What Real Productivity Is All About.

A lot of us are obsessed with being as productive as possible.

But do we actually know what productivity really is?

When we talk about being productive, we most likely relate it to accomplishing as much as we can within a given period of time.

But that’s actually not all there is to it.

Real productivity goes beyond that.

It’s not just about getting as much work done within a short period of time.

It’s also about your energy and mood.

True productivity means being able to do a lot while still being energised and happy.

And not just short-term but also in the long-term.

It’s about energy and mood management.

If you can accomplish so much but you’re miserable and drained all the time, that’s not being truly productive.

You can only keep that up for so long before you burn out and require downtime to recover.

There has to be balance.

Being too productive while sacrificing your health, happiness and personal relationships isn’t a good way to live life.

Work is just one part of life anyway.

As important as it is, we also have our health, relationships and sanity to keep.

We need to stop being so fixated on wanting to get things done all the time.

It’s time to think of ways to be productive while feeling awesome at the same time too.

It goes both ways.

You can’t possibly be 100% productive if you’re tired, drained, pessimistic and unhappy.

A truly productive person is mentally, emotionally and physically well.

Like a machine that works at its best when it’s well maintained.

Your body is no different.

Always schedule time during the day to chill out and ensure you don’t go into burnout mode.

No matter how busy the workday is.

Even if it’s just 10 minutes of doing something that you really like doing.

Go do it!

If you can’t find the time for it, that’s actually when you need it more than ever.

Go get things done while feeling awesome at the same time.

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Why Your Body Language Matters.

People tend to perceive and treat you differently based on your body language.

It’s no surprise too since about 90% of communication is made up of your body language and vocal tonality.

If you exhibit closed body language, people can pick up on that, interpret that as a cue that you don’t want to be disturbed and leave you alone.

This could make them think that you’re not approachable, something’s troubling you, or associate your closed body language with something negative. 

Some examples of closed body language include crossing the arms and/or legs, a tense facial expression, looking down or away and covering certain body parts like the genital area, chest and or stomach.

If you’re exhibiting open body language, you exude an aura of warmth and openness which others will interpret it positively and see you as an approachable and friendly person.

They might instantly have a good impression of you, think that you’re an honest person, and not associate you with anything negative (unless you’re being too open and taking up too much space).

Some examples of open body language mainly include the opposite of closed body language such as having the arms and legs open, a relaxed facial expression and an overall pleasant demeanour.

Let’s also not forget that body language also includes facial expressions such as smiling or frowning since they are also considered non-verbal expressions.

Even the direction of where you’re looking at matters too.

Looking down symbolises submission and guilt.
Looking up symbolises thought and critical thinking. 
Looking forward symbolises purpose and direction.

It sounds like there’s a lot to think about when it comes to body language but let’s simplify it.

Instead of having to think about individual parts of your body like how your face is like or the position of your arms and legs, just think of this.

As long you adopt an open and pleasant body language, you’re all set.

It’s going to feel unnatural since we’re not used to it but eventually, it’ll be second nature to adopt such body language.

All it takes is consistent awareness and adjustment.

Research has also shown that closed body language says a lot about a person’s state of mind too. 

The person is either feeling defensive, withdrawn, anxious or just uncomfortable in the environment they’re currently in.

And that’s an impression you want to avoid.

Especially if you’re working with others, at a social gathering or even if you’re alone with a person you’re close with.

Get rid of any possibility of negative impression by adopting open body language as much as you can.

Always think open.

3 Simple Digital Tips to Boost Your Productivity.

A lot of us use computers or laptops for work.

Be it for your 9-5 jobs or even if you’re a freelancing content creator.

There are some simple tweaks you can use to ensure that you maximise your productivity.

Some of these tips might even appear to be very minor or trivial but they actually do make a difference. 

Which is also precisely why they’re overlooked. 

Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference.

The first tip you should try is to increase the pointer speed of your mouse/trackpad.

Increasing the pointer speed means using lesser effort in your wrist and arms to move the mouse/trackpad.

