Life Hacks to Increase Productivity
You’re hoping for a burst of energy or inspiration to launch you into productivity. You know that you have that inbox full of emails, or maybe it's that paper you’ve been procrastinating, or the gym session you're not looking forward to. Whatever it may be, we’ve all been there! Sometimes more than we’d like to admit. Lucky for you, we have a few hacks that can jump-start your brain into focus mode and ready you to have a productive day.
1. Water
Pfffft. Boring. But water really is the easiest way to fuel your day, your assignment or your workout. Our bodies are 70% made of water and we need it for proper function, but let’s be honest: it’s just not that exciting. However, a simple trick to make your water more enticing and boost your energy is to add some heat and some citrus. A warm glass of water with a lemon or lime wedge can be just the jolt you need to get out of a funk and get started on a productive streak. I personally drink about 20oz of warm lemon water on my way to work every day, and being out here in Colorado during wintertime, it has the added benefit of warming up my body when the temperature has a minus sign in front of it.
2. Movement
Get your body moving, get your blood pumping and the productive juices flowing! A very simple way to be productive is to shake off the worries of deadlines and just get started! Go for a walk, do some simple stretches or morning yoga, have a dance party - whatever you need to do in order to get your body moving. I notice that having an active body helps to activate my mind and helps me to increase my productivity.
3. Avoid Social Media & Screen Time
Yeah, yeah I know. Here is my “old man yells at sky” moment. And yeah!! I know!! It’s hard!! We love to wake up to our feeds and see what our friends are up to, what’s going on with Billie Eilish, and our mom’s friends’ rants about essential oils or whatever. But that scrolling just suppresses your productivity and keeps you in bed for another hour or two that could have been spent getting a constructive start on your day. Parting ways with the ever-so-addicting screen is easier said than done, but we have found that by swapping unproductive habits for fruitful ones, you can increase your daily productivity levels, as well as your overall mood! Some ways we’ve found to do so are by utilizing journal prompts, getting outside, reading a good book or by having a conversation with someone who inspires you.
4. Music
Who doesn’t love music?! There are so many genres to choose from, so many artists within each genre, and SO many perfectly curated playlists for whatever you’re in the mood for. There are 10 hour streams on YouTube for any occasion (shout out ChilledCow for being the OG lo-fi chill hop beats to study and relax to) and the right song can definitely give you that surge of energy that you need to get started on your new project and skyrocket your productivity! Studies have shown that listening to background music can help to improve productivity and cognitive performance in adults. So sit back, relax, and play your favorite tunes while you chip away at your to-do list.
5. Caffeine
Oh, you thought we forgot? Sometimes, you need to seek assistance from outside energy sources like from our dear friend: caffeine. Caffeine can get you through some of the roughest mornings, the slowest afternoons, the toughest workouts, or the most boring of meetings. Caffeine can do it all. But not all caffeine sources are created equal, you know. While drinking your caffeine through coffee, tea, soda and energy drinks is the most common delivery method, it is not necessarily the most effective.
When you drink your energy, you may not always know how it is going to affect you or when it will affect you and that is largely due to your metabolism, how much or how little you’ve eaten, and how quickly you consume it. Plus, you’re missing out on crucial cognitive benefits that you can get from CHEWING your energy and can help with your daily productivity. Since you cannot chew an aluminum can, Apollo Energy Gum® has got you covered!
When you bite into Apollo®’s unique liquid center, you are able to release natural caffeine and vitamins quickly and more effectively than when drinking your energy. Not to mention, the potential brain boosting benefits to help increase your productivity that come from chewing the long-lasting spearmint shell of Apollo Energy Gum® like increased focus, longer concentration times, improved memory recall and more!
With that being said, get off your phone, get out of bed, go down to the kitchen for a nice warm glass of lemon water, get your body moving, throw on your favorite music, and chew a piece of Apollo Energy Gum® to get your productive day started!