15 Weird Productivity Hacks That Actually Work (Yes, Even the Petty Ones)

Productivity isn’t one-size-fits-all — some of us need a bullet journal and colour-coded tabs, others just need a strong grudge and a well-timed espresso. And according to the internet, the weirder the hack, the better the results.

Here are some of the strangest productivity tricks people swear by — and honestly? They might just work.

1. “How much can I get done before this song ends?”

Speed-running your to-do list like it’s a workout montage.

2. The “Five Minute Rule”

If it takes less than five minutes, do it now.
(Spoiler: Most of your tasks are five minutes. You just don’t want to do them.)

3. Curate your background noise

Classical, lo-fi beats, white noise, or dramatic spaghetti Western scores.
Because who doesn’t write better emails while pretending they’re in a desert standoff?

4. Assign a room per task

Writing = kitchen. Emails = bedroom floor.
Tricking your brain into thinking it’s a new job every 20 minutes keeps it alert. Whatever works, honestly.

5. Scent association via candles

Light the same candle every time you tackle a certain task, and your brain will get the productivity memo.
Bonus: your house smells like lavender while you pay bills.

RELATED: Household Hacks and Problem-Solving Solutions That Involve Peanut Butter!

6. Add a resistance band to your desk chair

When your brain checks out, your glutes check in.

7. Productivity by pure spite

Find someone you lowkey can’t stand and think, “Would they outwork me today?” Then… don’t let them.

8. Think for 10 minutes before starting anything

Not to be confused with procrastinating — this is “strategic pausing.” Different.

9. Tidy as you go

Leaving a room? Scan it. Grab something that needs to go with you. Congratulations, you’ve levelled up to “functional adult.”

10. Red lipstick = phone confidence

Need to make an important call? Slap on some bold lipstick. Suddenly, you’re a CEO with opinions and a calendar full of power lunches.

11. No deadline, no motivation

You’re not lazy — you’re deadline-dependent. It’s different.

12. The “jar of tasks” method

Write each task on a little slip of paper. Draw one at random. It’s task roulette.
Low-stakes chaos, high reward.

13. Start in Comic Sans

Because no one feels stressed typing in a font that screams grade 4 book report energy.

14. Put the whole roll of garbage bags in the bin

It’s the little things. Really.

15. Pretend to be bad at things

So someone else takes over. It’s shady. It’s bold. And according to at least one person, it works. (We’re not endorsing this… officially.)

Final Thoughts:

Productivity looks different for everyone. Whether you’re burning productivity candles, speed-working to Ennio Morricone, or just wearing red lipstick to boss up your phone calls — if it helps you get it done, it counts.