When getting into the habit of running/exercising in the morning, I literally spent a couple of weeks just putting on clothes and stepping outside to form that habit. The first step is the hardest, so focusing on only that part meant that once that part was down the rest was easy.
I used to be a communications contractor and I had several techniques for running cable and doing various things. When other installers ask me how I got the jobs done by myself so quickly I told them and their answer is always “oh that doesn’t work”.
Obviously, they did work because I got the work done fast and efficiently It would take too long to explain them if you didn’t understand the business.
Block off your work calendar with the time you feel most energized to get your work done.
I have most my energy in the day before lunch, and afterwards my brain is mush.
Every morning is blocked off with an event called Focus Time so that anyone who books a meeting with me knows exactly what they’re taking away from me.
So this one is actually a bit unusual, I came up with it myself and haven’t seen anyone describe anything similar.
My hack is to watch Taskmaster! Taskmaster is one of my favourite shows to chill and wind down to, but it comes with a few commercial breaks. So when I watch an episode, every time a break comes on I will go to an online wheel spinner where I will put several tasks that I need to complete – dishes, tidying, watering plants, cleaning, etc. Then whatever I spin I HAVE to do. Then I get to reward myself by watching a little bit of Taskmaster again before the next break. As someone who usually struggles to get basic tasks done this works really well!
This is specific to standardized testing for university applications: register for a location where you don’t know anyone.
Nervous people tend to gather and chitchat before the test and during break sessions, so they return to the test mentally exhausted.
It was much more productive to get a drink of water, walk the halls for a couple of minutes to get the blood circulating, and stretch the shoulders. A stranger can do that undisturbed.
There was a show in my country that supposedly recreated dramatic real life stories (nothing was real but it was fun to watch). I used to “watch” it on one of my monitors, while using the other monitor in a split screen mode. Funnily enough, that way I could finish double the amount of work I usually did.
Meal prepping the week’s lunches on Sunday. I won’t make a lunch the morning of. I’ll go out to eat, get something not great and not want to go back to work lol
Depending on how brain-intense the task is, pick an audio feed that’s the inverse of that. Basic hand tasks? Go for something with lots of narrative and dialogue. Something that requires a ton of focus? Video game soundtracks because they cover ambient sounds and give you something to keep your ears occupied while keeping your brain on what you’re Actually Doing. It takes a bit to feel out what your best choices are for various tasks, but it super helps
Zero inbox. I have a rule that automatically sends emails that I’m cc’d on to the archive folder (I can review that when I’m not busy). All emails directly addressed to me stay in the inbox until I process them and, once done, are also moved to the archive folder or just deleted. I never have more than a couple of emails in my inbox at a time, and it’s usually empty by the weekend.
Slightly harder surface to sit on and slightly lower temperature than what’s comfortable, not enough to be unpleasant.
Primes me to be productive, or get up and take a proper break to unwind.
I put all my tasks on slips of paper in a jar. Then I draw one randomly and do it. It’s like a game, and it makes things seem less overwhelming because they’re broken into small chunks and not all in one long scary list.
Made a deal with myself that I can only listen to my favorite true crime podcasts while cleaning or doing mindless work tasks. Now I actually look forward to filing paperwork because I get to find out who the killer is.
Haha, love this question! Here’s one that sounds weird but totally worked for me:
I started wearing real clothes (like jeans and a button-up) while working from home instead of sweats or PJs. Something about physically dressing up flipped a switch in my brain and made me feel more professional and “on.” It’s like tricking myself into thinking I’m in a real office, even when I’m just at my kitchen table.
Bonus: I’ve read about people working with a “fake commute” (walking around the block before sitting down to work). Same idea, signals to your brain that it’s work mode.
What works for me is hating someone and wanting to do better than them.
My grades sucked in high school until I developed a deep loathing for a girl named Ida. This girl was ALL about her grades. She was top of the class.
I busted my nonexistent balls for a semester just so I could nonchalantly lay my report card on my desk and she could glance over and see my gpa was better than hers.
