Daily Writing Habits to Boost Productivity—Even If You're Not a Writer

August 18, 2021 - 5 min read

Guest Author

Even if you don't consider yourself much of a writer, you'd be surprised at how much the act of jotting your thoughts down on paper can help you get more done every day. Getting into a daily writing habit has multiple benefits: putting your goals down in writing makes you more likely to achieve them, it improves the clarity and focus of your ideas, and it declutters your mind so you can think and solve problems more effectively. Plus, a daily writing habit can help you get into a productive mental flow. Here are a few useful tips and tools to help you get started.

Write fiction in the morning to shake up new ideas

Even if you've never tried writing fiction before, try writing a short story in the morning, before you do anything else — even if it's silly. Making yourself think creatively helps open your mind up to more imaginative ideas and increases your creativity.

Record your thoughts in a diary

Keeping a diary isn't just for teenagers; it's a great way to reflect on and analyze your day. What went well, and what could you have done differently? What do you hope to accomplish tomorrow? You'll soon uncover patterns, reinforce good habits, and find ways to improve how you go about your everyday work.

Send postcards to people you're close to

Don't save postcards for holidays. Sending them regularly to loved ones helps you express yourself and nurture your personal relationships, resulting in a healthier mindset, improving your overall health, and boosting happiness (which in turn leads to greater productivity).

Write academic papers

You may cringe at the thought of returning to the days of thesis statements and transitional sentences. But writing academic essays helps develop your critical thinking skills, forces you to consider and balance arguments for and against a topic, and encourages you to think more deeply about complex topics. Plus, it'll hone your research skills.

Create jokes and funny stories

Making yourself think creatively in this manner is great for your productivity, as you're practicing using your brain in ways you're not used to, and you're developing new skills as you do so. As an added bonus, you'll soon be the life of the party, as you'll have a whole host of funny stories with which to regale your friends.

How to get started?

All you really need is a pen and paper, or even the Notes app on your phone. But if you're looking to further hone your writing skills and start making it an everyday habit, give these recommended resources a try:

Zen Pen: Sitting down to write is one thing, but avoiding distractions is another. Zen Pen is an app that offers a clean, distraction-free way to focus on getting your thoughts on paper.

ProWritingAid: This online app/service shows the grammatical and spelling errors in your writing, and provides suggested edits— so you can focus on getting your ideas down without worrying about typos.

BoomEssays: If you're publishing your thoughts as blog posts online, you'll want your writing to be error-free. This service provides assistance and advice. And check out their writing blog for new skills and ideas.

Hemingway App: This online editing app highlights run-on and complex sentences, keeping your writing bold and concise (just as Hemingway would want it).

Wrike: Store and organize all your writing and ideas as tasks, and then share selected them with friends or colleagues to collaborate. They'll be able to leave comments on the entire work, or highlight specific sentences/paragraphs for editing.

Start Your Daily Writing Habit for Greater Productivity

Ready to give a daily writing habit a shot? Try these tips and tools, and you'll see your productivity start to soar. Who knows, you may even discover that you're a natural with the written word!

Author Bio:

Gloria Kopp is a web content writer and elearning consultant from Manville City. After graduating from the University of Wyoming, she started a career in creative writing and is currently working as a part-time editor and writer at Essayroo writing service. She has also recently launched her Studydemic educational blog.

Guest Author

Sometimes we delegate topics to people who are smarter than us. Win-win! Check out their awesome work.

#Productivity Advice #Wellbeing at Work

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Make Wrike a Part of Your 7 Habits for Becoming Highly Effective

Even at home, even at the airport waiting for your plane, Wrike will keep you organized and let you track the results of others. Wrike lets you schedule your life and delegate tasks to other people, so that you can spare time for the most important things like: leadership, recognizing new opportunities, defining the goals and having a rich private life.

