With Summer upon us, the long lazy days and nights filled with distractions can lead to a drop in productivity. The last thing on one’s mind is to be cooped up in an office when there are blue skies and white sandy beaches calling. A study from Captivate found that during the summer, workplace productivity goes down 20 percent. Additionally, attendance dips (by 19 percent), project turnaround times increase (by 13 percent), and people are more distracted, with 45 percent reporting they grapple with distractions. Needless to say, that doesn’t augur well for business. 

Here are ten ways to stay productive despite a Summer of distractions existing right at your fingertips.

1. Wake up earlier than usual

Now, we aren’t endorsing losing sleep by any means. Quite the contrary; getting a proper night’s sleep has been shown to improve your mental acuity. However, setting your alarm for earlier than usual is a good step towards becoming a more productive person. Striving to wake up as little as fifteen minutes earlier can give you a bit more time to shower, eat breakfast, or whatever your morning routine requires, which will help you feel more centered throughout the day.

2. Focus on one thing at a time

We all like to believe that we’re naturally gifted at multitasking, but the truth is, no one can properly invest all their attention into two things at once. Whenever you try to pay attention to two things at once, one of them will suffer. “Multitasking” is really just focusing on multiple things in quick succession, which is why the NTSB states that texting while driving can be up to six times as dangerous as driving drunk.

3. The Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro technique is a time-management system developed in the 1980s which utilizes a small timer shaped like a tomato. (Hence the name; “pomodoro” is italian for “tomato”) The Pomodoro technique encourages users to fully immerse themselves in a task and actively avoid interruption. All you need to do is set the Pomodoro for 25 minutes, and then work on your first task for that stretch of time. Do not let anything else get in your way, including other tasks on your to-do list; if you come up with an idea for something else that needs doing, write it down to return to later. At the end of the 25 minutes, take a short break, about 3-4 minutes in length. Go for a walk, have some coffee, take a deep breath, do whatever it takes to fully unwind for a moment. Then, do it again with the next task, taking a longer break of about 15-20 minutes every fourth session.

4. Create proper to-do lists

Itemizing your daily tasks is a good way to begin getting a handle on them, as breaking things down into individual steps makes them seem less insurmountable. Try breaking your daily tasks into three main categories. You can separate them by difficulty, importance, location, or whatever else works for you. Afterwards, subdivide these groups into smaller groups that simplify them even further. Keep going to your level of comfort. Be careful not to make things too granular, though, because then it can seem like you have a million things to do and not enough time to do them. A good number to aim for is around 20 items on your list, but it varies of course. Also, make sure to keep your to-do list digital, in the form of a Google Doc or something similar, as this allows for easy changing of plans.

5. Create an accountability system

Enlisting someone you trust to help you stay on track can be very useful, especially if you set up some sort of punishment system they can implement if you fail to complete your tasks without reason. When you know someone you care about is paying attention to your work, you’re more likely to try and stay on top of things.

6. Listen to music (without lyrics)

Studies have shown that listening to music can improve productivity, with a few caveats: it seems to work better on younger people than older folks, the music should be instrumental as lyrics are too distracting, and you should avoid listening to music while trying something new for the first time, as that will make it more difficult to learn.

7. Have a set work environment

If you work from home, try and designate one specific room (or, barring that, at least one specific corner of a room) that is specifically for working. Studies show that separating one’s home life from their work life is extremely effective in boosting productivity. If you can’t work effectively from home, it is advisable to find a communal workspace like CoWork JA. If you work in a traditional office setting, try to keep your work area as tidy as possible. Keeping a cluttered workspace will lead to a cluttered mind. Also, keep anything you think you might have to get up for later (such as water bottles) on the desk before you, so that you don’t have to constantly get up and interrupt your workflow.

8. Eat well

Keeping a balanced diet is important in the workplace, as in all other parts of life. Eat too much and you’ll be sluggish; eat too little and you’ll be faint. What you eat matters too, as eating richer, heavier foods will hamper your working ability and may make you feel bloated. Caffeine and sugar can be helpful in moderation.

9. Try hanging a “Do Not Disturb” sign

Silly as it might sound, this is a pretty effective method to ensure you aren’t bothered while working. You can also employ digital equivalents like putting your phone on silent or turning off the internet in your workplace (provided you don’t need the internet to work).

10. Remember to pace yourself!

Finally, in your journey to attain perfect productivity, please try not to run yourself into the ground. Understand your own limitations and try to work within them, not against them. If ever you find yourself feeling beaten down, that’s your body telling you it needs a break, and that you should wait until you can perform to your fullest ability rather than continue producing mediocre work and feeling burnt out