This saves times when you eventually get good at clicking accurately with a high pointer speed and will add up especially if you’re using your mouse/trackpad a lot for work.

It’s also especially useful if you realize that you don’t have much space on the table to move the mouse around a lot anyway.

It takes some getting used to but once you actually do, you’ll find that slower pointer speeds just won’t cut it anymore.

Another tip is to think small.

Your computer screen can only fit so many things at once so making things smaller means you can fit more on your screen.

Making things smaller would include actions such as zooming out of documents and decreasing font and image sizes.

So let’s say your work requires you to refer to three files at once using the same screen.

One way to do this is to open up all three files, zoom them out as small your eyes can see, then position them next to each other.

Always think small.

The final tip is to stop making mistakes when you’re typing.

We want to get things done quickly that we sacrifice accuracy for speed.

Then we realise that we typed something wrong, we have to delete what we just typed and then re-type again.

This costs time and effort.

Focus on accuracy and forget about speed.

Speed will come naturally when you get good at typing accurately without making typos and correcting them.

Focus on typing slower but getting every letter correct.

Accuracy trumps speed.

Needless to say, all of the above tips will take getting used to before you can fully realise how beneficial they are when it comes to computer productivity.

Increase your pointer speed, think small and focus on accuracy.

1 Simple Action to Instantly Boost Your Overall Health.

We all know how much exercising, eating a good diet, drinking water and meditating are all big contributors to good health.

But here’s one simple action you can do to boost your overall health, especially the more you do it.

Laugh.

It’s obvious enough that laughter makes you feel happy but another good thing about laughing is also the release of endorphins.

The body’s ‘feel good’ chemicals.

So the more endorphins that are being released from activities such as laughing, exercising, drinking alcohol and eating foods you enjoy, the happier you’ll tend to feel.

The more often you feel happy, the better your emotional and mental health becomes over time.

But that’s not all.

Laughter also improves the immune system by decreasing the amount of stress hormones while increasing immune cells and antibodies.

This means you’re less likely to fall ill just from the simple act of laughing.

And laughing is perhaps one of the most convenient, simplest and healthiest way to achieve the release of endorphins.

Compared to other activities such as drinking alcohol and eating foods you love such as ice cream, laughing doesn’t have any side effects at all.

You can never laugh too much.

But too hard? Probably, maybe.

In rare cases, laughing too hard can cause headaches, jaw dislocation, promote asthma attacks and other mishaps.

But this is really rare and something that should not be worried about.

It’s never a bad thing to laugh a lot.

Probably the easiest way to do this is to watch funny videos on Youtube.

Comedy skits, improv shows, standup comedians, satirical videos, funny fail videos, funny cat videos, anything.

Watch anything you want as long as it makes you laugh.

Better yet, surround yourself with the laughter of others too.

This could include laughing together with your partner/spouse, a group of friends, co-workers, siblings, or even the people in the videos that you’re watching.

The more laughter you immerse yourself in, the better.

Try to make laughter a daily habit too.

Some of us go for days without laughing or even smiling.

So make it something that you do regularly.

Even if it’s just one short video or a slight chuckle, it’s infinitely better than nothing.

Like first thing in the morning when you wake up?

Watching a funny video before starting your day sets an optimistic tone and mood for the rest of the day which is always a good thing.

Or maybe at night before going to bed?

You’re likelier to go to sleep in a happier state and you’ll also get a more restful sleep because of the lowered stress levels.

Laugh out loud and don’t hold back.

Your body will thank you for it.

The Secret to Doing Effortless Work.

Most of us have day jobs.

9-5 jobs some would say.

And you probably know how tiring and draining the days can get.

When Fridays come by, we’re all barely surviving the workweek.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

What if you could work and produce just as much without feeling drained?

All we have to do is understand how the body functions.

Then come up with an easy plan to follow.

There are 3 important points to note about the human body when it comes to work and focus.

The first important point is that the human body isn’t designed to be stationary for long periods of time.

Movement was key and necessary to the survival of the human race as our caveman ancestors had to move frequently to hunt for food and to run away from predators.

