How to be more productive without burning out

How to be more productive: step by step

These steps work across a week. You do not have to start them all at once. Pick one, try it for a week, then add the next.

1. 1Decide what matters this week. Write down the two or three things that would make the week feel worthwhile. If everything is a priority, nothing is.
2. 2Notice your best hours for a week. Jot down a few words at lunch and in the evening about when your mind felt clear and when it felt flat.
3. 3Match tasks to your energy. Put your hardest task in your clearest hours and easy jobs in the flat part of the day.
4. 4Rest on purpose. Plan breaks, a proper lunch, and a finishing time. Planned rest is easier to take than rest you have to talk yourself into.
5. 5Stop at a clear point so tomorrow starts easily. Before you finish, write down the first step for tomorrow. Then you come back to a clear start, not a blank.
6. 6Make one small habit that saves you time. Pick something that costs you minutes every day, such as hunting for your keys, and give it a fixed place or a fixed time.

For planning tips such as a top three, batching small jobs and a weekly review, see the time management tips.

The weekly planner helps with step 1. The daily planner helps with steps 2 to 4.

If you have too many things competing for a place in your top three, the Eisenhower matrix template can help you sort what is urgent from what is important. A calm start to the day also helps, and the morning routine checklist is one way to set that up.

Productivity habits that last

A small habit tied to something you already do is easier to remember. Reviewing your top three while your kettle boils, or setting your focus block straight after lunch, needs no extra willpower. The guide to habit stacking explains how to attach a new habit to an old one.

• Keep each habit tiny. Two minutes of planning beats an hour you never get round to.
• Change one thing at a time.
• Attach it to a cue you already have, such as making a drink or sitting at your desk.
• If you miss a day, restart the next day without a speech to yourself.

For more on building habits that hold, see how to build good habits. If you are low on drive and cannot get started, how to get motivated looks at why.

Why rest belongs in the plan

You cannot run at full speed all the time. When you are tired, your attention can wander and small jobs can take longer, and everything feels like an effort. Resting is part of doing good work, not a reward you earn once the list is done.

Rest also comes in more than one kind. Sleep is one. A walk, time with a friend, a quiet room or something creative are others. If you are not sure which kind you need, the guide to types of rest helps you tell them apart. Try to put at least one planned break into each day, and one longer stretch of time off each week.

When productivity advice makes things worse

Advice about getting more done can backfire. Watch for these:

• Guilt. You feel bad whenever you are not working, even at the weekend.
• Comparison. You measure your days against someone else's tidy routine online.
• Over-planning. You spend more time on your system than on the work.
• Never switching off. You answer messages late at night and feel you cannot stop.
• Running on empty. You are tired, flat or cynical about your work and a new method feels like one more demand.

If this sounds like you, adding another tool is not the answer. Read about the signs of burnout, and think about doing less, not more. Lowering your top three to one on a hard day is a sound plan.

When to get more support

This is a self-help tool, not therapy or medical advice. If you are exhausted, feel low or hopeless, or work is taking over your life, speak to a GP. If you ever feel unsafe or have thoughts of harming yourself, call Samaritans on 116 123 (UK and Ireland), 988 (US), or find a line at findahelpline.com.