It was worth it. She freaked the fuck out.
It works in my professional life too. Nothing motivates me more than disliking a coworker and wanting to show them up.
Every time I need to make an important phone call I’ve been dreading I put on red lipstick. Something about it makes me feel more confident and professional. Been doing this for two years now and my anxiety about calls has pretty much disappeared.
When I have a full day that I need to fill up with chores and tasks, I have a game on my computer. It’s turn based. Between tasks, to catch my breath, I might play one or two turns. Then get up and go do something else.
It’s enough that it helps settle my mind, but not so much that I get sucked in.
I work in a very high volume and stressful environment with a massive influx of tasks, decision making, and requests from my team, clients, and internal stakeholders. I was running myself into the ground working late (which was and still is the norm) and checking emails in off hours. Absolutely no work life balance and always on edge.
Pandemic brought me back to the ground. Now, I’m forced to be much more efficient with my working hours and don’t respond to calls, messages, or emails as soon as working hours are done.
Other coworkers are still working all the time but my output is often the same or better because I’m more rested both mentally and physically. Peace of mind is definitely something I will not give up.
Edit: Oh also, actually taking a lunch break. Seriously, most people around me take a working lunch at their desk.
A former boss of mine always said “before you start anything, think for 10 minutes how you’re going to do it,” which has since saved me countless hours redoing work on ill-conceived ideas.
“Just get started. You don’t have to finish or even do very much but then later it’ll be easier to jump right in because you’ve already started”. Knowing full well that once I start a task there’s a 99% chance I’ll go ahead and finish it. Yet I fall for it every time. I’m very easy to trick because I’m much smarter than me.
Weirdest but surprisingly effective? Chewing the same flavor gum while studying and during the exam. It’s called context-dependent memory—your brain can link the flavor with the material you studied, boosting recall. It sounds ridiculous, but there’s actual research behind it! I once walked into an exam smelling like a mint factory… but hey, I remembered the Krebs cycle, so no regrets
Doing chores and other unpleasnt tasks early in thr morning means you dont have to think about it the rest of the day inturupting your relaxation or fun
One of my favorite productivity hacks is doing “future me” a favor. If I notice something that needs to be done and it only takes a few minutes, I go ahead and knock it out right then, even if it’s a small thing. I think of it as helping out my future self, so later on I can be grateful that it’s already taken care of. It’s a small mental trick, but it actually motivates me to get stuff done now instead of putting it off.
Listening to Ebooks
Listening to Ebooks with headphones on (good for things like doing dishes where it’s harder to hear)
Putting shoes on, or keeping shoes on after arriving at home until things are done
When I lack motivation, I make a list of 20 items, some items are fun, like eating or going for a walk, and the rest are work items that need to be done. Then I use a d20 until there are only a few items left that I can do quickly, and the work day is done!
Works every time 60% of the time
To finish my thesis, I found a picnic table which happened to have a wall socket where I could keep my laptop charged.
I would go for a drive, pack my bag with a ton of library books, load up on snacks, park about 500m away and leave my phone in the car.
If I got to a point in my essay where I needed the internet to check a detail, I would mark that sentence with an asterisk to check later and keep writing.
Also, I’ve found the “Listonic” app helpful for coordinating to-do lists with my wife.
remove Instagram. Reddit Facebook and any other social media icons from my screen so I have to search for them and then turn notifications off so you have to actively look. stopped looking at Instagram for a week. didn’t even notice
I went on a time-management course when I was early in my career. I was highly sceptical going in to it, but walked away with two life lessons I stuck with throughout my entire career.
The first was, the only things that really matter are “the high value tasks that you complete”. Low-value, or incomplete tasks aren’t really worth that much are they?
But the second lesson was even more profound: the greatest source of interruptions to your work is …. yourself
It was at that time that I realised looking for a new downloadable set of animated cursor icons might not actually be the most important thing consuming my work day
If I’m just going to watch a podcast on YouTube, or listen to something, and otherwise putz on reddit, I transfer to my phone, and just try and get some generalized cleaning done.
