Calling all plus size business owners… Have you been running yourself ragged? Oh no, not today, not anymore! We all know that building a business is exhausting. You’re juggling client calls, social media content, financial spreadsheets, and somehow trying to remember if you ate lunch. Now add the pressure of living in a body that society constantly tells you to “fix” instead of fuel. It’s a lot.
Here’s the thing though. Productivity isn’t about grinding until you collapse or fitting into some hustle-culture mold that was never designed with you in mind. It’s about working smarter in a way that honors your body, your energy, and your actual life.
These five productivity hacks aren’t generic advice you’ve seen a thousand times. They’re tailored for us plus size entrepreneurs who refuse to choose between success and well-being.
Pull up a chair, grab your coffee, because we pulled out the tips with expert-backed research to help set you up for success!
5 Productivity Hacks to Get the most out of your day
Design Your Workspace Around Your Actual Body
Most office furniture wasn’t made with curves in mind. That flimsy desk chair from Target? It’s probably causing more problems than you realize. Here’s what the science actually shows: employees using properly designed workstations achieved up to 17.7% higher productivity. That’s nearly a 20% boost just from sitting in a chair that actually fits your body.
Invest in a proper ergonomic chair with adequate weight capacity and adjustable features. Your back, hips, and shoulders will thank you after those marathon work sessions. And if you’re thinking “but standing desks are just a trend,” think again. The CDC found that sit/stand desks reduced back and neck pain by 54% when people cut their sitting time by just 66 minutes daily.
Consider a standing desk converter or adjustable desk. Standing for part of your day improves circulation and energy levels without requiring you to commit to standing all day. One seven-week study tracked employees with standing desks and found they reported way less stress and fatigue while actually feeling more energized throughout their workday. Position your monitor at eye level to prevent neck strain.
Don’t forget about your actual comfort. Keep a supportive cushion nearby, adjust your chair height so your feet rest flat on the floor, and make sure you have enough space to move freely. A workspace that fits your body isn’t a luxury. It’s a baseline requirement for sustainable productivity.
Time-Block With Energy Patterns, Not Just Tasks
Forget that “rise and grind at 5am” nonsense if you’re not a morning person. The most productive entrepreneurs work with their natural energy rhythms instead of fighting them.
Your chronotype, whether you’re a morning lark or night owl, is influenced by genetics and driven by your circadian rhythm. Scientists identified 351 genetic loci associated with chronotype, which is fancy science-speak for: being a morning person or night owl is literally in your DNA.
Track your energy levels for a week and notice when you feel most alert, creative, or social. Schedule your most demanding cognitive work during your peak energy windows. Studies show that during your optimal circadian times, you perform way better on tasks requiring attention, with more accurate and faster mental performance on new tasks.
Save administrative tasks like responding to emails or organizing files for lower-energy periods. This approach respects how your body actually functions throughout the day.
Build in deliberate rest periods between intensive tasks. I know it sounds crazy, but taking a real break every ninety minutes actually increases your total output.
This isn’t just feel-good advice… sleep researcher Nathaniel Kleitman discovered that our brains naturally work in approximately 90-minute cycles of high-focus activity followed by recovery periods. Even better? Professionals who aligned their work with these 90-minute cycles reported 40% higher productivity compared to those grinding through random intervals.
Your brain needs recovery time just like muscles do after a workout. During these breaks, your body’s doing all kinds of important maintenance work: delivering fresh energy to your cells, rebalancing blood sugar and hormones, flushing toxins.
Think of it as your body’s internal ground crew cranking into high gear to prep you for the next round. Plus size bodies often deal with additional physical demands that make strategic rest even more critical.
Meal Prep Like a CEO, Not a Diet Blogger
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Most meal prep advice is thinly veiled diet culture garbage that assumes you want to shrink yourself. That’s not what this is about. This is about having nourishing food ready so you’re not ordering overpriced takeout at 9pm because you forgot to eat again.
Here’s what the data actually tells us: people who engage in structured eating patterns report a 17% increase in task completion rates compared to those grazing randomly throughout the day. And get this… Harvard researchers found that higher consumption of fruits and vegetables correlates with a 25% increase in workplace productivity. Twenty-five percent! That’s huge.
