A DEVELOPER’S GUIDE TO PRODUCTIVITY

A DEVELOPER’S GUIDE TO PRODUCTIVITY

You can increase your level of productivity. There are many things we can do that will help enhance the way we work and our level of productivity per day and we’ll be looking at all of that in this blog post.

Being a productive developer has its perks such as promotions, higher pays for getting quality work done in less time, bonuses, better work-life balance, and, of course, an internal satisfaction. A productive developer with good energy wouldn’t only get more work done in less time but also impart positive vibes to their colleagues and workplace which reflects on the team’s performance.

Follow these tips and I can almost guarantee you that you’ll save time, be able to do better work, and be a more productive developer.

Time management

If you must be productive as a developer, you must learn how to manage your time effectively. Have a structure, plan your daily activities, you should not do things at random times. Do the right thing at the right time instead. Have your activities for the day planned out including how you plan to execute them. Avoid a case of not knowing what to do and you're either slacking or searching for something. Managing your time properly as a developer will go a long way for you.

Get Proper sleep

You shouldn’t bargain with your sleep to put extra efforts to reach your goals. It might be rewarding, but it isn’t the best thing to do in the long run. It’s not surprising to hear a lot of software developers are sleep deprived. This type of job is very demanding, where the mind is continuously working out for a significant period of the day, sleep deprivation would only make you feel sluggish, thereby hampering your productivity. Create a consistent sleep routine for yourself that you’ll follow diligently. Also, plan the next day before going to sleep, it helps increase your productivity by giving you a head start.

Use a Web Development Framework

Using a web development framework has tons of benefits. They make code reuse easier because of a consistent API, they have developed extensions and tools that further enhance development, they are easier to understand, and also, they have a development community of supporters and users that you can reach out to.

These benefits save you time and help you improve the quality of your deliverables.

Read books

Reading books plays a huge role in boosting the productivity of a person. While reading others’ code gives a fresh perspective to a developer, books are crucial for expanding horizons, giving you a unique view, and imparting new ideas.

Not only does it improve your cognitive skills and critical thinking, but it also lets you dig deep into a subject in a structured manner. Reading at least 30 minutes a day, be it some interesting source code or a book would challenge your thoughts, enhance your reasoning skills, and help you stay in a positive mood. Besides being a great stress buster, reading also sharpens your focus and memory thereby making you a productive developer in the long run.

Take breaks

It’s crucial to let your mind rest. Use breaks to separate yourself from your workspace — go outside and stretch, take a walk or if you’re a freelancer working from home, go to the kitchen and fix a little snack. Again, don’t bother with tracking your time if you don’t have to. Your work doesn’t have to be exactly 15 minutes, and your breaks don’t have to be exactly 5 minutes. Work until you’re at a good stopping point, then take a comfortably timed break. Micromanaging time can only lead to further procrastination.

Minimize Distractions

Your environment plays a vital role in your productivity and much as possible, try to avoid interruptions at the workplace and at home too. A good pair of headphones with music on will be of great benefit to you, besides eliminating noise and keeping you in your zone, it boosts your mood as well. Eliminate unnecessary notifications from all your devices, snooze the irrelevant ones especially during intense work. Another thing that helps boost our productivity as well as minimize distractions is a good work environment.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you will find the above tips useful in improving your productivity as a developer. Remember not to push too hard, take it one step at a time, but be consistent.

Written in collaboration with IG: @mabong_ for Zhaptek

Original Post: blog.zhaptek.com/a-developers-guide-to-prod..

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