I’ve settled on six quick ways to increase productivity and help you accomplish those goals fast so you can achieve more.
Most people want to have more energy and be more productive. The two generally go together.
Bonus: you’ll also save some money and lose weight (get leaner) with these tips too.
1 — Drink More Water
Chances are high that you’re dehydrated right now. Dehydration causes a lot of problems with the body and mind.
You have less energy when dehydrated. Your cells can’t repair themselves or fight off illness when they need more water.
Your mind can’t focus as well. You won’t sleep as well either…
Get 100+ ounces of water a day. You will not drown. If you exercise regularly (see below), you should get more.
Drinking your body weight in ounces of water isn’t a bad idea.
I do it: I feel awesome, very rarely get sick, have clear skin (used to have acne problems) and plenty of energy. Do I pee a lot? Sure. Small price to pay for being healthy.
2 — Get More Sleep
This is a whole lot easier to do if you’ve done the first one. And if you do the next one.
Most people need between 6 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Figure out how much you need based on how you feel after having a certain amount of sleep.
I noticed that I feel more tired if I sleep more than 8 hours per night and I don’t function well on less than 6.
Having a nice pre-bed routine helps your body prepare for sleep. Don’t be staring at a screen right before bed. Turn the lights down. Maybe read, meditate or stretch. Or all three.
Being well rested will help you have more energy in the morning and lose weight. You won’t need junk stimulants, which cost money by the way. Sleep does not cost extra.
3 — Exercise every day
I’m not saying lift weights and run a 5k every day. But there’s no excuse to not get 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise daily.
Do you want a rest day? Cool. Do 6 days per week. There are a lot of great programs out there to keep you going and radically improve your well-being in a short period of time.
If you’ve got the money: P90X and INSANITY (for intermediate and advanced exercisers) or Tony Horton’s P90 Base Kit DVD Workout for beginners.
I’ve done all three. They’re great. You don’t have to wonder what exercise to do for the day because that’s already planned for you. You just have to put the disc in the tray and turn it on. Then move.
Don’t have the money for that: get a Resistance Band Set and a workout book. Use online resources for free workout ideas.
That requires more discipline, so it’s better for a highly motivated person. Or you could get an accountability partner and do the workouts together.
4 — Replace unhealthy snacks with healthy ones
Sugar kills. It will drain you of your energy. It causes crashes (body and energy) and hurts your brain. Like more than alcohol and some illegal drugs.
Sugar is poison and should be avoided.
Instead of a candy bar ($1.50), get a 1 lb bag of almonds (~$7). You can get salted if you don’t have high blood pressure.
That bag will last you more than 5 days if you eat smart (take your time, chew your food, wait 20 minutes after eating a handful to let it digest and rid you of your hunger). You save a couple dollars per week, have more energy and lose weight.
That’s one example. Replace store-bought cookies with these really cool, healthier alternatives.
After you exercise, have a protein shake. It’ll curb hunger, repair muscle tissues and fuel your day (energy and weight loss).
Generally, you can get a quality protein shake for about $2/shake. That’s less than a latte. And much healthier.
5 — Replace fast food with protein bars
Square Organic Protein Bars are delicious and super healthy.
You can get them on their site or buy them on Amazon in boxes of 12 for about $25. For easy math, let’s say it’s $2/bar.
If you spend $7 on a fast food meal (for lunch or dinner), you get 800+ garbage calories that are wrecking your body and making you sluggish.
If you spend $2 on a protein bar, you get ~250 calories of good nutrition.
It’s a no-brainer. You save $5/meal, lose fat and boost energy. It’s truly amazing.
With that extra coin, swap that soda ($1/each) for a kombucha (~$3/each). You’ll eliminate the poison you’ve been chugging and get a delicious probiotic instead.
6— Don’t eat snacks after dinner
I’m not going to tell you when to eat your last meal of the day. Not my business and you do what works for you and your schedule.
I will let you know that eating snacks late (within a few hours of bedtime) is a poor decision. Generally, we go for sugary or other unhealthy snacks late.
So, just cut yourself off. Have an extra serving of meat and veggies at dinner instead. Don’t snack on junk food. You’ll wreck your progress and wake up feeling tired.
There you have it. The 6 quick ways to increase productivity and be a healthier, more energized version of you!
Let me know in the comments how this works for you. I’d love to hear about your progress!
