5 Ways Content Creators Can Boost Productivity
Energy, Time and Focus Are Your Most Valuable Assets
You know yourself that as a content creator, you have to produce content as frequently as possible.
The reason for this is that your brand requires consistent output for online visibility.
For example, you have to write blog posts, and you probably have to record videos, since video content is what many people are consuming these days—especially Gen Z.
On top of that, you also have the business side of things, such as taxes and other related responsibilities.
So in this article, I’m going to discuss productivity, because if you don’t manage yourself properly while doing this kind of work, it will absolutely eat you alive and do a number on your mental health.
#1 Manage Your Energy Levels
Speak to many people, and they will tell you that when it comes to productivity, time management is the absolute key.
And yes, while time management is important, I would actually argue that energy management is more important.
Yes, more important.
And the reason why is you could have all the time in the world, but if your energy levels are low for whatever reason, it is going to affect your work performance.
It’s going to be difficult for you to motivate yourself to do the work.
So it just makes perfect sense to make a conscious effort to manage your energy levels.
Let’s talk strategies.
The first strategy is sleep. In an ideal world, everyone would get 7-8 hours of sleep per night, but the world is far from ideal.
The suggestion here is to do the best you can, which means going to bed at roughly the same time every night (prioritizing sleep) and disconnecting from screens a couple of hours before bedtime. (This will help you wind down).
The second strategy is diet. The analogy I like to use is that the human body is essentially a vehicle that we all rent.
Just like you put gasoline into a car for it to move, the fuel you put into your body—food and water—determines the performance you get out of it.
So give the body what it needs: whole foods.
Whole foods are rich in nutrients, and these nutrients essentially feed your body and mind.
This isn’t to say you have to become a health nut and take this to the extreme…
But it is to say be mindful of food and liquids you put into your body.
The third strategy is exercise. This might seem counterproductive, because on the surface exercise requires energy, but when done in moderation, it actually increases energy.
You could say it builds a bigger battery.
And this doesn’t have to be complicated:
3 full-body workouts a week, combined with daily walks is sufficient.
What I have personally found is that when it comes to exercise, less is often more.
The final strategy is managing stress levels.
Understand this:
Excessive stress will 100% impact your energy levels.
So identify your stressors—whether that’s work, relationships, money, or whatever it may be—and look for solutions.
More often than not, there is ALWAYS a solution to a problem; it’s just a matter of finding it.
#2 Figure Out When You’re Most Productive
This really builds on the first point, because energy is the main currency of productivity.
But to be productive, it also entails self-awareness — knowing when you feel most energetic and knowing when you tend to feel most tired.
For example, some people are early birds; in other words, they get up super early and are full of energy.
Others, on the other hand, don’t reach their peak energy levels until later in the day.
So it’s important to know WHEN you should do your work and you have to figure this out through trial and error.
And the best way to do this: is to initially work at different times, whilst using a journal to track your energy levels.
After a short period of time tracking, you should start to notice clear patterns, which will give you the information you need to discover your most productive hours.
I’ve created an energy tracking journal template for you to download free of charge — no email address required.
#3 Learn How to Prioritize Low-Value and High-Value Tasks
As a content creator, you have high-value tasks and low-value tasks.
High-value tasks are activities that move the needle.
Any activity or task that gets eyeballs on your brand (marketing) or puts money in your pocket (sales) is considered high-value.
For example:
Writing a blog post is a high-value task (marketing).
Creating social media content, such as YouTube videos, is a high-value task (marketing).
Writing an e-book that you plan to sell is a high-value task (sales).
Recording videos for a course you’re going to sell is also a high-value task (sales).
Marketing and sales are the lifeblood of any business, so tasks related to these areas will always be considered high-value.
Low-value activities, while still important, don’t move the needle as much as high-value tasks. These include administrative work like responding to emails and replying to comments on social media platforms.
How to Prioritize
In #2 (Figure out when you’re most productive), I talked about identifying the hours of the day when you are most energetic versus when you are least energetic through trial and error.
Once you discover your peak hours and slump hours, use this information to your advantage, meaning you:
Prioritize high-value tasks during your most energetic hours.
Handle low-value tasks when your energy is lower.
I recommend preparing a to-do list the night before with all the tasks you need to complete so you have a clear path to follow.
It’s also in your best interest to delegate or automate low-value tasks where possible.
For example, I absolutely hate numbers (maths isn’t my strong suit), so when it comes to taxes and things of that nature, I let a tax professional handle that.
You can also use tools like Canva to create YouTube thumbnails and things of that nature very, very quickly.
This way, you can spend the majority of your time on the activities that actually move the needle — and that is content creation (marketing) and sales.
#4 Take Breaks to Avoid Burnout
As a content creator, it’s absolutely essential that you take breaks.
In the long run, this will not only keep you sane but also keep you productive.
So, let’s talk strategies:
Schedule Regular Breaks: Step away from the screen for 5-10 minutes every hour. This will give your eyes a rest and give your mind a short break.
Set Boundaries: I’m not a fan of hustle culture at all. It’s really just workaholism disguised. Define your work hours and stick to them.
For example, avoid creating content during your personal time. It’s perfectly fine to spend time with family and friends and to spend time relaxing.
Prioritize Self-Care: I touched on this earlier, but it’s worth repeating. Sleep 7-8 hours, eat well, and exercise regularly to maintain your energy and focus.
Unplug Occasionally: Take a day or a weekend off social media to recharge creatively. This will set you up to be more effective when you return back to work.
Remember, if you don’t manage yourself properly, you will not be effective as a content creator.
While this work isn’t physically demanding like working on a construction site, it is mentally very taxing.
And sometimes mental work can leave you feeling more drained than physical labor.
#5 Swap Your Home Office for the Library
One of the best things that you can actually do for your productivity is to get out of your home and go to a public space.
Think coffee shop or a library. (I personally prefer the library.)
The reason why is that a change of scenery can force you to be more productive, it can put you in the right frame of mind.
And there are 3 reasons why the library is the perfect environment for deep work:
It’s super quiet. (Distraction free)
It’s free (if you go to a coffee shop, you’ll probably need to make purchases throughout the day to keep the owners happy).
You see other people working on their laptops, which can also motivate you to work. (Monkey see, monkey do)
And This leads me perfectly to today's sponsor: NordVPN.
One of the issues with connecting to public Wi-Fi is that it can put you at risk—risk of being hacked or having your login details stolen, which is the last thing you want if you’re a content creator making money online.
When you use a reputable VPN service like NordVPN, it significantly enhances your online security and privacy by encrypting your internet traffic and masking your IP address.
NordVPN also comes with Threat Protection, which blocks access to malicious websites, phishing links, malware, ads, and trackers in REAL time.
The service includes a kill switch that prevents data leaks in case the VPN disconnects unexpectedly.
Plus, NordVPN operates under a strict no-logs policy with RAM-only servers to safeguard your privacy.
Exclusive NordVPN Coupon:
Get up to 72% off a NordVPN subscription, plus a free Amazon gift card below:
(Coupon is applied automatically; 30-day money-back guarantee.)