9 things that kill your productivity

1. Notifications

Researchers at the University of Florida found The attentional cost of receiving a cell phone notification that even the smallest notifications a smartphone displays can seriously affect the performance of its owner.

Scientists claim that notifications distract from work, even if you did not see the push-window itself, but only heard the beeping of a smartphone or felt vibration. During the experiments, even the most disciplined people who had the patience not to immediately take their smartphone out of their pocket to see what happened, showed a decrease in attentiveness.

This is because they had to remember to view a notification, write a message, or answer a call. This creates an extra load on memory.

Solution. Set your smartphone to Do Not Disturb so that it automatically turns on during your office hours. This way you will not pay attention to notifications and fill your head with nonsense. When you're done, you can watch them all in bulk.

2. Disorder

A mess in documents, papers, files - both in the workplace and in the computer - distracts our attention and does not allow us to concentrate on the task before us. This is confirmed by studies of Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in human visual cortex by psychologists at Princeton University.

However, different people perceive Saying Yes to Mess clutter differently. Someone enjoys a spotlessly clean desk, while others find the absence of scattered papers boring.

Solution. Find your ideal level of order so you don't get distracted by little things. In the office, you will have to bring comfort with your hands; on a computer, a lot can be automated.

3. Stuffiness

Productivity also depends on the air quality in your workplace. This is confirmed by The impact of green buildings on cognitive function by scientists from Harvard, who studied the effects of ventilation and carbon dioxide on the cognitive abilities of office workers.

Another study, The effects of indoor air quality on performance and productivity, found a correlation between poor air quality and decreased productivity during mental work. The stuffiness leads The relative benefits of green versus lean office space: Three field experiments to headaches and decreased concentration.

Solution. There are a few simple tricks to help you improve indoor air quality:

Open a window while you work if you can. Or turn on the air conditioner.
Use air purifiers. It's also a good idea to surround your desktop with houseplants. Study: Office Plants Can Boost Productivity and Morale studies show that they slightly improve air and at the same time lift the mood by their appearance.
If you work in public places like coffee shops, stay away from cigarette smoke.
Do not burn candles or incense while working. During holidays, you should also not do this: they do more harm than good Candles and incense as potential sources of indoor air pollution: market analysis and literature review.

4. Excess caffeine

We are used to using coffee as a stimulant for problems with productivity and attention. Morning, you haven't slept enough, you need to cheer up - what could be better than a glass of hot coffee?

But you should not abuse this drink. Consuming large amounts of caffeine leads to such negative effects. The effect of daily caffeine use on cerebral blood flow: How much caffeine can we tolerate? like restriction of blood flow to the brain, dehydration, headaches, indigestion and increased adrenaline levels, which can even cause tremors in the hands.

Solution. In moderation, caffeine, on the other hand, is quite beneficial. So try to limit your intake. Caffeine: How much is too much? up to 400 mg per day is about four cups of freshly brewed coffee.

Also, try not to consume this drink immediately after getting out of bed. This is what Dr. Stephen Miller of Bethesda University of Health Sciences advises. Let's say you got up, having had enough sleep, at seven in the morning. In this case, your body will start producing cortisol (the hormone responsible for energy - our natural kind of caffeine) in about an hour or two.

You can start drinking coffee without consequences when the level of cortisol begins to fall - at 10 or 11. You should not stuff yourself with caffeine earlier, as this will develop a tolerance to it in your body.

5. An annoying environment

People who are not tactful enough can take us away from business at any moment, and it can be very difficult to concentrate again. Your boss suddenly calls you into his office. A remote employee sends you a note via Slack. A colleague sits down next to him and asks: "Do you have a minute?" Naturally, there can be no question of any state of the flow under such conditions.

Solution. To avoid this kind of trouble, try the following tactic:

Let your coworkers know that you prefer not to be disturbed at any given time. Let them know when you are busy and not worry if you are late in answering.
Make information publicly available. Mostly we are distracted to find out something, so publish this information in advance. For example, if your wife constantly calls you at work to find out what to buy at the supermarket, make a collective list of products with her in some task manager, and you don't have to call again.
Work asynchronously. You don't need to be in touch with your colleagues every minute. Don't worry if your inbox or messenger is full of messages - you can reply to them later, during the break. Most of the issues are not urgent enough to be undermined and run to resolve them now.

6. Shyness

Sometimes we are embarrassed to ask questions that seem silly to us. This leads to stagnation in business: we try to figure things out ourselves and waste time, instead of asking more knowledgeable colleagues.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with googling first and then getting to work. But if the investigation of the problem has been delayed, do not hesitate to call colleagues for help.

Solution. Career consultant Jennifer Winter came up with a three-step rule:

If I couldn't figure out the problem after trying at least three solutions on my own, it's time to admit that I need help.

You don't have to reinvent the wheel. If someone in the office has encountered your problem before, consult them. This will save time.

7. Perfectionism

Striving for excellence can be one of the biggest barriers to being productive. Charlie Harari, CEO of H3 & Co, on how perfectionism hinders productivity:

On my first day of my first real job as a newly minted lawyer at a prestigious law firm, I walked up to the office brainstorming board and saw the “hopeful” inscription on it: “Proofread until your eyes bleed.” We were instructed that the work of each lawyer represents the entire firm. If we send a document or email with errors, we will compromise the company and jeopardize the trust of customers.

Fear of screwing up led Harari to re-read his emails at least 10 times before sending them out, fearing that a typo would end his career. Naturally, he began to do less than his colleagues. Later, he had to root out perfectionism in himself for a long time.

Solution. Instead of trying to do everything "perfect", try to do "good enough." If you feel like you're drowning in details, take a break from the task and take a break to look at the fruit of your labors with a fresh eye. There is no need to waste time striving for an unattainable ideal.

8. Lack of rest

No matter how passionate you are about your business, you are not a robot. And if you don't rest from time to time, you cannot avoid burnout, no matter how simple and interesting the work is.

Solution. Be sure to take breaks. Brief diversions vastly improve focus, researchers find, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The Pomodoro technique helps to effectively alternate work and rest. Try it and it will be easier for you to focus on your tasks.

9. Lack of control over time

The last but most important problem affecting your productivity is lack of control over time. You work too long on unimportant tasks and, as a result, do not have time to complete really difficult tasks. You misjudge the timing. Or indulge in procrastination when you need to be as collected as possible.

Solution. To improve your productivity, learn how you work. Track which tasks you are slipping on and which ones are easy for you. This will require time tracking apps and task managers.

Determine what time of day you are most productive, and solve the most difficult problems then. Plan your day and set deadlines. Only by controlling the working time, you will be able to keep up with everything on time.