Healthy Ways to Jump Start Your Workday & Boost Productivity

Regardless of the task or job being performed, everyone has experienced the feeling of wanting to accomplish what is set before them in an efficient manner. With limited working hours, it is imperative to stay on top of everything so that becoming stuck in the office overnight does not become a reality. Efficiency and time management are skills that can be trained which when applied correctly, should result in a less stressful and more productive work day. Doing more within the traditional eight hour time constraint is an idea worth chasing because in the long run this can be a massive benefit. Author and speaker Tim Robbins summed up this idea, “Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!"

What are a few healthy ways to jump start your workday and boost productivity in order to achieve this? We spoke with ten different business experts to discover their opinions on this. 

Tyler Read is the Founder and Senior Editor of Personal Trainer Pioneer, a brand offering helpful, up to date, and relevant advice and resources for aspiring personal trainers. He believes that one of the most impactful things is keeping track of how much time is being dedicated to a task. 

“Have you ever wondered why we check the clock as often as we do? I tend to think that it is because we are not good at keeping track of time. If you buy into this idea, it suggests that if we had a better sense of time we would utilize it better. I’ve found that timing myself has allowed me to be far more cognitive of how I’m using my time. Now that I have an idea of how long I should be dedicated to something, I’m able to stay on task much more.”

The IV Doc specializes in providing telehealth services with a licensed physician or medical provider. Their CEO, Adam Nadelson, suggests identifying and eliminating items in your workspace that regularly pull away from productivity. 

“It doesn’t matter who you are, there is something in your office or at your desk that grabs your attention for far longer than it should. This is a very natural thing but it’s also easily avoided. When you find yourself doing something during work hours that isn’t valuable to your job, take the time to find a way to remove that distraction. Some people are quick to pick up their phone and scroll through their favorite app. Others are pulled away by a knick knack on the desk. With fewer items to distract you, your productivity should improve.”

Sometimes work productivity falls off because a person runs out of energy. A healthy way to combat this is to be physically active more often. Zizi is a business providing all-in-one cholesterol lowering supplements. Their Co-Founder, Reece Kresser, considers this approach wise. 

“I think when exercise is thought of, the physical benefits are all that is considered. While the added energy levels and general fitness are wonderful benefits, there’s more that comes with exercise. Lower stress levels, mental clarity, and even brain growth are all a result of exercising. It’s almost like a power up for your brain and I really believe everyone could use that. If you’re looking to make more of your workday, I highly suggest finding a way to exercise.

Kiran Gollakota is the Co-Founder and CEO of Lightyear Health, a brand offering behavioral health, pain management, physiatry, and other specialty care for adults. He advises determining which duties are most difficult or time consuming and tackling them first. 

“The phrase ‘save the best for last’ is one that can be rewarding if applied in the workplace. Many of us have put off a meeting, email, or phone call that we just don’t want to be a part of. There are even cases where we fill our time in ways that are not effective in order to avoid that thing we just don’t want to do. This is where that phrase comes into play. If you start out your day by eliminating the things you’re dreading, you’ll not only remove the procrastination, you’ll also have a much freer workday ahead of you.”

Life MD specializes in elevating the healthcare experience through Telehealth. Their Clinical Director, David Culpepper, MD, believes adding some personality to a workspace can greatly impact productivity. 

“Provided your employer is comfortable with you adding character to wherever you’re working, it’s really amazing the difference some small elements can make. Did you know that colors actually affect our mood? For example, blue provides peace while red heightens our awareness. Plants also have a similar effect to that of blue while increasing your performance. This really makes a lot of sense as so many workspaces are drab and cookie cutter which can really leave someone feeling uninspired. Another thing you can do is add some personal elements such as photos, momentos, or just things you enjoy. So long as they’re not distractions!”

Overworking a real thing that can easily derail any progress being made as mistakes are far more likely to appear when working under exhaustion or stress. Allara is a business providing an all-in-one virtual care team for women with PCOS. Their Founder and CEO, Rachel Blank, suggests making rest a priority. 

“We’ve all been there. You’ve been working on something for a long period of time and your mind starts to drift or your physical motions aren’t as fluid as they were when you started. This is your body telling you that you need a break. We’re not superheroes with endless amounts of energy. Everyone needs sleep, 15 minutes to catch their breath or even a vacation. A never ending work life is one that will lead to more problems than solutions so be sure to balance your time well.”

Jae Pak is the Founder of Jae Pak MD Medical, a brand offering hair transplant services. He considers music to be an excellent way to stimulate the brain and boost productivity. 

“Sometimes work is just agitating and there’s not much to be done to change that. That being said, music can be one of the biggest influences on a person's mood. The genre really doesn’t matter as it's all just personal preference and what works for you. Essentially, your music should provide pleasure to the point where it affects your mood. Being in this state provides more focus on what’s in front of you. Just check with your boss to make sure they’re comfortable with you listening to music!”

JOI specializes in plant milk concentrates. Their CEO, Hector Gutierrez, advises writing down all the tasks that need to be accomplished in order to be more organized. 

“It’s really simple to fall into the mentality of ‘Let’s get through today’ when you’re working. While I absolutely understand this approach, it can be hindering. Your present workday should prepare you for the next one. The things you do each day should build on each other. In order to make this a reality I keep a to-do list of the most important projects or assignments I have on my plate at the moment. This shows me what is important and what I need to be doing. It’s also a great feeling to put a checkmark next to the things I’ve finished.”

It may seem logical to attempt to accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously in an effort to achieve productivity but it actually has the inverse effect. The Quality Edit is a business providing curating the web’s best direct-to-consumer brands. Their Co-Founder, Lauren Kleinman, believes others should take notice of this. 

“As much as we want our brains to multitask, they just don’t work that way. Many studies have been done that show when people multitask, their productivity suffers greatly. Because of the lack of focus and increased stress, your responsibilities will begin to slip and make it that much harder to manage. It may require some mindfulness at first but train yourself to focus on one thing at a time.”

John Diep is the CEO of LA Startups, an independent digital publication that uncovers the latest tech, startups, lifestyle, and culture in Los Angeles. Diep suggests social media is one of the biggest detractors from productivity. 

“Nearly everyone is on social media in one form or another. It’s been shown to be highly addictive because it is constantly updating and changing. People don’t want to miss out. Obviously, being on your phone will pull you away from your job but the draw of social media is always there. It might be smart to put your phone in a place where you have to think about accessing it in order to spend less time with it and be more effective.”

So much of what is discussed above revolves around being intentional and calculated about the time available to us so that it does not pass it by. That being said, not every method above will be applicable to everyone. However, without making a concerted effort to increase productivity, nothing will change. Author Peter Turla put it best, “A plan is what, a schedule is when. It takes both a plan and a schedule to get things done.”