5 Things I Bought For $100 Or Less That Increased My Productivity

There are only so many hours in the day, so making the most of your time is critical. There are two ways increase your output, either putting in more hours or getting more out of the hours you work each day. Being more productive at work isn’t rocket science, but it does require being more deliberate about how you manage your time.

Productivity is the combination of intelligent planning and focused efforts.  Staying productive at work or at home can be a challenge. Every time the work day ends, odds are that you are not satisfied with what you have accomplished.

Productivity can be continuously improved and even the small things we use in the office can affect our productivity. Here are 5 things I bought for $100 or less that increased my productivity:

1. White Board

One of the most basic tools you can use for mind mapping is a whiteboard. If you have a whiteboard and markers, you can start brainstorming individually or with your team to generate new ideas. When you’re done with the process, take a picture of the whiteboard with a camera and upload it to a shared cloud network. Give your team members access to the picture so the mind map can be referred to at any time. This is a great way to brainstorm, especially in meetings.

2. Amazon Echo Dot

The Amazon Echo is your new digital assistant and is a major key to living a more productive life. It can make you more productive just by giving out simple commands to a very small device. It can help a busy person keep track of dates through its calendar app, tell you the weather outside and set alarms for you as reminders throughout the day. Think of it as a personal assistant that you can talk to throughout the day!

3. Apple Music

Listening to music can be an effective (not to mention enjoyable) way to boost productivity. Music helps you make stronger connections with groups and other people. It helps to get you in the zone and become more productive with work. Subscribing to Apple music is fairly cheap and it even helps you to relax. Music is scientifically proven to reduce muscle tension and relieve negative emotions. Having music playing while working can dramatically make you more productive. Research suggests that ambient noise or ambient music could be the best kind of music for work productivity.

4. Stress Ball

Small objects to take your mind off your job are a great thing to have on your desk; whether it’s a huge elastic band that you know will never break, a Rubik’s Cube or a stress ball, they could all help when it comes to improving your productivity and the quality of your work.

Stress balls are wonderful for relieving tension and pent-up frustration. Many people will find that when they are going through a stressful moment, they need to do something with their hands. Stress balls are a cheap alternative to the incessant hand movements that some people find annoying. They can be squeezed over and over again until you feel your nerves calming down. The squeezing action has a number of effects on the body including improvement of blood circulation, the relief of muscle tension by relaxing muscles and the promotion of sleep.

5. Gym Membership

Exercise has a lot of benefit for the body. Exercise also supports one’s productivity at work and a gym membership costs $20-$30 a month. Exercises not only give you stamina or help you need to reach your optimum physical health, but they also help you to improve mental health.

When a person exercises, the brain releases serotonin that helps you feel better and improves your state of mind, allowing you to handle stress easier. Exercise helps you clear up your mind and gives your brain a chance to reset. I love hitting the gym for an hour in the middle of my day just because of how much more refreshed I feel when coming back to work.

Conclusion

Productivity at work can be increased if you reset your brain. Improvement of mental health, gadgets and small toys can help a person become more productive. There is no need to spend thousands to become more productive. There are other ways to improve productivity for only $100 or less. In this post, I shared with you 5 things I bought for $100 or less that increased my productivity.