Dedicate two hours on Sunday to preparing flexible meal components. Cook a big batch of protein, chop vegetables, prepare grains or starches. Then mix and match throughout the week based on what sounds good. This prevents both food waste and the decision fatigue that comes with figuring out meals when you’re already overwhelmed.
Keep genuinely satisfying snacks within arm’s reach of your workspace. Nuts, fruit, cheese, crackers, whatever keeps you fueled without requiring you to stop working for thirty minutes.
Here’s something wild: even 2% dehydration can tank your cognitive performance, including memory and attention. Hunger tanks your productivity faster than almost anything else. Plus size entrepreneurs face enough judgment about food without adding deprivation to the mix.
Move Your Body in Ways That Feel Good
Exercise doesn’t have to mean punishment or trying to change your body size. Movement for productivity is about increasing blood flow, reducing stress, and maintaining the physical stamina entrepreneurship demands. That’s it.
Find movement you actually enjoy. Maybe that’s dancing to your favorite playlist between meetings, doing gentle stretches while on calls, or taking a walk around the block to clear your head. A 2022 systematic review analyzing multiple studies found that active microbreaks, those short little movement sessions, lead to improvements in physical, mental, and metabolic functions without any negative effects on productivity.
The vast majority of movement benefits come from consistency, not intensity.
Try desk-friendly exercises like seated leg lifts, shoulder rolls, or standing hip circles. Set a timer to remind yourself to move every hour. The American Heart Association found that workers who move hourly are 42% more productive. Forty-two percent! Just from standing up and moving around for a couple minutes.
Here’s the thing: taking approximately two active microbreaks per hour can have a positive impact on both mind and body, with effects comparable to those longer breaks, and they don’t mess with your productivity.
Even two minutes of movement breaks up the physical stagnation that makes afternoon productivity crash so hard. Your body was designed to move regularly throughout the day, not sit frozen in one position for eight hours straight.
Protect Your Sleep Like It’s Your Most Important Client
This is one of our top productivity hacks, as we are team “get a good night of sleep,” over here! Sleep deprivation destroys productivity more effectively than almost any other factor. Yet entrepreneurs wear exhaustion like a badge of honor. Here’s the truth backed by actual data: you cannot out-hustle basic human biology.
Hult International Business School surveyed over 1,000 professionals and found that those averaging only six hours and 28 minutes of sleep struggled to stay focused in meetings, took longer to complete tasks, and found it way harder to generate new ideas.
Your brain needs roughly seven to nine hours of sleep to function optimally, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. And this isn’t just about feeling tired.
Create a shutdown ritual that signals to your body that work is over. Close your laptop, change clothes, dim the lights. Whatever helps your nervous system transition from work mode to rest mode. Studies show that being able to psychologically detach from work after clocking out decreases the negative effects of work-related stress.
Plus size bodies often experience sleep disruptions due to conditions like sleep apnea, so quality sleep becomes even more crucial. Keep your bedroom cool, invest in comfortable bedding that fits your body properly, and consider a supportive pillow arrangement. If you’re struggling with sleep quality, talk to a doctor who actually listens to plus size patients.
Better sleep means sharper thinking, improved mood regulation, and sustained energy throughout your work day. Better sleep has even been linked to improved memory, knowledge acquisition, and learning.
Even short naps have significant positive effects on work performance. It’s hard to say for sure, but inadequate sleep is likely sabotaging more businesses than any marketing strategy ever could.
Wrapping It All Up
Building a successful business while honoring your health isn’t about perfection. It’s about small, consistent choices that add up over time. These productivity hacks work because they acknowledge reality: you’re running a business in a plus size body that deserves comfort, nourishment, rest, and respect.
The data backs this up. Ergonomic workspaces boost productivity by nearly 18%. Working with your natural chronotype can increase output by 40%. Strategic breaks enhance focus without sacrificing performance. Proper nutrition raises workplace productivity by up to 25%. Regular movement improves efficiency by 42%. And quality sleep prevents billions in lost productivity while sharpening cognitive function.
The entrepreneurial journey is demanding enough without adding unnecessary suffering to the mix. What productivity hack are you trying first? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
