“There’s not enough hours in the day!”
“If only I had more time…”
Dose of Prose
Have you ever found yourself running late or not completing all of your tasks/goals in a certain time frame? I know I have. Poor time management can truly have a domino effect on your efficiency, productivity, energy and overall mentality. Breaking unintentional behaviors and reinforced habits is not something that happens overnight, but I have found that even the smallest lifestyle changes can make the biggest difference. From my experiences in college, grad school and the workplace, I realize now more than ever the importance of time management. Overtime I’ve developed some practices that have helped me to become more productive and maximize the most out of my day. Today I want to share some of my tips on ways that you can be more intentional with your habits in a way that will allow you to stay focused and energized throughout the day.
Optimizing Caffeine
Whether you know me personally or just follow my blog/social media, you probably know that I am a coffee drinker (I mean, I went to a coffee convention if that tells you anything lol). I mostly drink coffee because I love the taste and the ‘process’ of it, meaning that I love exploring local coffee shops in my area or making my coffee in the morning at home – I find it relaxing! I like tea as well, but I typically go for a coffee (and would even prefer it over going for drinks to be honest). However, my experience with coffee has involved a lot of trial and error. It took me a while to figure out the type of coffee that worked best for me and my body. Sometimes, the coffee I would get or make would be too strong or too sweet. My sleep was affected, I would feel a crash, I would get caffeine headaches, I wouldn’t eat or feel hunger and I would become really anxious. There were ups and down for sure, and by what I had observed from my friends and classmates and others around me, I wasn’t the only one. I realized that caffeine is a powerful, addictive drug and in order to fully reap the benefits of caffeine, you must drink it with intention.
The other day I read an article about caffeine optimization, inspired by the book Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day. The article mirrored some of the initiatives I was already personally taking to change the way I drink coffee. Ever since I started optimizing my caffeine, I’ve become more productive throughout my day, while getting a good night’s rest. I do not have any dependency on caffeine and my intake of caffeine on one day does not impact my energy for the next. If you intake caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks, etc.) but do not want to create a dependency on it, I have a couple guidelines that you can follow to truly reap the benefits of caffeine.
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wake, then caffeinate
There’s actual science behind this tip and if you want more specifics on that then I would encourage you to read the book, but basically, if you want to decrease your dependency on caffeine, don’t drink it right when you wake up. Try to allow your body to natural wake itself up, drink some water and then make your cup of joe. You can still get your ideal morning energy, but try to have your first sip of caffeine starting at 9:30am and no earlier. It was easy for me to adapt this habit because my earliest class would begin at 9:30am. I would make my coffee in the morning as I was getting ready and bring it to class and then start drinking it. Even on the days when I have a 7am workout class or a weekend where I’m working from home, I wouldn’t get any coffee until afterwards or not at all and I would still be energized in the morning!
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go green [tea]
The first time I ever took night classes was in grad school, and because I consider myself a ‘morning person,’ I did not think I would be able to sustain my energy or focus for night classes. I didn’t want to drink coffee at night either, because I didn’t want to impact my sleep. I liked tea and knew that tea did not contain as much caffeine as coffee, so I opted for tea during my 3 hour night classes. I specifically drank green tea because it had other health benefits along with caffeine. Green tea gave me the perfect pick me up during class without impacting my sleep and helped me to keep my energy levels sustained throughout the day. If you’ve already had your morning coffee, and you start to feel tired (biologically this usually happens around 3 or 4 pm), instead of going for another coffee, try green tea. I definitively recommend this tip, especially if you have a night shift or night class!
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carefully time and strategize your intake
Have you ever drank caffeine and only felt jittery and anxious instead of energized? There’s been times where I pulled all-nighters and tried to drink coffee or times where I drank coffee when I was tired, but I felt like it didn’t do anything. It didn’t wake me up, I felt lethargic and shaky but that’s it. This was due to the fact that I was not being strategic with my coffee intake. It’s important to time your caffeine intake so that you can be wired when you start your important tasks. You also have to learn when your last call for caffeine is so that your sleep isn’t impacted and rolls into the next day’s energy. For example, on those days where I have a ton of work to do (or a blog post to write lol), I’ll make a cup of coffee right before I head to the library and start on my work, which enables me to be focused and get things done!
