Consider your work style to be more productive

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Tips for multitaskers, procrastinators, and those who like to get things done.

Basic principles of productivity

Each of us has our own characteristics, but there are general rules that work for everyone:

• Take small steps. Don't expect work habits that have been formed over the years to change in a couple of days. Try one piece of advice, see what works for you and what doesn't. Gradually, you will develop your own productivity system.
• Report progress. For example, arrange with a colleague to talk about work done once a week. Or notify the team about your own deadlines. This will be an additional incentive to complete tasks on time.
• Be kind to yourself. You are only human. Accept that sometimes you will make mistakes, get distracted, or feel bad. Don't dwell on these failures and move on.

Tips for multitasking enthusiasts

Stop thinking about multitasking as useful

The bandwidth of the brain is limited. At any given time, we can only keep in mind a certain number of thoughts and tasks. Try talking to a colleague while typing a message and flipping through social media. Even if it seems to you that at this moment you are very productive, most likely you are not doing every task very well.

Multitasking is simply beyond the power of humans. When you switch from one to the other, the neural networks in your brain have to remember where you left off and rebuild.

Earl Miller Professor of Neuroscience at MIT

This extra effort makes you work slower and the likelihood of errors increases.

Focus on one task

It is not always possible to set aside a few hours for a task and during this time insure yourself against all distractions. But even 10-15 minutes of concentrated work can do a lot.

Start with these steps:

• Protect yourself from temptation. Don't just log into social media while you're working on a task. If this does not work without outside help, use applications that temporarily block access to certain sites. For example SelfControl or Freedom.
• Work on only one screen. If you are at a computer, put your phone and tablet away. Turn off the second monitor if you do not need one for this task.
• Move. If you notice that you cannot concentrate (for example, you read the same sentence several times or constantly switch to extraneous thoughts), get up and walk a little. After that, it will be easier to concentrate.
• Divide working hours into intervals. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and stay focused during this time. Then allow yourself a moment of rest and return to the task again.

Don't berate yourself for being distracted. It developed in humans a long time ago, when survival depended on a quick switch of attention. In the process of labor, this often interferes, rather than helps. But don't be discouraged. The more you train in concentration, the easier it will be.

Tips for procrastinators

Report to someone

Let's say you have an important project ahead of you. Agree with a colleague or supervisor that you will regularly report your progress. It is important that this person takes their role seriously. He should be discouraged when you have not achieved your goal, and joy when you have succeeded.

Some hard-core procrastinators agree to be rewarded or punished for adhering to deadlines. Depends on what motivates a particular person more. For example, the reward might be a free lunch, and the punishment might be a letter to the entire department telling you that you missed a deadline.

Make lists of tasks

When used effectively, they help you stay on track.

• At the end of your day, make a five to eight to-do list for tomorrow. In doing so, be realistic and consider how much you can really do.
• Create a separate personal to-do list for the same day. It should include no more than two or three items. Don't make a checklist for the week ahead: having such an abundance of things to do will only increase stress.
• Formulate tasks as concretely as possible. For example, do not write "Finish project", it is better to break such an item into small sub-items.

Do not forget that besides the usual procrastination, there is also the so-called structured one. During it, we do small work chores in order to avoid a large and complex task. Making a list can also be a form of this procrastination, so take no more than 5-10 minutes to do this. You shouldn't be allowed to spend more time planning than doing things.

Tips for the hyperresponsible

Take breaks

Working without rest and stopping for 10-12 hours a day does not guarantee outstanding results and does not promote creativity. Try to remember where you were when you last had a good idea. Hardly at the desk. Most likely, this happened while you were lying in the bathroom, walking or driving somewhere.

So when you're on a big project, don't try to do everything in a day. Let your brain rest, ideally a few hours. Sleep is the best way to do this. During it, the subconscious continues to work on the task, new connections are formed in the brain, which leads to unexpected ideas in the morning.

If you notice that the mental strength is gone, stop. Don't be ashamed to take a break or end your day early to give your brain a break.

Breathe deeply

When we're overwhelmed with work, our stress response kicks in, causing us to breathe quickly and shallowly. As a result, less oxygen enters the brain, making us even more nervous and unable to think clearly. To deal with this, watch your breath.

Most people breathe vertically, raising and lowering their shoulders and expanding their ribcage. There is another way - horizontal breathing. In this case, you need to breathe with the diaphragm, so more oxygen enters the body. This method is typical for young children. Try it when you're drowning in tasks again. More oxygen will enter the brain, which means it will be easier for you to think.

Watch your posture

Try to notice tension in your body and change your posture. For example, some people straining their hands too much when working at a computer when holding a mouse or typing. And when they sit at the table for a long time, they raise their shoulders up. Under stress, in general, all muscles become stiff. Over time, we get so used to the tense posture that we stop noticing it. In this position, we are even more nervous, we cannot breathe deeply.

To relax, do this exercise:

• Imagine your crown.
• Touch it (it is quite possible that you will be surprised that it is lower than you expected).
• Lift it up gently.
• Straighten your shoulders so that they turn outward.
• Straighten your chest.
• Breathe deeply.

Repeat the exercise when you feel that you have returned to a tense position again.