How far would you go to boost productivity? From avoiding days off to reducing sleep, people do some pretty questionable things just to get stuff done. Sacrificing relaxation time and essential, healing sleep has real long-term impacts. In the end, you might find that the extra stuff you got done wasn’t worth it.

Do you have a big list to tackle, and not enough willpower (or time) to do it all? Here are six suggestions that make us feel accomplished, and won’t compromise our health.

1. Take more breaks.

The key to productivity is not avoiding time off – it is making sure you get time off at regular intervals. When you work hard at something for too long, the quality and speed with which you work suffer. By giving yourself ten minutes to recharge, you are better able to sustain the pace and quality of anything you do.

TIP: This is why so many of us have singing bowls in the office. It’s the most beautiful mindfulness break you’ve ever heard.

2. One task at a time. 

Multitasking is overrated, as it does not lead to more or better results. Instead, restrict yourself to accomplishing one thing at a time. Successfully completing a task or two is much more satisfying than having four half-finished projects.

3. Exercise.

Getting regular exercise boosts mood, clears the mind, and enhances focus. Not to mention, it gives us more energy during the day and makes it easier to fall asleep at night. All of this is a healthy recipe for better productivity. 

4. Stop reacting.

Behavioral therapists and meditation teachers alike will tell you that any event itself is not good nor bad – it’s your reaction that makes it so. So, if you get a frantic phone call that a deadline has been moved up, don’t react as though it’s a dreadful development. Allowing others to decide how you feel hampers your ability to take care of business. 

5. Remove distractions.

This is a sort of “mini-multitasking” that sneaks its way into productive time. Do not allow notifications for calls and emails while you are focused on finishing something. If you must, schedule yourself a separate time to catch up on communications. Be mindful of any distractions that you convince yourself are necessary or important. 

6. Organize and optimize.

If you pay close attention to your day, you can see where things go wrong. With a few adjustments, you can fix this in no time. For starters, adopt the mindset that anything difficult must be handled first. From there, try techniques such as doing short tasks (like folding laundry or making a call) as soon as you think of them. This way, they don’t pile up.

Also, assign yourself some deadlines. If there’s already a deadline, move it up a little. This only helps you prioritize tasks, so you have a greater awareness of what’s really important.

Remember that physically writing things down is much more powerful than just letting worries roll around in your mind. Once you write out the what and then when you’re much closer to making it happen.

Do you have any productivity hacks? Drop them below!