The second is that the body needs sufficient water to function at its best and avoid fatigue.

70% of the human body is made up of water so ensuring that you have enough of it guarantees that your body is operating at it’s fullest potential without the need to fuel it with stimulants such as coffee and energy drinks.

And the third point to take note of is that the body thrives on routine.

This is why we’re being told to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.

Now with all this in mind, what’s the solution to working without feeling drained then?

Work in short bursts.

This means working intensely for a relatively short period of time, then taking a break.

It’s up to you to decide how long you want each ‘work sprint’ to last.

But it has to be under an hour.

That’s just the first part – the work sprint duration.

The more important part is what you do during your break.

Because it influences how your next work sprint is going to be like.

We overlook the importance of having a productive break ‘routine’.

Ideally, your break should consist of movement and hydration.

These two will bring you the most bang for your buck when it comes to recharging your body for the next sprint.

So go ahead and do some jumping jacks, push-ups or take a short walk for movement.

Then get some healthy fluids in your body by drinking water, juice or even tea for hydration.

Following this ‘protocol’ will address all the important points we need to take note of when it comes to working productively without feeling drained.

You’ll be more than ready for every work sprint ahead of you.

3 Little Things You Can Do To Live Life Better.

We all know that good and healthy habits are important for us.

Exercise, eating clean foods and all that good stuff.

But they might seem a little too daunting to do for some.

So let’s take it down a notch.

Let’s think of the little things that can be done easily regularly. 

But don’t underestimate them.

They make a huge impact on our lives.

And also serve as a starting point for creating good habits.

One of them is to sit still for a minute and focus on your breath.

A lot of times our bodies and minds need some time to be left alone and heal.

This can only mean good things as you gain clarity of mind, become more productive and have more energy.

Another one is to do 5 jumping jacks.

The importance of moving and exercising cannot be stressed enough and the simplest way to do that is to just do 5 jumping jacks.

And the most important is to take a sip of water.

Adequate hydration solves a lot of unnecessary problems such as headaches and fatigue.

Taking sips of water regularly throughout the day will help a lot.

Not to mention that it also helps to boost your mood.

So there you have it.

These are just 3 tiny, healthy actions you can do with ease.

You’ll start to see the benefits manifest themselves over time as you stick with them.

It’s all about compound interest.

The more you stick with it in the long term, the more these actions will reward you.

As the habits grow, so do the rewards and benefits you’ll experience in your life.

So try incorporating the 3 actions above regularly in your life and see what they’ll do for you.

It takes less than 5 minutes to complete too.

It’s up to you to add more volume to them but try them out as they are.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Why Your Health Matters Most.

A lot of times when we’re talking about health, we’re usually thinking about our physical health.

But being a truly healthy human being also means being healthy in two other areas.

Emotional and mental.

And a person who is emotionally, physically and mentally healthy is going to be living a much more meaningful life than someone who’s not.

They’ll be able to accomplish more, have more meaningful relationships with others, and have an abundant amount of energy to live life.

Our health affects other areas of our life.

It’s probably something that we don’t think about when it comes to our health.

But if we’re physically unhealthy, we’ll be constantly feeling sluggish, low on energy and be less productive as a result.

If we’re emotionally unhealthy, we won’t be able to connect very well with others, we’ll find it hard to manage negative emotions such as anger, sorrow, fear or envy, and our social interactions with others suffer as a result.

If we’re mentally unhealthy, we’ll be constantly replaying negative thoughts in our minds, making us pessimistic, which ultimately affects our overall mood and state of mind. 

Our health affects everything in our lives.

So in the pursuit of improving yourselves, remember that your physical, mental and emotional health will impact your decisions, interactions and determine your mood.

Neglecting your health will only make things worse.

Take some time out to evaluate how you’re doing in terms of your emotional, mental and physical health.

Do you find it hard to snap out of negative emotions?

Is it difficult for you to see the good in others and in stressful situations?

How often do you exercise?

Start taking action to improve in these areas.

It’s time to level up your health.