Busy busy busy: so this is how to stay productive
How is it? Busy. I didn't really want to give the answer anymore, but I simply wasn't anything else for a while. I felt busy, I was busy, I was breathing pressure-pressure-pressure. This had to change, of course, because no human being keeps twenty-four-seven busy decently. I went looking for tips and I collected them, some from myself and some from the pros.
1. Shut up
Pack your bags and retreat from that hysterical office garden for a while or put noise-cancelling headphones on. I know an office where they put a fuck-off doll on the screen, then you are not allowed to disturb. I want a fuck-off doll too.
2. Don't punish yourself
It is easy to blame yourself when you don't get that to-do list ticked off, but it is far from helping you to be productive. That is why it is important to decouple your productivity from your self-worth say the professionals. Aju negative spiral.
3. Blacklist sites
A good one, if you ask me. You can easily set via apps and sites that you can't shop at H&M for a while between certain times, can't spend time on Instagram and can't possibly open WhatsApp on your laptop. Gone are the minutes and hours you don't know where they go.
4. Sleep
If I know I have a busy week, I advance my bedtime by at least half an hour. A rested head makes me get more done and oversee everything better. What also works: get up earlier, that way you start the day ahead of everyone else.
5. The 2-minute rule
The secret of just about every successful being on this globe: can you do something in two minutes and thus get it out of your system? Do it. It gets you back to focusing on other things afterwards. Can't do something within two minutes? Put it on a list for later.
6. Listen to noise
Never thought it would work for me, but I have become addicted to the binaural beats on Spotify. It's all kinds of absurd sound frequencies that put your brain in a certain state. If I listen to this, I can work for two hours without distraction. Just make sure you pick the right one, because there are listening lists to help you concentrate but also to help you fall asleep more easily.
7. A list of must and may
A to-do list for your working day works, but it is exceptionally frustrating if you can't tick everything off. Therefore, categorise everything that is must and what is allowed, but also make sure you can actually get the musts done, otherwise you will start with a backlog.
8. Schedule free time
That one-hour walk in the morning that makes you smarter, get some exercise, drink white wine with a friend or read a book in the garden. Just as you plan your working day, it is also smart to plan your free time. This makes it easier to disconnect private and work and gives you time to relax.
Source: Business Insider