I set an alarm for every weekday at a time I’m normally that not busy that reminds me to do some chores, even if minor, for a few minutes. I don’t always listen to it, but I definitely do many more chores than I did before I set the alarm
Comments
White noise while working I guess is the weirdest
The 5 minute rule. If a task should take less than 5 minutes do it now and don’t put it off.
Turn off the internet for extended periods.
How much can I get done before this song ends?
Setting periods of focus. Just deciding that okay, I am working on this task for 20 minutes with my full attention before I do anything else.
Don’t respond to emails, don’t browse, don’t go for a coffee.
It is a good way to focus on one thing and stop your time running away from you.
Take a gummy and try to clean the house before you face falls off
Not taking my shoes off when I get home from work.
Tricks my brain into thinking I still have shit to be done before I’m allowed to take them off and relax.
Really intense classical music
When getting into the habit of running/exercising in the morning, I literally spent a couple of weeks just putting on clothes and stepping outside to form that habit. The first step is the hardest, so focusing on only that part meant that once that part was down the rest was easy.
I used to be a communications contractor and I had several techniques for running cable and doing various things. When other installers ask me how I got the jobs done by myself so quickly I told them and their answer is always “oh that doesn’t work”.
Obviously, they did work because I got the work done fast and efficiently It would take too long to explain them if you didn’t understand the business.
Audiobooks.
I just tell myself “don’t put off till tomorrow what I can do today”… 60% of the time, it works every time.
Block off your work calendar with the time you feel most energized to get your work done.
I have most my energy in the day before lunch, and afterwards my brain is mush.
Every morning is blocked off with an event called Focus Time so that anyone who books a meeting with me knows exactly what they’re taking away from me.
I switch rooms depending on the task. Writing? Kitchen. Emails? Bedroom floor. Brain thinks it’s a new job each time and stays alert.
Anyone else doing this?
So this one is actually a bit unusual, I came up with it myself and haven’t seen anyone describe anything similar.
My hack is to watch Taskmaster! Taskmaster is one of my favourite shows to chill and wind down to, but it comes with a few commercial breaks. So when I watch an episode, every time a break comes on I will go to an online wheel spinner where I will put several tasks that I need to complete – dishes, tidying, watering plants, cleaning, etc. Then whatever I spin I HAVE to do. Then I get to reward myself by watching a little bit of Taskmaster again before the next break. As someone who usually struggles to get basic tasks done this works really well!
This is specific to standardized testing for university applications: register for a location where you don’t know anyone.
Nervous people tend to gather and chitchat before the test and during break sessions, so they return to the test mentally exhausted.
It was much more productive to get a drink of water, walk the halls for a couple of minutes to get the blood circulating, and stretch the shoulders. A stranger can do that undisturbed.
Having a resistance band around the legs of my work chair and doing leg extensions if I’m getting distracted
Vyvanse.
There was a show in my country that supposedly recreated dramatic real life stories (nothing was real but it was fun to watch). I used to “watch” it on one of my monitors, while using the other monitor in a split screen mode. Funnily enough, that way I could finish double the amount of work I usually did.
Resting more often. Taking more breaks away from the computer. Not to do other things, but to just lay down with my eyes closed, doing nothing.
Oh and adhd medications. I wasn’t able to actually rest during my breaks until I got medicated properly.
Meal prepping the week’s lunches on Sunday. I won’t make a lunch the morning of. I’ll go out to eat, get something not great and not want to go back to work lol
Believe it or not, the Pomodoro technique worked well for me when I was in college. Now f I just set my heart on doing it on my chores…..
Make a list of the things I want to have done, and work my way through that list. Its helpful in my job and around the house.
Telling myself, ‘You can quit tomorrow. Just not today.’ Been telling myself that for years now.
Genuinely? Having some kind of audio running.