Productivity 7 min read

7 Reasons to Bring Back the Lunch Break

Grrrrggglll... Hear that? That's the sound of your stomach grumbling. It's 2pm, and you worked right through your lunch again. The only reason you noticed is because your eye is starting to twitch and your normally perfect grammar is slacking. You rush over to the kitchen and snack on some stale pretzels while you scavenge for something more substantial. Nuts, dried apricots, and seaweed... more pretzels it is! You head back to your desk with a handful of sodium and work through the twitch. Sound familiar? You're probably suffering from skipped lunch syndrome. I don't mean simply ingesting food somewhere around midday — many people eat lunch at their desks. I'm talking about actually leaving your workspace and taking a break from work. If you're finding you just have too much on your plate to take a lunch out (pun intended), you're not alone. Studies show only 1 in 5 people step away from their offices to take a lunch. And even fewer people use the full hour. These days, lunch breaks are seen more as a luxury than an office standard. Why? Answers can be found in our modern work structure: The need to always be available The office provides food, so there's no reason to go out A fear of looking like you're abandoning your work Too many meetings and calls scheduled around lunchtime When you need to get a lot done, the first thing many people do is work through their lunch break. But the longer you're in the office, the more important it is to get out. Here are 7 reasons why you need that midday downtime: 1. Food gives you much-needed energy Ok, this one is pretty obvious. But it is not always routinely practiced. Studies show that working really hard can physically wear you out, even if you're sitting at a desk all day. Working through your lunch might seem more productive at first, but your body and mind will quickly run out of fuel. Eating a well-balanced lunch can give you the necessary energy to finish your work for the day. Just steer clear of the infamous "food coma." Eating too much in the middle of the day can leave you feeling fatigued. Tip: Eat your lunch away from your desk. Sit at a communal table, go to a nearby restaurant, or sit on the grass outside to clear your mind from work distractions. 2. Change of scenery helps you focus Just walking outside or talking a quick stroll around the block can be the difference between a productive and unproductive afternoon. Forming good habits like taking regular breaks and getting some fresh air can improve your ability to focus. Tip: Leave your phone behind to avoid taking calls or answering emails on your break. But - won't I be bored? You'd be surprised what boredom can do to replenish your mind and boost your creativity. 3. Exercise increases productivity Even if it's just for 20 minutes, exercise is a great energy booster for that midday hiatus. It helps improve your mood, reduce stress, and even increases your metabolism. Going for a walk, bike ride, run, or just doing a few simple stretches can make a huge impact on your daily productivity. Tip: If you're looking for a time to workout but don't want to go after work or wake up early, lunchtime is an excellent opportunity to squeeze in some activity. 4. Socializing with colleagues improves morale Sure, you see your coworkers 40+ hours a week, but how much time do you spend talking to them about non-work related topics? Hanging out with your coworkers at lunch can be a great opportunity to get to know them and can give you the mental break you need to get through your day. Plus, studies show that having colleagues as friends has both short- and long-term benefits. They can make your job more enjoyable as well as provide emotional support and advice when you're having a rough day. Tip: Invite a few colleagues to grab lunch, run errands, or even start a midday workout regimen together. 5. Checking your favorite websites improves mood Although it's good to get outside, this one can be a nice break for when you're stuck inside. You might browse the internet throughout your day (maybe a little too much), but if you set aside time to do it in the middle of the day, you might be less tempted by it during the hours you need to be productive. Reserve this time to check out your favorite blogs, recipes, videos, and/or podcasts that aren't work related. Tip: If you come across a non-work related article you want to read later, you should use the Wrike Chrome extension to quickly bookmark it. 6. Napping enhances memory This is just a fancy way of saying take a nap (one of my favorite hobbies). If there's one thing I think everyone could get more of these days it's sleep — and your lunch hour is the perfect time to catch a few Zzzs. Grabbing a quick power nap is a great way to get some extra shut-eye and recharge your batteries for the rest of the day. Naps are also known to improve memory and help you retain information longer. Tip: If you can't nap, try meditation. Visit a nearby park or even just reserve a quiet room in the office. This is a great alternative to help your mind relax and refocus on the second half of the day. 7. Having something to look forward to motivates you This one can be left up to your creativity - try to think of an activity you would look forward to. Then use that to motivate yourself to work hard throughout the morning so you can enjoy your break without thinking about all the work you still have to get done. You'd be surprised how much more you can accomplish and how quickly the day goes by when you have a little midday break to look forward to! Tip: Try to use the full hour. I know it's hard on days when you're swamped, but having the full hour to yourself can make a huge impact on your productivity for rest of the day. What lunchtime activities help you get through your day? Tell us how you do lunch in the comments! Image credit: "GREATEST GENERATION ON LUNCH BREAK 1942" by Robert Huffstutter on Flickr

