Happy & Healthy
7 Things you should stop doing now
In a, by the way, very successful attempt to avoid my chores, I came across an article on Huffingtonpost.com. It was about the things you really need to stop doing, starting with browsing the internet during work. Particularly bad because you lose your focus and it takes you 15 minutes to get back into your concentration groove. So no, no, no (imagine a wagging finger here) not ‘just’ secretly Facebooking or tracking your Netta order (look here but if you don't know what that means) because there's nothing ‘just’ about it. That will cost you at least a quarter of an hour. I decided to throw myself against the rest of the checklist for a moment. Because I can keep writing down how it all should be in life, but whether I actually do it…
1. Don't browse the internet in between
Guilty as hell. I can't help it. I'm going to stop right away. Do you think WhatsApping falls under this ban too?
2. Respond to emails immediately
So I often read an incoming email, but I don't respond right away. Unless you're inviting me on a candy trip, then I will. But if you respond later, you're completely wrong with the one-touch theory (just read here) of great leaders. They handle emails immediately. That saves them a read and there's no ‘I still have to do that’ gnawing at their brains. So I'm triple wrong here. First, I need to find someone to explain to me how to turn off the notifications that my emails appear on my screen…
3. Meetings
Haha, I'm putting these points in my pocket. I hate meetings and always quote a friend of mine who says that meetings are for the talentless. And if I do meet, I don't call it that. It drains creativity from every fiber. Meetings. Bleh. And then drinking filter coffee from paper cups…
”So no, no, no (imagine a wagging finger here) not ‘just’ secretly Facebooking or tracking your Netta order”
4. Multitasking
Yes, I do that too. Because typing and messaging and Facebooking and avoiding meetings and chatting. Recently, a friend who is an editor asked her daughter what she thought her mom's job entailed. “Computering and chatting,” the girl answered, and yes, that's multitasking. So wrong. Why? You should ask those types from Huffingtonpost. I don't want to know the answer anyway. It probably has something to do with a lack of concentration. Hey, is my order being delivered right now?
5. Eating too much sugar
Too much, too much, what is too much? I believe I score reasonably well in this area. I'm not much of a snacker. Except for those old Dutch pears that I ritualistically grab from translator Elke's desk every day. And Fisherman’s Friends don't count, right?
6. Using your phone in bed
Ha. There we have another one where I've significantly improved my life. I leave my laptop and phone downstairs when I go to sleep. Nothing is so important that it can't wait until tomorrow morning, is my new motto.
7. Hitting snooze
Not a good idea according to the big shots at Huff. Because it's a false sleep (although there are also people who advocate for it) and you don't gain much from it, because it messes up the rest of your day as you keep running after the facts. But I don't hit snooze because my phone is downstairs. I wake up from the light and jump out of bed because I know it won't fit otherwise. Phew, luckily. Still doing a bit well in this life. How about you?
