving down the list until you have achieved everything you want to do.

It could be making that phone call on your way to catch the bus for work. Walking instead of driving to local shops to add more movement to your day and get some exercise in if you are short on time to workout. Reply to important emails in your commute if you don’t drive and so on.

Use Visual Aids

Life can become crazy and hectic if you aren’t careful, and if you are constantly struggling to become more productive and fit everything in, it can be easy to miss things and have them lost in the daily buzz that is your life.

A visual aid such as a calendar, whiteboard, memo chart etc., can help you keep a note of everything you have going on before you forget so you can add it to your schedule and eventually complete it. Keep this in a high traffic area of your home so others can see it and allow them too to become accountable for getting it done. Use colour-coded charts, magnets or stickers to assign tasks to family members, so everyone knows what they need to help.

Delegate.

Delegating is a great way to be more productive by doing a lot less. Any smaller, less important tasks or chores can be completed by family members or rope in friends to help keep you accountable or assist with bigger tasks you need to take care of. Having help can reduce the physical and mental burden and allow you to see the light at the end of the tunnel much quicker than managing alone.

If you are worried that your productivity is being affected due to mental health concerns, then you must get medical advice to help you explore your options and regain control of your life.