Productivity 5 min read

Productivity Experiments that Shaped the Way We Work

As the Industrial Revolution swept America in the late 1700s to the early 1800s, managers started to become more interested in productivity. Over the coming decades, Congress passed safety regulations that sought to improve working conditions and put a cap on the amount of hours that employees could work each day. At the same time, sociologists began studying exactly what influences productivity — and their experiments continue to shape the way we work centuries later. All of this research has revealed some timeless insight into human behavior, motivation, and how these factors affect productivity. The Hawthorne Effect One of the most famous studies on productivity set out to pinpoint exactly which variables influence individual performance. Researchers began with two groups: a control group, and a group whose environment they adjusted. Over time, the researchers improved lighting, altered working hours, moved break times, and shuffled other environmental factors. What they found was that whenever they made a change, productivity increased — while the control group held steady. Perhaps more interesting was the fact that any change, whether positive or negative, led to greater productivity. This held true even when all the environmental factors were returned to their original state. As it turns out, worker morale was boosted by the simple fact that the company was interested in making changes and showed concern about their work environment and well-being. Even if employees didn’t necessarily like the changes, they were bolstered by the fact that managers were trying to make improvements, which directly improved their productivity. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow published a paper that outlined a 5-level hierarchy of individual needs. The idea was simple: if a person’s simplest and most basic needs weren't being met, they wouldn't feel motivated to achieve at a higher level. You have to start at the bottom and meet every need along each rung of the ladder in order to encourage high performing employees. The 5 Levels Physiological: in the workplace, this means food, water, and a comfortable place to work. Safety: this goes beyond immediate safety concerns and also involves financial security, health, and well-being. Belonging: feeling connected to others in the workplace and forming friendships. Esteem: feeling confident in their abilities and respected by others. Self-actualization: feeling that they can achieve anything and reach new levels of success within the company. Addressing each level of this hierarchy creates a happier and more productive employee. Expectancy Theory The Expectancy Theory takes a close look at motivation and what drives workers to try and reach their full potential. In 1964, Victor H. Vroom theorized that people make choices based on whether they think the results of their behavior will lead to desired outcomes. Essentially, all our choices come down to three basic elements: Expectancy: the belief that the effort you put in will result in your desired outcome. This is often influenced by individual confidence levels and the perceived difficulty of the desired goal. Instrumentality: the belief that you will be rewarded if you meet expectations. Valence: how much value you place on the reward. Workers need to believe that they will be acknowledged and rewarded with something valuable if they meet or exceed productivity expectations. Employers have to determine what rewards employees truly want, clearly communicate what those rewards are, and be consistent in handing out rewards for excellent performance. Higher Pay Doesn’t Increase Productivity It would be easy to assume more money equals stronger incentive, increased productivity, and greater work satisfaction — and more recent studies tend to focus on that relationship between money, rewards, and happiness. Somewhat surprisingly, however, the research shows that while happiness does affect productivity, money isn’t a large part of the equation. Some compelling statistics to consider: 87% of workers are disengaged at work Unhappy workers are 10% less productive Unhappy, unproductive workers cost companies around $500 billion a year Happiness improves productivity by 12% So how can companies create happier employees — and boost the bottom line in the process? The answer is to invest money in employee support programs instead of just raising wages. We are seeing this trend across the nation as more employers offer benefits like paid family leave, unlimited paid vacation days, health and wellness centers, and work from home opportunities. Essentially, this is another example of the Hawthorne Effect at work. When employees feel like their well-being is a priority, they are more productive. All of these theories distill down to a single simple truth: workers, no matter what industry or century, want to feel safe and appreciated. If companies make an effort to invest in their workers' happiness and well being, they will improve productivity. Investing in better benefits, increased employee support, and improved workplace conditions rather than simply handing out raises yields a bigger return on investment, because time and time again, studies prove that happy employees are more productive employees. Author Bio: Mike Hanski writes for Bid4papers. His productivity secret is simple: do what you like. And ear plugs. In that order. You can find Mike on Google+. Productivity Tips for the Modern Workplace Browse our collection of research-backed productivity tips, then put them into action and boost your team's productivity with a free trial of Wrike. Related Reads: 50 Productivity Tips to Boost Your Brainpower (Infographic) 20 Top Productivity Apps For Your Mobile Device How Writing a Journal Helps Increase Personal Productivity

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Daily Writing Habits to Boost Productivity—Even If You're Not a Writer