Depending on how brain-intense the task is, pick an audio feed that’s the inverse of that. Basic hand tasks? Go for something with lots of narrative and dialogue. Something that requires a ton of focus? Video game soundtracks because they cover ambient sounds and give you something to keep your ears occupied while keeping your brain on what you’re Actually Doing. It takes a bit to feel out what your best choices are for various tasks, but it super helps
Zero inbox. I have a rule that automatically sends emails that I’m cc’d on to the archive folder (I can review that when I’m not busy). All emails directly addressed to me stay in the inbox until I process them and, once done, are also moved to the archive folder or just deleted. I never have more than a couple of emails in my inbox at a time, and it’s usually empty by the weekend.
Putting my gym clothes on as soon as I get home from work. If I’m already dressed, I may as well go work out.
Give me a deadline and I’ll make it. Don’t and I won’t.
Wearing shoes at home = brain thinks it’s work time, not nap time.
Instant productivity. Total scam. Totally works.
Slightly harder surface to sit on and slightly lower temperature than what’s comfortable, not enough to be unpleasant.
Primes me to be productive, or get up and take a proper break to unwind.
I put all my tasks on slips of paper in a jar. Then I draw one randomly and do it. It’s like a game, and it makes things seem less overwhelming because they’re broken into small chunks and not all in one long scary list.
Not weird but I just watch TLC or reality tv while washing dishes!
Working out on my lunch break on the days I work from home.
Made a deal with myself that I can only listen to my favorite true crime podcasts while cleaning or doing mindless work tasks. Now I actually look forward to filing paperwork because I get to find out who the killer is.
Getting up and going for a walk when I’m stuck on something
Alternatively just doing something when I’m having a hard time starting on a task
I turn of as many notifications as I can. I find that there is nothing so important that I can’t just check every hour or so.
Haha, love this question! Here’s one that sounds weird but totally worked for me:
I started wearing real clothes (like jeans and a button-up) while working from home instead of sweats or PJs. Something about physically dressing up flipped a switch in my brain and made me feel more professional and “on.” It’s like tricking myself into thinking I’m in a real office, even when I’m just at my kitchen table.
Bonus: I’ve read about people working with a “fake commute” (walking around the block before sitting down to work). Same idea, signals to your brain that it’s work mode.
I have ADHD, I have a wealth of them:
What works for me is hating someone and wanting to do better than them.
My grades sucked in high school until I developed a deep loathing for a girl named Ida. This girl was ALL about her grades. She was top of the class.
I busted my nonexistent balls for a semester just so I could nonchalantly lay my report card on my desk and she could glance over and see my gpa was better than hers.
It was worth it. She freaked the fuck out.
It works in my professional life too. Nothing motivates me more than disliking a coworker and wanting to show them up.
I’m a hater, not a lover.
Every time I need to make an important phone call I’ve been dreading I put on red lipstick. Something about it makes me feel more confident and professional. Been doing this for two years now and my anxiety about calls has pretty much disappeared.
When I have a full day that I need to fill up with chores and tasks, I have a game on my computer. It’s turn based. Between tasks, to catch my breath, I might play one or two turns. Then get up and go do something else.
It’s enough that it helps settle my mind, but not so much that I get sucked in.
I promise myself if I workout/exercise TODAY then I can slack TOMORROW. Every day, I promise myself I can take tomorrow off if I do it today.
Quite honestly – 5pm cut off.
I work in a very high volume and stressful environment with a massive influx of tasks, decision making, and requests from my team, clients, and internal stakeholders. I was running myself into the ground working late (which was and still is the norm) and checking emails in off hours. Absolutely no work life balance and always on edge.
Pandemic brought me back to the ground. Now, I’m forced to be much more efficient with my working hours and don’t respond to calls, messages, or emails as soon as working hours are done.
Other coworkers are still working all the time but my output is often the same or better because I’m more rested both mentally and physically. Peace of mind is definitely something I will not give up.
Edit: Oh also, actually taking a lunch break. Seriously, most people around me take a working lunch at their desk.
Inviting someone over is the best way to get the house clean.
To get it spotless, invite someone you have a crush on.
