Take Advantage of These Productivity Tips

Prizes: Custom blog design by Jon of Spyre Studios and Freelance Folder, one Alawar PC game package including full copies of Virtual Farm, Curse of Montezuma, and Alex Gordon, and 80 Photoshop brush packs from our guest blogger, Jacob Cass. Just leave a valuable 30+ word comment by July 6, 2008.
As a regular reader of Freelance Folder, I read about a contest that Jacob Cass had going on his Just Creative Design blog. Once I checked it out, I became a regular reader even before I found out I won a prize! I also gave away a few prizes there, too. Jacob oozes talent in both writing, design, and business. This guy hasn’t been blogging long and already established himself as a blogger. How I wish I could be following him on his 30+ days of vacation!

Take Advantage of These Productivity Tips

Productivity
This article will go through the best time of the day to do things in relation to your mental state of mind which in turn will make you more productive. I present to you… productivity tips for designers.

8am – Face Your Fears Time

This is the quietest time for suicide so this is a good time to face your fears – Know that you have a deadline due at 1pm, know that you have 10 other projects to complete, know that your house needs cleaning, bills need paying and know that there is no end to it. Just make sure you know all this by 11 at night as this is suicide o clock.

9am to 10am – Work Time

Time to tackle your work here, these are the most productive hours (for the majority). Even Darren Rowse thinks so.

10am/11am – Chill Out Time

This is the time that most heart attacks occur so it would be good to chill out or have a break at this time. Coffee or morning tea break anyone?

12pm – Sex & Uncluttered Mind Time (If that can go together?)

If you fancy someone in your office or classroom, now is the time to go in for the kill. As James Sniechowski, author of the The New Intimacy explains: “People are more receptive to advances then, because their minds aren’t cluttered with what they have to do that day or what they have to do when they get home.”
Pretty much this is a great time to get your creative juices going as you have an uncluttered mind. You may also want to check out How To Boost Your Creativity.
Nap

1pm – Nap Time

The best time to have a power nap (as I call them) is at around 1pm when your body temperature naturally dips. An ideal power nap should last for 15 to 20 minutes.

2pm – No One Can Touch Me (FIG JAM)

This is the time that we have the highest pain threshold so it is a good time to ask for a promotion or get that dental filling you were meant to have last month but ‘accidentally’ missed.

3pm/4pm – Strength and Mood is at its best

Hand and eye coordination is at its peak and mood levels are high during this period so this would be a good time to have a break. Maybe go for a short jog or for the lazy… maybe some Photoshop Tennis.
This is also the time that people are most awake and alert so how about you do that one last proof now before sending your job to the printer.

5pm – Happy Hour

We all know what 5pm means but did you know that your liver metabolises alcohol most efficiently at this time of the afternoon? After work drinks never sounded so good.

8.30pm – Sweet Sweet Food

Despite what many people think, eating late will not necessarily make you fat says Nigel Denby of the British Dietetic Association. “A calorie is a calorie whenever you eat it.” Dig in.

10.30pm – Sleep

A warm shower helps to make people fall asleep as body temperature needs to fall in order to help us sleep… I don’t think I have ever met a designer who does go to bed at 10.30.
Got any more productivity tips?
About The Author: Jacob Cass is a graphic designer / blogger based in Newcastle, Sydney, Australia. He runs a popular graphic design blog by the name of Just Creative Design of which you can get more articles like the one above just by subscribing to his feed.

2 thoughts on “Take Advantage of These Productivity Tips”

  1. Hi Jacob
    Interesting to read this overview on productivity related to time. The concept of Power Naps has had some serious research behind it.

    It seems many people are morning people, and others a night people in terms of when they do their best work. Did you come across any research on this. I’ve always found that interesting.

    I think one of the best productivity tips is to take action. We often spend a lot of time reading, planning, talking, doing courses and gleaning information.

    The hardest part is actually to follow through and take action. Even the best information is only as good as how you apply it or learn from it.

    Thanks for your post.

    Yvonne Russell’s last blog post… How Many Blogs Equal One Business Book? Blogs vs Books

    Reply
  2. Hi Yvonne,

    Sorry for the late reply, I was on holidays as this was posted. I actually did a bit of research into the topic and subscribed to this one blog on the subject (however it has been lost in my reader at this time) but at the time I did read a few more articles on the subject…

    One guy actually stayed awake for 5 days by using powernaps and cold showers!

    Anyway, all the best!

    Jacob Cass’s last blog post… Freelancers: Inspire yourself, Vary your Working Environment

    Reply

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