Work smarter, not harder. You’ve heard the well-worn aphorism countless times, but are you putting it into practice in your daily life? Consider these strategies to help you minimize menial tasks, better manage your time and focus in on the essentials.

1. Use a calendar-scheduling app.

Salespeople spend 21% of their workday on email, according to research from HubSpot. How much of that is just going back and forth with a prospect or client trying to book a meeting for a day and time that works for all parties involved? Instead, cut through the email clutter by using a scheduling app. There are plenty to choose from, and many have free plans, so you can find the one that works best for you. Appointlet lets salespeople customize their availability, create booking pages and send them to prospects and customers. Doodle lets you create meeting polls to find an optimal meeting time. With the paid version of the software, a meeting host can suggest times and invite participants to indicate their availability. Once the host picks a time, a calendar event is added to all parties’ calendars. Calendly allows you to book unlimited meetings, connect your calendar, create a custom link and send automatic notifications and reminders to invitees, all with the free version. The paid version provides multiple meeting types to choose from – including one-on-one, round robin or collective.

2. Write a to-do list … but keep it short.

There are plenty of apps out there that can help you put together a digital list, but aren’t we all getting enough screen time right now? Zoom fatigue isn’t a myth, after all. There’s something immensely satisfying about putting pen to paper and crossing out each task as it’s completed. Don’t overload your list with too many tasks, though. That’s just setting yourself up for failure. Leadership IQ put together this time-management quiz, and found that only 14% of people who had lengthy lists felt like they have enough time to accomplish everything, whereas 44% of those with a short list of essential priorities were confident they could get everything finished. If you feel compelled to write down every single thing you need to do, go ahead, but then prioritize each task on there, and pick a handful of top priorities for the day and work from that truncated list.

3. Build “distraction-free zones” into your day.

Of course, it’s essential to answer emails in a timely manner and be available to your colleagues and clients, but how often do you find yourself sidetracked by the steady slew of pings, dings and rings you get each day? Try creating blocks of time – an hour or two each day, if possible – where you close out of your email program, silence your phone and just take a deep dive into whatever detailed project you want to focus your energies on. Figure out which part of the day is your most productive and schedule these zones within that timeframe.

4. Take control of your email.

Rather then spend your day answering the same questions and sending out the same messages, create canned responses that you can easily access and incorporate into your messages. Outlook, for example, lets you create reusable text building blocks to save typing time. While you’re in your inbox, take some time to clean it up. Delete emails you no longer need; unsubscribe from recurring messages you never open and save important communications by category in easily accessed folders. You could also set up “rules” to help sort your messages into the right folders as soon as they come in.

5. Don’t forget to take breaks.

This is especially important when so many of us are still working from home. When you have a full workload, it can be tempting to stay tied to your desk from morning to night with no respite in between, but that’s a recipe for burnout. Make sure you take your lunch each day. If you find yourself getting frazzled, consider taking a walk around the neighborhood, doing some simple stretches or completing a short exercise routine to get your blood flowing. Try using a meditation app like Calm to stave off anxiety. If you’re working remotely, build a “commute” into your day. It could be a morning jog or a quick drive around town, anything to separate your home and work life. And don’t forget to use your PTO, even if it’s just for a long weekend getaway or a relaxing staycation. Time away from the office will make you even more productive when you return.