8 ways to shift out of being unproductive
Did you know that the average office worker is only productive for two hours and 23 minutes each day? Wow!
More importantly, what if you’re feeling unproductive right now, or next Monday? What can you do to snap out of it and get in gear?
Here are just a few ways I wrestle with feeling unproductive and perhaps some of these tips may work for you.
1- You can end up feeling guilty or frustrated when you fritter your time away. Why? Because it’s a lost opportunity.
2- If you’re overwhelmed with a task break it into smaller pieces. For example if a project is likely to take five hours to complete start by working on it for just 15 minutes. This creates momentum and breaks the logjam of procrastination.
3- Reduce or eliminate distractions. Resist the temptation to jump on social media or surf the internet and practice intentional focus on the task at hand. 4- Prioritize your tasks. If everything’s important, which it’s not, then you’re likely to feel overwhelmed .
5- Focus on the reward. Recall those times when you crushed it and how you felt afterwards. Remember the sense of confidence and pride you took after a productive day and seek to do the same again.
6- Make self-care a priority. Are you exercising most days, eating well, getting adequate sleep, or taking vitamin supplements? Do a quick self-assessment. Prioritizing your well being will prepare you to be productive throughout the day.
7- Work in bursts. This is one of my personal favorites. Blast through your tasks like it’s the only thing in the world that matters. Personally I prefer an hour sprint followed by a short break. Many choose to use the Pomodoro technique which has 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break. Find what interval works best for you.
8- focus on what you can control. This ancient philosophical principal isn’t just for contemplation, it works in the office as well. Direct your energy only at those things which you have some level of control.
We all feel unproductive from time to time. The trick is to understand why and remind ourselves that we can push through the slump and back into productivity by simply making a few modest changes. How do you snap out of feeling unproductive. Chime in with your thoughts in the comment section
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3 Comments
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Steve- thank you for sharing this. We love it when our content has a real-life benefit. Keep up the good work!
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