14 Productivity Habits That Boost Your Energy

Many people strive to be more productive in their daily routines, but sometimes all that lifehacking can be pretty draining! But before you chug that coffee or lie down for that power nap, here are a few other strategies to try that will boost your energy without caffeine. Here are 14 productivity habits that will incredibly boost your energy!

Below, I’ll share some habits you can adapt to accomplish more and feel more energetic – at the same time!

14 productivity habits to boost energy

1. Take a Walk in the Sunshine

If you’re stuck in a slump because you’re overwhelmed by thoughts or an ever-growing to-do list, consider taking 10 minutes to go outside for a quick stroll in the sun. The movement could help clear your mind and give you a better perspective about how to move forward. Plus, exposure to sun improves serotonin levels, which could lead to a better mood and more energy, among other things.

2. Do Some Stretches

Muscle cramps and fatigue don’t only slow you down, but they could also make you feel like you don’t want to work any harder than necessary because you’re in such discomfort. Try stretching for a few minutes at a time and see if it makes you feel better.

You may not feel results immediately, but if you make daily stretching a habit, you could find you’re not as likely to experience muscle-related problems that interfere with your energy and output.

3. Scent the Room with Essential Oils

Certain essential oils could increase mental clarity and help you feel more alert. If you work in close quarters to others, be sure to check with them before using the oils. Alternatively, keep a small bottle near your desk and briefly inhale the scent whenever you start to get tired or feel your focus drifting.

4. Create Upbeat Playlists

Perhaps you often lack productivity because you find it hard to focus on a single task. If that’s the case, make music playlists that are roughly a half hour to an hour in length, and use those tracks to help you stay focused.

Let’s kick in the next gear and boost energy levels

Choose songs with empowering and uplifting lyrics. When you listen to encouraging songs, you should feel more alert. Plus, when you specifically tell yourself you’ll stay devoted to one task until the music stops, it may become easier to immediately dive into it instead of spending too much time fretting over what to tackle first.

Beginning your work is more productive than becoming frazzled and procrastinating. It’s not crucial to always start with the most important task, because anything you accomplish is a step toward completing your workload. Let’s continue with the next few productivity habits!

5. Stay in Tune with Your Body’s Clock

Some people are naturally night owls and others love to rise at the crack of dawn. There may be instances where you can’t feasibly operate on your body’s preferred schedule, but it’s useful to figure out when you feel most awake.

Then, you can try to complete your most demanding tasks during those hours. By allowing yourself to be as productive as possible during your most energetic times, you’ll probably find you don’t have to spend as much time forcing your body to stay awake.

6. Chew Some Gum

The next time you’re in the convenience store, pick up a pack of gum. Scientists have found that chewing gum could help you concentrate better for longer lengths of time. Some brands contain all-natural ingredients, so they could help you power through your days without relying on unhealthy ingredients.

7. Remain Active During the Latter Half of the Day

Productivity levels often suffer and people start to feel worn out as the day goes on, because they realize they didn’t take preventative measures to avoid a midafternoon slump. Pay attention to the time of day you start to feel sluggish and immediately take healthy action to stop the problem from worsening.

Whether you go outside to stretch your legs or head to the water cooler to fill your jug and catch up with a coworker, practice worthwhile and active strategies as soon as afternoon tiredness starts to set in. Rather than giving into the slump, you can avoid losing steam. You will feel more energetic as you gain control of how you’re feeling, and that’s an encouraging step in the right direction.

8. Get Insight from Someone Who’s Supportive

Our work pace can slow and we may lose motivation when we lack self-confidence. This can actually cause our energy levels to plummet. The next time you’re feeling low and can’t seem to accomplish anything, make a quick call to a friend or colleague who has consistently supported you through good times and bad.

Confess that the conversation has to be short because you’re engaged in other tasks, but give the person a quick rundown about why you’re feeling upset. Hopefully your supportive friend will lift your mood — and perhaps offer some advice that reminds you of your self-worth and renews your level of confidence enough to help you push through the challenges.