Increase Productivity
Okay, I think I’ve exhausted the coffee topic, but for those of you who don’t intake caffeine at all, not to worry, I have some productivity tips for you, too.
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technology time out
I’m sure you have heard this before, but looking at your cell phone, laptop, TV or any other device right when you first wake up and/or right before you go to bed negatively impacts your sleep and your productivity throughout the day! I am still trying to improve this habit myself, but I’ve definitely noticed a difference when I don’t look at my phone before I sleep and when I wake up. I might lay down at a certain time, but stay up hours later because I was looking at my phone. Or I might look at emails or messages and become stressed/anxious instead of relaxed and ready for bed. Once I started to give myself a ‘time out’ period with my tech devices, I was able to sleep better and I woke up with more energy. I was more focused on myself and what I needed to accomplish during the day as well. It’s really important to unplug from time to time.
For example, if you have an assignment you need to work on or an exam to study for, turn your phone over or put it in a separate room. I understand that it’s important to not be completely unplugged from the world in case of an emergency, but I think if you really want to stay focused without letting the world disturb you, it wouldn’t hurt to put your phone away for a while. In the evening, give yourself a cut off time where you no longer look at your devices. I recommend reading a book before you go to sleep, even if it’s just 5 or 10 pages. Reflect on the day you had, meditate, do whatever you want just don’t look at your phone. Trust me, your body and mind will thank you!
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be consistent
Some people live by a rigid schedule and others go with the flow. Even if you like to go with the flow, I highly suggest you at least try to have a consistent bedtime and wake up time. I know it can be annoying for your body to naturally wake up at 8am because that’s the time you have to wake up during the week, but if you sleep in one day, stay up late another, then wake up early on a different day, you’re throwing off your biological clock, which impacts your energy levels the next day.
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make your tasks realistic
I personally like to plan everything out and make lists. However, I noticed that I would fall into the habit of making to-do lists that were completely unrealistic. There was no way that I could finish all of the tasks in the time frame I set out for myself. When I didn’t complete these tasks, I was stressed, felt unproductive and behind. You know yourself and your work ethic better than anyone else. If you have a certain task or goal that you want to accomplish, be intentional with your time and set a realistic expectation for yourself. In the long run, you’ll be more productive in your work.
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take active breaks
If you’ve ever gone to a workout class or been part of an athletic team, I’m sure you’ve experienced those times where the workout gets really intense, and then the instructor says to take a break, but it’s an active rest, meaning you’re still moving, but the movement isn’t as intense and gives you’ chance to catch your breath. You’re working, but not working, if that makes sense. This example can apply to your time management skills. If you spend too long doing a task, you might get restless, bored, distracted, etc. It’s important to take breaks, let your eyes rest, partake in an outlet that you enjoy and then get back to work. Trust me, you will be more productive!
For me personally, my active rests consist of listening to podcasts, yoga and soulcycle (an indoor cycling class). Most of the podcasts I like are related to finance and current events, not only because it’s something I’m interested in, but also because it expands my knowledge. Sometimes, I’ll listen to international radio stations in another language so that I can keep up my foreign language speaking skill (If you want to know some of my favorite podcasts, let me know!) I’ve found that podcasts and exercise keep me away from my phone for a bit and serve as a great start to my day. If you would like me to make a separate post on my morning and night routines, leave a comment below!
I hope this post gave you some ideas about small lifestyle changes you can make to sustain your energy and maximize your productivity. I also want to remind you that as important as it is to get sh*t done, it’s equally, if not more important to allow your body and mind to rest and rejuvenate. For more ways to practice self-care, check out my self-care start pack post!
What do you do to efficiently and effectively manage your time? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! Also, if you end up trying any of the tips I mentioned in this post and it worked for you, either leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! Until next time.
Kaamilah
