Visit Us:

Breathe deeply. Exhale. Relax. You're home.

How Saying “Done” Can Lead to Higher Productivity and Less Stress

Are you looking for a simple thing to do that will increase your productivity at work? We have one for you, and it’s equally effective for getting things accomplished at home. Not only that, but it will decrease your stress, too.

Tell Yourself Clearly When You’re Done with a Task

That’s it! It’s as simple as that. When you have completed something, tell yourself: “Done!”

Physically crossing the task off of a list works in much the same way.

The act of verifying with yourself that a task has been completed releases serotonin in your brain, which immediately causes relaxation. Your brain shifts from a state of concentration and focus on the task to a relaxed, more meditative one.

The more often you get things done and cross them off your list, telling yourself mentally that they’re complete, the more serotonin will be released, and the more time your brain can spend in a state of relaxation. Not only that, but the rewarding feeling of the serotonin release makes you want to move on to the next job, so you can finish it and feel great again. You’ve heard of a vicious cycle, where negativity feeds on itself and multiplies. This is the opposite; a positivity cycle that snowballs and results in more getting done and less and less stress.

Ways to Increase Your Ability to Finish Tasks

Follow these steps to set yourself up for completing more tasks, getting more done, and feeling more relaxed (don’t forget to cross them off the list as you do them!):

  • First, keep a planner. This gives you multiple opportunities every day to complete things and mark them as done.
  • Break your big tasks into smaller steps. This allows you to attack big jobs more easily and gives you plenty of chances to be done with individual jobs while working your way toward completing the big task.
  • Take breaks. Plan breaks into your daily schedule. Go for a short walk, read a chapter in your book, chat with a friend, or have a healthy snack. These things will all give your mood a boost, too, so you can continue being productive.

Leave a Reply