9. Take a Crossword Puzzle Break

Here’s another great productivity habit: When productivity is your goal, it’s important to use your breaks wisely and keep your mind engaged. Scrolling through your social media feeds may seem like a good way to spend a break, but it probably won’t do much to boost your brainpower in preparation for working again.

Pick up a book of crossword puzzles instead, and spend a limited amount of time filling in as many blocks as you can. Putting a time limit on the activity prevents you from taking too long of a break. Plus, it gives your mind a good workout because you’re thinking rapidly.

10. Gradually Do Away With Harmful Habits

Have you considered that some of your everyday habits may be sapping your strength and making you less eager to accomplish tasks? Half of your daily life is habitual, and there’s a good chance a few of your go-to activities might be contributing to poor mental, physical or emotional health.

Keep a diary of the things you do each day for at least a week. Review your entries and determine whether each habit is beneficial or something that’s actually burdensome and detrimental.

In some cases, you may need to recruit the help of a counselor or other professional. This is especially true if some of your bad habits relate to compulsions, addictions or substance use.

11. Get Enough Rest

It may seem like it’s counterproductive to give your body rest, but once you form a routine that offers the correct amount of sleep you should find your energy levels are consistently higher — even when you’re under a lot of stress.

Some people have an extremely difficult time drifting to sleep, so they believe that sleeping is a waste of time — this is far from the truth! If you’re among this group and haven’t been able to pinpoint what’s making it hard to rest, keep a sleep diary and try to hone in on things that may be keeping your body revved up when it needs to wind down. It could be stress, sugar, caffeine or another trigger that’s aggravating your sleep schedule.

12. Conquer Self-Defeating Internal Dialogue

The mind has a powerful influence on our thoughts and actions, which is why it’s essential to be aware of your negative thoughts and try to quickly conquer them with positive affirmations.

Perceived failure can make you feel tired and unwilling to keep putting forth your best effort. Whenever you’re hard on yourself because of things that already happened, remind yourself you can’t change the past, so it’s useless to dwell on it.

Instead, become focused on committing to the future. Realize that everyone makes mistakes, and that these mistakes build character and provide valuable life lessons. Obstacles in life are inevitable. Remember that attitude and outlook mark the difference between people who can positively handle obstacles and eagerly look toward their next task and those who consistently lack the strength to rebound.

13. Stay Hydrated

Your fatigue and wandering mind may be due to not drinking enough water. Dehydration can cause mental and physical side effects that occur slowly before people realize what’s going on.

Get into the habit of bringing a large water bottle to your work area. Consciously coach yourself to drink up! Look for a water bottle that measures how much you’re drinking — it will serve as motivation, as well as a reminder of how much more you need to drink to meet your goal.

Before long, reaching for your water bottle will become a habit and you won’t have to give yourself as many conscious reminders.

In addition to keeping a big water bottle around, you can also eat water-rich foods to help yourself stay hydrated, like salad, fruit, and snackable veggies. Many veggies are over 90% water!

14. Take Credit When It’s Due and Show Gratitude, Too

Some people find it very difficult to accept compliments. In fact, there’s a direct connection between your level of self-confidence and whether or not you like receiving compliments. Specifically, if you suffer from a low self-esteem and someone compliments you, it makes you uncomfortable because the nice words contradict your own self-views. When someone offers you a compliment for a job well done, smile and accept it gratefully and humbly even if it feels uncomfortable.

You should also go out of your way to recognize the hard work other people do. By showing and receiving gratitude, your actions could have long-lasting benefits that make everyone you meet feel excited about the work they’re doing and eager to put forth their best performance.

It’s natural to occasionally lose momentum and experience a decrease in productivity, but do not let the issue become an everyday reality. The tips above could renew your strength and stamina without using stimulants. If you find you’re still struggling after trying some of the tips on this list for at least a month, consider getting a medical evaluation to see whether you have an underlying ailment that’s to blame. You can gain control over your level of productivity with the right tools and support.

I hope you enjoyed this collection of productivity habits!