A former boss of mine always said “before you start anything, think for 10 minutes how you’re going to do it,” which has since saved me countless hours redoing work on ill-conceived ideas.
Basically wait long enough to complete a task and it will no longer be needed
“Just get started. You don’t have to finish or even do very much but then later it’ll be easier to jump right in because you’ve already started”. Knowing full well that once I start a task there’s a 99% chance I’ll go ahead and finish it. Yet I fall for it every time. I’m very easy to trick because I’m much smarter than me.
Weirdest but surprisingly effective? Chewing the same flavor gum while studying and during the exam. It’s called context-dependent memory—your brain can link the flavor with the material you studied, boosting recall. It sounds ridiculous, but there’s actual research behind it! I once walked into an exam smelling like a mint factory… but hey, I remembered the Krebs cycle, so no regrets
House chores/apartment chores should take no less than 30 minutes (relatively speaking).
30 minutes out of your day is not the end of the world.
Doing chores and other unpleasnt tasks early in thr morning means you dont have to think about it the rest of the day inturupting your relaxation or fun
Crying and whining for like 3 months and then one day it hit me …that’s enough of that
Pretending to be incompetent so that someone will step in and do it for you. (In my case, I’m incompetent though)
One of my favorite productivity hacks is doing “future me” a favor. If I notice something that needs to be done and it only takes a few minutes, I go ahead and knock it out right then, even if it’s a small thing. I think of it as helping out my future self, so later on I can be grateful that it’s already taken care of. It’s a small mental trick, but it actually motivates me to get stuff done now instead of putting it off.
Tidy as you go. Train yourself to look around before leaving a room and pick something up that you can put away where youre going.
“Shoes on, brain on”.
If I put my shoes on it feels like Im getting ready to go out, so if Im working from home I tend to concentrate better with my shoes on XD
Removing all social media from my phone
Listening to Ebooks
Listening to Ebooks with headphones on (good for things like doing dishes where it’s harder to hear)
Putting shoes on, or keeping shoes on after arriving at home until things are done
Close your eyes, forget comfort and everything elese in your mind that stays rent free and just do it ✅
When I lack motivation, I make a list of 20 items, some items are fun, like eating or going for a walk, and the rest are work items that need to be done. Then I use a d20 until there are only a few items left that I can do quickly, and the work day is done!
Works every time 60% of the time
When trying to be better about keeping a tidy space and being organized; consistently saying “put it away, not down” until I do 😂
It may sound silly but I race against my kettle boiling to see how much cleaning I can get done. It’s a fun way to tackle chores and keeps me moving.
To finish my thesis, I found a picnic table which happened to have a wall socket where I could keep my laptop charged.
I would go for a drive, pack my bag with a ton of library books, load up on snacks, park about 500m away and leave my phone in the car.
If I got to a point in my essay where I needed the internet to check a detail, I would mark that sentence with an asterisk to check later and keep writing.
Also, I’ve found the “Listonic” app helpful for coordinating to-do lists with my wife.
remove Instagram. Reddit Facebook and any other social media icons from my screen so I have to search for them and then turn notifications off so you have to actively look. stopped looking at Instagram for a week. didn’t even notice
Serious answer:
I went on a time-management course when I was early in my career. I was highly sceptical going in to it, but walked away with two life lessons I stuck with throughout my entire career.
The first was, the only things that really matter are “the high value tasks that you complete”. Low-value, or incomplete tasks aren’t really worth that much are they?
But the second lesson was even more profound: the greatest source of interruptions to your work is …. yourself
It was at that time that I realised looking for a new downloadable set of animated cursor icons might not actually be the most important thing consuming my work day
If I’m just going to watch a podcast on YouTube, or listen to something, and otherwise putz on reddit, I transfer to my phone, and just try and get some generalized cleaning done.
I set an alarm for every weekday at a time I’m normally that not busy that reminds me to do some chores, even if minor, for a few minutes. I don’t always listen to it, but I definitely do many more chores than I did before I set the alarm