How To Achieve Painless Productivity: 3 Simple Strategies

Struggling with productivity while also managing the pain and stress that come with it? Don’t worry – we’ve all been there. 

Let’s discuss three strategies that can help you attain painless productivity.

These strategies are simple enough for any individual or organization looking to reduce their physical and psychological stresses while increasing performance levels. 

As always, it’s all about working smarter, not harder, and you’ll get far more down in the same amount of time, all without breaking a sweat (or your back). 

So if you’re ready to make some changes in your life, let’s dive right into the top 3 strategies for achieving painless productivity!

The Core Strategy to Being the Most Productive

You might be thinking, hey, I just want to be able to sit at my desk, get my head down, and get some work done. 

Can’t you just teach me how to do that?

If only it was that simple.

In an ideal world, you could just sit down and get your work done, but we’re human and have different needs and a ton of variables.

Let me just put this out there – you can’t work at 100% of your capacity every single day.

You’ll burn out, and the quality of your work will plummet. You keep trying to do this, which is why you’re reading this post.

You’re trying to brute force your way to success, acting as a dictator to yourself and commanding yourself to work harder for longer rather than acting as a leader that’s considering your needs.

You’re not a friend to yourself; this is where you’re going wrong.

The remedy to this, however, is to set up a strategy.

A strategy that considers your needs and is adjustable to how you’re feeling. Coach Taiwo Olajide emphasizes the importance of self-evaluation in achieving productivity. By understanding your body and energy levels, you can prioritize your health and well-being, which directly translates to productivity. 

If you slept poorly, aren’t eating well, and are going through a hard time, energy management allows you to acknowledge this and can adjust your work expectations accordingly.

If you slept amazingly, on the other hand, and are entirely motivated and ready to go, you can ramp those expectations right up. 

The core of everything you do here is to be willing to move that slider of expectations up and down and to be happy about it.

If you have any takeaway from this rambling, let it be that.

On top of this, you also need to stack the deck in your favor.

There’s more to being productive than just putting your phone away and setting goals; crafting an effective productivity strategy requires creativity, determination, and dedication.

That’s what we’re focusing on for the rest of this post.

Strategies that can help you maximize your productivity, regardless of your expectations for each and every day. The better you set yourself up for success, well, that’s kind of obvious.

Let’s get into it.

Strategy #1 – Assessing Your Current Habits And Making Small Changes

When it comes to creating new habits or revamping old ones, many people think the more drastic the change, the better, but this isn’t always true. It’s actually rarely true.

How often have you tried completely overhauling your sleeping routine, exercise, and eating habits, and how do you work?

You’ve probably had so many times where you download all the productivity apps, get Notion, watch the podcasts, and so on, and you say to yourself, right, this is it. I’m going to change my life and be the productivity superstar I want to be.

And half a day later, you’re back to square one.

The dictator approach doesn’t work. You need to lead yourself.

With this in mind, it turns out that small changes are often much more effective in achieving long-term results than large-scale overhauls. According to Coach Taiwo, breaking down tasks into manageable pieces allows you to maintain a productive pace and steadily achieve substantial results. 

Start by assessing your current habits and routines, identifying areas for improvement, and then focus on implementing easy steps to make those improvements – no matter how small they may seem at first.

For example, if you consistently get distracted while working on projects, try breaking them down into smaller chunks so you don’t get overwhelmed or bored. 

Or, if you find yourself procrastinating too frequently, make a list of tasks each day with realistic goals. 

By taking these tiny actions one step at a time instead of expecting overnight success, you’ll soon build up momentum toward meeting your desired outcomes without feeling like it’s all too hard or tedious.

Related reading: How TaskHuman Helped Busy Student Prioritize Productivity and Anxiety Management

Strategy #2 – Make Your Environment Work for You

The best trick I’ve found to be productive is not something you need to change about yourself but rather how to set up your environment.

What’s around you influences the decisions you make. 

For example, if you want to stop playing video games so much, but your games console is right underneath your TV, and you see it every single day, then you’re going to keep playing it. 

If you hide it away in the cupboard out of view, then your mind is much more likely to forget about it. Thus you play fewer video games.

The same with exercising. 

Put your sneakers out by your bedroom door with your gym bag ready packed, and you’ll be far more inclined to go to the gym after you wake up than having to piece everything together.

It’s all about friction.

If you had to pack your bag after waking up, every second is a point for you to say, ah, I’ll give today a miss. When everything is set up for you to succeed, everything has a much better chance of running smoothly.

The same applies to work.

If you want to sit at your desk but can see tons of paperwork and all the bits and pieces you should be working on, you’ll get distracted, and the work won’t get done.

Sort out your environment and make it work for you! It’s an effortless strategy that makes working far easier and much more productive!

Strategy #3 – Take Breaks And Allow Yourself To Recharge

Break time is essential to productivity. 

We know, we know. You just want to get on and crank out a ten-hour workday and get so much done, but guess what? You’ll burn out and crash, and you’ll be out of commission for a week or more, and you’ll get even less done long-term. Coach Taiwo stresses the difference between busyness and productivity. 

Taking frequent breaks gives your mind and body a chance to rest, recharge, and refocus on the task at hand. 

When done strategically, taking breaks can help you stay productive while avoiding feelings of exhaustion or burnout. Here are three tips for making the most of your break times:

Firstly, establish a regular schedule that works for you when taking breaks. This could be something like five minutes every hour or thirty minutes in the afternoon – whatever suits your workflow best. 

Make sure these scheduled breaks are taken consistently; that’ll provide an extra boost of energy during those moments when you feel overwhelmed with tasks.

Second, use break times as opportunities for self-care activities such as stretching, mindfulness meditations, or light exercise. Coach Taiwo stresses the point that you can rest productively too! Keep your mind off work and maximize the rest your body needs to maximize productivity while working. 

These activities should be enjoyable and stress-free — think yoga poses rather than high-intensity workouts! 

Engaging in mindful practices helps keep our brains sharp and energized so we’re ready to tackle any challenge ahead of us.

Finally, try using your break times to do things completely unrelated to work—like listening to music, reading a book, or chatting with friends online. 

It’s important to take some time away from work responsibilities each day to give our minds a much-needed reprieve and return feeling refreshed and recharged!

Some More Top Tips For Boosting Productivity Painlessly

What if I told you that there were more simple ways to boost your productivity without feeling like it’s painful? 

Luckily for us modern-day workers, several simple strategies can help alleviate the stress of getting things done, many of which I’ll share here!

• I am breaking down each task into manageable parts. This will also help keep motivation high and ensure no tasks become too overwhelming. 
• Use technology effectively! Many helpful tools are available online that can help streamline processes and save time in personal and professional projects. 
• Start with a plan: Take a few minutes at the beginning of each day to plan out your tasks and priorities. This can help you stay focused and avoid getting sidetracked by distractions.
• Eliminate distractions: Try to minimize distractions as much as possible. Turn off notifications on your phone and computer, close unnecessary tabs, and find a quiet space to work in.
• Stay organized: Keep your workspace organized and tidy to avoid feeling overwhelmed or distracted. Use tools like a planner, calendar, or to-do list to stay on track and prioritize tasks.
• Focus on one task at a time: Multitasking can decrease productivity, so try focusing on one task at a time. This can help you stay focused and complete tasks more efficiently.

Conclusion

When it comes to painless productivity, the strategies we discussed here can be a great starting point. 

By following the simple steps above, you can create a sustainable system that works with you instead of against you. 

So go ahead and give these strategies a try: see what works best for you! 

Good luck and happy working!

Book Coach Taiwo