We’re lucky here at Shift. We have an amazing community of some of the most knowledgeable productivity experts around the world. We always pay careful attention and listen to the advice that you, the Shift community, take the time to share with us. We decided to round up some of the best of the best of that advice to make sure you don’t miss out on all of these amazing tips and tricks for boosting your productivity.

Break down your tasks step by step

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by a project when thinking about it as a whole. To overcome this, you can break down your project step by step. @tomatopurl and  @justin_leblanc break things down visually by planning tasks ahead with mind maps and Gantt charts. @kevincastle42 has the right idea by simply working on the hardest task first (aka the “eat the frog” method of productivity). @charlenesmith__ and @drewtaylourdavis find that rewarding the small steps made towards a larger goal is the best way to encourage productivity and celebrate hard work.

Set up your environment

Your physical environment is just as important as your digital environment for setting yourself up for a productive workday. @mrfeelgooddt, @valeriatiourina, and @cristianfaber know that making your workspace feel inviting with music, candles, or even diffusing essential oils can help kickstart creativity and give your mood a lift. @staceycordoni suggests starting your day with getting outside. It can be incredibly useful for your productivity to actually step away from your workspace and get some fresh air!

Keep the big picture in mind

It can be hard to stay motivated sometimes when you're hyper focused on the small things. And, while tackling big projects step by step can help you avoid becoming overwhelmed, sometimes you also need to remind yourself of the bigger picture to avoid getting tunnel vision and losing sight of which tasks are truly important. @hivirtual, @sd_dome, and @gustavofebres_ have some great tips for figuring out if what you're currently working on is mission critical  for the bigger picture, and for making sure your day stays focused on those tasks.

Support each other and yourself

It’s impossible to be 100% productive, 100% of the time. Sometimes, you have to take the pressure off and know that it’s okay if you can’t always accomplish everything, as @lintilla reminded us. @kathleenowen6174 also importantly reminded us of checking in with your friends. Everyone struggles with the pressures of work and our friends and colleagues can always use some kind encouragement, especially now with the changes and challenges that come with working from home.

Keep The Advice Coming

Have even more amazing tips and tricks to share with us? Let us know on social! You, the Shift community, are the reason we work so hard here at Shift to bring productivity to your work day and to help you make it possible to get your most important projects and tasks completed. If you need a productivity boost, try downloading Shift now to streamline your email accounts, apps, and workflows, all in one place.