Focus on one thing at a time. Don’t worry about everything you have to do in your head. Make a checklist and tick off one thing after you finish it. This will help reduce procrastination, which can be really dangerous when you need to finish tasks.

One of our most harmful productivity killers is multitasking. We think we’re saving time by doing multiple things at once, but in reality, we’re distracting ourselves from getting much done at all. If you find yourself struggling to focus on one task or are spending too much time switching back and forth between tasks, try only working on one thing at a time and focus solely on that activity until it’s completed.

Your phone, computer, and TV are distractions. There’s a time and place for each of these devices, but they can take away from real productivity. If you’re working on something big and important, turn them off or at least put them away in another room so you don’t constantly look at them when you want to focus. Make your home or office as distraction-free as possible by throwing out unnecessary clutter.

Every now and then you’re going to need a break. It can be hard to know when to take a break, but after five or six hours of solid work you should probably give yourself a five-minute breather. Take that time away from your desk, walk around and do some stretches, think about something other than work. After that five minutes is up, get back on it!