23 Productivity Hacks That Will Actually Make You Happy

Exercise energizes rather than exhausts you, contrary to what the couch potatoes might tell you.

Some studies have shown that exercise can improve your mood for up to 12 hours following your workout.

The truth is that most meetings never need more than 30 minutes to accomplish their missions. Many really only need 15 minutes. 

Most of us don’t drink nearly as much water as we should. Our bodies thrive on water — just like the rest of the world! 

Drinking more water gives you more energy, keeps you healthy, and gives you an excuse to get up for bathroom breaks so you’re not stuck in a chair all day.

It’s easy to burn yourself out if you try to work at full throttle all day long. The truth is that our minds just aren’t designed to work that way. 

For optimal productivity, try the popular and praised Pomodoro technique — work for 25 minutes, then give yourself a five-minute break.

When you’re too eager to please, you often end up getting in over your head.

You may end up missing deadlines, and despite good intentions, you could end up disappointing others.

Many studies have shown how having pets can promote physical and mental well-being. Employees who are allowed to bring their dogs into the office are less stressed and often report more job satisfaction. There’s nothing like a cuddle with a furry friend to alleviate some of that toxic stress.

Depending on your commute, you may spend hours driving to and from work in your car. Those hours don’t have to be wasted. Make the most of those previously wasted hours:

• Consider scheduling calls in the morning that you can take during your drive to work.
• Subscribe to popular industry podcasts and listen to them on the way home. 
• Stuck waiting at the boarding gate before a flight? Catch up on industry news and articles.

Do the best you can do in a reasonable amount of time, and then stop. 

our inner perfectionist can be helpful, but it also needs to be kept in check. 

Scheduling requires you to be realistic about what you can get done. 

Even scheduling free time can be rewarding and can result in a better quality of time spent. 

Clutter is extremely stress-inducing. A messy desk can make you feel overwhelmed and anxious, so clear those papers, throw out those old paper coffee cups, and feel that heart rate go down. 

There are tons of great tools available to help you out. 

• For tracking your time management, try Toggl or Yast.
• Are you a savvy social manager? Go with Hootsuite, which offers a central dashboard for managing all your social media accounts. Also consider Buffer, which makes it super easy to share found articles across various social sites.
• For saving articles to read at your leisure, go with Feedly, Pocket, or Evernote. 
• Sick of forgetting passwords? Try LastPass, which keeps tabs and secures all your various passwords for you. If you use numerous accounts in one day (and who doesn’t?).

Brussels sprouts have traditionally been the vegetable reviled by children across the country. The truth is that you’ll enjoy those pork chops and potatoes much more if you eliminate the Brussels sprouts first.

The same is true for productivity — eliminate your least favorite tasks right off the bat, and you’ll find the rest of your day to be more pleasant and productive. 

A morning meal gives you the fuel you need to be present and productive at work, so don’t skip it. 

The general productivity consensus is that if a task takes less than two minutes to complete, you should finish it immediately. 

Whether that means responding to an email or confirming a doctor’s appointment, get those small (but often weighty-feeling) tasks done with, rather than let them collect and snowball. 

When a hundred little tasks are nibbling at your brain, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lost at sea. 

However, a little perspective can do you good — remember to not sweat the small stuff. If you’re going to worry, worry about the big things, not the little ones. 

It’s easy to break a promise to yourself, but it’s much harder to break a commitment you’ve made to another person.

Words have weight and power — make vows to friends (and ask them to hold you accountable), and you may find it easier to keep commitments you wouldn’t necessarily hold yourself to. 

Losing one night’s sleep is cognitively equivalent to being over the alcohol limit. 

Equipment needs to be properly cared for to work correctly. Getting a good night’s sleep of seven to eight hours is mandatory.

Sunday is definitely a day for relaxing, but if you’re often overwhelmed come Monday morning, logging in briefly Sunday evening may help you alleviate some of that Monday mania.

You don’t need to make calls or even answer emails — simply assess what your Monday game plan will be, and you’ll sleep a little more soundly. 

Sometimes the best way to break a bad habit is to make things incredibly difficult for yourself. If you hate that you watch too much TV, keep the remote control in the upstairs closet.

While the extreme lengths you take to avoid certain habits can seem excessive, once those habits are broken it will be well worth the struggle. 

Setting unrealistic expectations for yourself sets you up for failure. Don’t be afraid to start with baby steps and work up from there. If you want to run a marathon, start by getting out for a run a few days a week. 

Your goals shouldn’t be lofty ideals you never plan on reaching — they should be real and attainable. Once you meet your goals, create new ones that raise the bar a bit higher. 

A positive outlook goes a long way toward keeping you happy, healthy, and productive. 

Count your blessings, and seek out the silver linings.