When you’re too tired to work it’s often best to close the laptop, put the phone down, and call it a day. But that’s not always practical. Sometimes, the work needs to get done and it needs to get done now.
If you want to stay on track to meet your deadlines and professional goals, read on for seven effective ways to power through fatigue and increase productivity.
1. Disable digital distractions to increase productivity
If you can’t stay focused at work, you can’t really expect to get anything done. But our ability to concentrate is greatly affected by the constant flow of digital distractions competing for our attention. Add exhaustion to the mix and staying on task becomes an even greater challenge.
To better focus when you're tired, unplug to combat digital distractions. Whether this means totally disabling your wireless connection or using productivity tools, cutting out distractions reduces the amount of stimuli our brain has to process at any given time. This helps us redirect our full attention to the most important task at hand, reducing cognitive fatigue and increasing productivity.
2. Establish an environment conducive to deep work
If you want to be productive when tired, you’ll want to create an environment that’s conducive to intense focus. Disabling digital distractions is a great first step, but when your work space is cluttered the visual chaos can reduce your ability to focus and induce stress. Keeping a well-organised workspace can minimise these disturbances, but be careful not to let cleaning become a way to procrastinate. Give yourself 10-15 minutes to clean up as much as possible, and then get to work. If you work from home and house chores keep pulling you away, consider setting up shop at the library, in a local coffee shop, or a co-working space.
Wherever you’re working, you might also want to manage noise. Ear plugs can be great if you prefer silence, while noise-cancelling headphones can help you drown out noise, or silence, with music that motivates you and gets you into the work groove.
3. Boost productivity with a short nap
Whether you actually feel tired or not, you need to take breaks if you want to stay productive. But when every minute counts, it’s psychologically hard to justify stepping away for rest despite the hard science: Brief naps have been consistently shown to enhance alertness, concentration, attention, and performance.
To avoid sleep inertia – the groggy feeling that sometimes occurs immediately after waking up – aim to nap for between 20-30 minutes. Set an alarm and lay down in silence. Perhaps opt for somewhere where you’re less likely to be lulled into deep sleep. Resist the desire to hit snooze after the alarm goes off. Use your willpower to get up and take a few deep breaths. You should soon feel refreshed and ready to work.
4. Fuel up right
Food plays a key role in providing the energy and nutrients we need to perform at our best – especially when you’re feeling tired at work. It’s tempting to reach for quick snacks for a quick burst of energy, but sugary foods soon leave you feeling sluggish. Instead, opt for a healthier alternative like fruit or vegetables.
Complex carbs, such as unprocessed or minimally processed fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, are high in fibre and digest slower, providing you with sustained energy. These types of carbs can also help regulate blood sugar, preventing energy crashes. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, sardines, walnuts, and flax seeds, have been linked to improved memory, learning, cognitive well-being, and blood flow to the brain.
Hydration is also vital, as even mild dehydration is linked to poor performance, short-term memory problems, moodiness, and anxiety. You may reach for sugary or caffeinated drinks when tired at work but water is usually always the best choice. If you need some flavour, herbal teas like peppermint can invigorate you without the side effects of sugar or caffeine.
5. Wake up with a walk or some light exercise
When you’re tired but want to stay productive, exercise might sound like the worst idea. But even a 15-minute walk can give you a much-needed energy boost. Aim to get outside and take a quick stroll without work distractions. This means no phone calls, no texting, no email. Walk away and let your mind reset. You’ll likely come back feeling refreshed and better able to solve problems or make decisions.
If you’re thinking about exercising more to help you stay productive at work, the American Express® Business Platinum Card could help. Membership Rewards® points, earned through everyday business purchases, are redeemable across thousands of online retailers including Sigma Sports and Sports Direct. So reward your hard work with some brand-new sportswear, trainers or fitness accessories to keep you fit, motivated and productive¹.
If a walk is out of the question, try to at least take a moment to get up and get the blood flowing. There are many exercises that can be performed easily at home and any kind of movement will help improve circulation and stimulate your nervous system, which helps combat mental fatigue while supporting alertness, mental clarity and a higher energy level.
6. Maximise productivity with the 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule, or the Pareto Principle, says that 80% of outputs come from 20% of the inputs. You can apply the concept to almost anything, but it’s particularly useful when you’re tired at work and need to prioritise tasks to get the most out of whatever mental energy you have left.
For example, say there are five things on your to-do list:
- Email a potential client to schedule a call.
- Review and approve final edits to your company’s new website design.
- Finalise your profit and loss statement by the end of the day.
- Prepare market research survey questions to better understand consumer preferences.
- Spend 30-minutes brainstorming budget-friendly marketing campaign ideas.
When you’re exhausted, it’s difficult to choose which of those tasks to tackle first. Or maybe the easier tasks, like emailing that potential client, feels like the most efficient use of your fading energy. But if you want to prioritise like a pro and maximise productivity even when you’re exhausted, the 80/20 rule can help you focus on the task with the most significant impact.
In this example, finalising your profit and loss statement is probably the best option. Why? It’s the only task with a hard deadline, and there can be consequences if financial documents aren’t submitted on time. Other tasks, like following up with the prospect and reviewing the new website design can wait for tomorrow. Meanwhile, you can ask your marketing manager to kick off the marketing brainstorm session and start preparing a research survey.
7. Leverage the power of productivity apps
If you’re already tired and need to get some work done fast, this might not be the best time to learn a new app. But if you have the time or want to prepare for the future, there are plenty of apps that can help you improve your productivity:
- Certain time management apps prioritise and organise tasks so you get them done on time. Other time management apps leverage the Pomodoro technique, which is a time management method that breaks work into 25-minute intervals separated by short breaks.
- Time tracking apps make it easy to see how much time you spend on different tasks. This can help you identify where you could boost efficiency.
- Lastly, wellness apps offer guided meditations and breathing exercises that can refresh your energy and boost mental clarity.
Try different methods to stay productive at work
Whether you’re fighting off fatigue during a long day at the office or while working from home balancing childcare, it can be tough to get the job done when you’re tired. The good news is that there are ways to boost your energy and remain productive.
Next time you’re trying to boost productivity when exhausted, consider creating an environment conducive to focus, disabling digital distractions, and leveraging the 80/20 rule to prioritise effectively. If sleepiness starts to take hold, a brief nap, a walk, or some light exercise can go a long way toward increasing your concentration and alertness. And be sure to fuel up right: If you’re hungry, complex carbs and good fats can sustain your energy and support your brain, whereas sugary, simple carbs can contribute to a crash after an initial jolt.
1. Membership Rewards points are earned on every full £1 spent and charged, per transaction. Terms and conditions apply. If you'd prefer a Card with no annual fee, rewards or other features, an alternative option is available – the Business Basic Card.
