It has become the norm to be overwhelmingly busy. As a matter of fact, it’s no longer unusual to work hours after 6 p.m.

Still, the challenge with working long hours is that it may diminish your productivity and drain you of energy. In the long run, your health might be negatively affected; you might even cope with the widespread phenomenon of "job burnout."

So, how do you get the most out of your working hours? And, most importantly, how do you remain productive?

There are six primary ways in which you can accomplish that:

1. Wake Up Early

It’s no secret that many successful individuals are early risers – renowned personalities such as Obama, Darwin, and many others are known to start their routine early in the morning. Did you know that, if you woke up only an hour earlier than you usually do, you would gain no less than 15 days in a year’s time?

Waking up early gives you valuable time to do the things that often get overlooked. And these are the things that enhance your well-being, and ultimately affect your productivity level. That is to say, if you give yourself more time, you’ll feel better and more motivated.

2. Stay Focused

If you don’t focus completely on the task you have the complete, the odds are you’ll get distracted. And, you might know by now that distractions are the killers of concentration – which, eventually, will make you less productive. The thing is that, when you’re not productive, your tasks get prolonged.

In other words, if you’re focused, you might complete a difficult task in less time than you normally would. And this is a major accomplishment. Essentially, a single-tasking mentality is known to be much more effective than a multitasking approach. Switching back and forth between tasks and projects will inevitably lead to a decrease of efficiency, as well as a feeling of stress.

3. Get Organized

Organization goes hand in hand with productivity. This is primarily why you should come up with ways of organizing your workload more efficiently, so that you get excellent results faster.

Evidently, if you work in a chaotic environment, your efficiency can be impaired. On the flipside, an organized, neat workplace is likely to positively impact your productivity and professional results. There are many ways in which employers can ensure that the workplace is as productive as possible.

One way is by focusing on building structure, as well as an efficient workplace, so that workers can achieve more and generate more business. Conversely, you might use a mobile time clock app to track employee hours. Such an app can help employers to save a lot of time that gets lost with unimportant details.

4. Learn to Communicate Better

Communication is a factor of primordial importance that sets the tone for every business. Therefore, it is mandatory to communicate efficiently. There are plentiful modern platforms and applications that can aid employees accomplish this.

Having the means through which one can discuss concerns or plans can be really life changing in terms of performance. Each business requires different communication systems, which are specifically designated to address its needs.

5. Eat Healthy and Exercise

You might wonder what does this have to do with work productivity. Truth be told, your productivity is imminently connected to your lifestyle choices. Did you know that a consistent exercising routine is linked to increased creativity, lower stress levels, sharper memory as well as improved concentration? Considering that it is so good for you, you should no longer come up with excuses.

The key here is to schedule exercising, as opposed to finding excuses not to do it. There are many businesses that are equipped with state-of-the-art gyms. Why shouldn’t you take advantage of them?

At the same time, having a healthy diet is just as critical. Focus on eating food that gives you energy, which will ultimately maximize your productivity.

6. Give Yourself Deadlines

Did you ever notice that when you have a tight deadline, you instantly get motivated to finish a stressing task? Many a time, it is that rush that triggers you to get things done ASAP, and, it goes without saying that the rush works in your advantage.

Therefore, you should create deadlines for yourself, as well, in order to ensure that you’ll reach your goals. And when you accomplish a goal, there’s nothing like that feeling of self-satisfaction – you feel good since you realize that you were capable to do what you put your mind to do.

We don't have all the time in the world to carry out all the activities that’ll lead us to meeting deadlines but we can effectively manage them. When you’re focused on achieving a goal, you may not have time to attend important family meetings, scout for personal or small business loans, obtain relevant information on part-time academic programs or run around looking for the procedure for Schengen visa requirements.

You can delegate some tasks and focus on the most important ones that are instrumental to meet deadlines.  As you can see, working shouldn’t feel like a burden – as long as you incorporate the right strategies, you can get the most out of your job and feel good about yourself. That’s because nothing compares to getting things done, and doing them right!

Richard Agu is a researcher, entrepreneur and freelancer, passionate about entrepreneurship and self-development. Currently, Richard writes for Entrepreneur.com, Goodmenproject.com, among others. Follow him on Linkedin.com by clicking here now.