If there’s one thing that almost every person I’ve met seems to struggle with, it’s
productivity.
For most of us, staying focused for extended periods of time until the task at hand has
been completed seems impossible.
I’ve written about mental speed and focus a lot in the past.
It’s something we all struggle with at times — even if we love what we do.
In a world so filled with distractions, staying on-task for longer than five minutes has never
been more difficult.
Not only that, but our brains are literally being dumbed-down by the technology we use.
As Netdoctor puts it, “Because it’s so easy to find the answer
to, well, everything on the Internet, our own internal hard drives have become fuzzy-headed.”
Thankfully, we weren’t born with the attention span of a goldfish — something just went
wrong along the way.
That being said, here are five ways to supercharge your productivity in order to make the most
out of your working hours.
Scrolling through social media during every waking moment of our day may indeed seem like
an innocuous pastime — but it isn’t.
I mean, sure, it doesn’t hurt anybody.
Nobody’s going to fall ill if you continue watching cat videos on Facebook.
But there’s no doubt that social media usage is destroying our ability to focus.
See, the content that we absorb on social platforms is designed to grasp our attention
immediately.
It’s short, snappy and to the point.
The thing is, our brains are plastic.
They’re malleable, able to grow and change to suit our needs.
Whenever we commit to a new habit or change our behaviour, our brains also change to enable
us to perform those new tasks more easily.
What does this have to do with focus?
Well, everything.
If the only content we’re soaking up on a day-to-day basis is in the form of two-sentence
Facebook statuses and sixty-second videos, that’s what our brains get used to.
When we sit down to produce an hour’s worth of work or read a book or have an in-depth
conversation, we can’t do it without feeling an irrepressible urge to pick up our phones.
It follows, then, that the first step we can take to maximising our productivity is to
limit our social media usage.
Cut it down.
Shut it off, even.
I actually deleted all of the social media apps on my phone last weekend for this very
reason and already I’m noticing changes in my ability to concentrate, as well as how
mindful I am throughout my day.
Give it a try.
You might be surprised by the benefits.
Countless studies have shown a clear link between hydration and cognitive performance.
When our bodies are dehydrated, it becomes very difficult for us to focus.
This is one that often goes unnoticed when it comes to productivity.
It almost seems too simple to be true.
We might be doing all we can to ramp up our productivity in other ways, perhaps even using
all of the tips on this list — but if we’re not drinking enough, we’re not going to
be able to concentrate.
Being even mildly dehydrated can have a significant impact on our cognitive performance.
But how can you tell if you’re mildly dehydrated without experiencing any of the usual symptoms?
An easy test is to check the colour of your urine.
Allison Aubrey of NPR says that we should aim for a ‘pale lemonade’ or ‘straw’
colour.
There are a few other signs of dehydration that we can look out for, too, including…
Moodiness Brain fog
and Poor cognitive function Or, as a study published in the Medicine & Science
journal, puts it, “We find that when people are mildly dehydrated
they really don’t do as well on tasks that require complex processing or on tasks that
require a lot of their attention.”
If consuming enough water is essential to your productivity levels, how much should
we really be drinking?
The Mayo Clinic recommends 2.7 litres daily for women and 3.7 litres for men.
That’s probably a lot more than you’ve heard before, and if you haven’t been meeting
those guidelines, perhaps that’s why you’ve been struggling to concentrate.
You should also factor in things like exercise and outside temperature, drinking more where
necessary.
I don’t know what it is, but when we’re sitting at a desk for hours on end, we just
can’t focus.
Some studies have even shown that we lose focus after just 14 minutes.
I suppose our mobile phones are partially to blame.
Whatever the cause, I’ve found that there’s also a pretty simple solution.
When we’re working for extended periods of time, just making an effort to get up and
move at regular intervals can work wonders.
As soon as that brain fog starts to creep in, I get out of my seat and throw down twenty
jumping jacks before doing a little lap around my house.
My neighbours probably think I’m insane, but that’s okay.
As long as I can get my work done.
How does this actually help us?
Well, firstly, it’s great for our spinal health.
Sitting at a desk for hours is terrible for our backs.
There’s a reason why doctors keep claiming that sitting is the new smoking.
Because it’s awful for us.
Simply getting up and moving every thirty minutes or so can counteract those negative
health impacts.
Moving around when our focus starts to wane is like jumpstarting a dying engine.
It kicks things back into gear and allows us to concentrate again when we sit back down.
It resets our focus.
Making a conscious effort to incorporate physical activity into our working days will have a
tremendous impact on both our health and our ability to remain focused.
That’s what I’ve found, anyway.
You might not be a particularly messy person, in which case I’m sorry for lumping you
in with the rest of us untidy peasants.
Chances are, though, if you’re anything like me, your office needs a good clean up.
I have the luxury of working from home.
While it’s a luxury, it’s incredibly easy for me to allow the plates and coffee mugs
to pile up.
Before long, I’m drowning in toast crusts and mugs.
Mess isn’t good for anything, really.
It only makes us feel stressed out and in need of change.
Untidiness in our workplace is awful for our concentration.
I don’t know what it is, but if there’s mess in my office, I can’t focus.
I need to clear it first.
Is that weird?
Maybe.
But it certainly helps.
Simply clearing up any mess in your room and organising your desk can work wonders on your
ability to concentrate for the simple reason that you’re just not thinking about the
mess.
There have even been studies that have proven this to be true.
Evidence shows that when multiple visual stimuli are competing for your attention, it becomes
harder to narrow your focus to just one thing.
Working in a messy office?
It might just be time to tidy things up.
Have you ever heard writers and creatives talk about this magical thing called flow?
I’m sure you’ve probably experienced it yourself — but it’s rare.
Flow is that wonderful state of mind in which everything just, well, flows.
It feels easy to work tirelessly for hours, ideas pouring out of you and your focus like
a laser beam.
How, then, do we consciously put ourselves into that flow-like state?
Well, it’s actually quite simple.
Firstly, it’s important that you love what you do.
That you’re passionate about your work.
Otherwise, it’s going to be very difficult to get really stuck into something if it bores
you to death.
I don’t get into much of a flow when I’m handling my accounts, for instance.
But I’m in full-flow right now.
Once you’re onto a task that stimulates you, you’re faced with the next challenge.
Pushing past distractions and the temptation to procrastinate.
Whenever I begin working on something new, I’m usually half-in and half-out.
I’m not quite stuck into it yet, and I’m still thinking about checking Facebook or
getting up to make a cup of coffee.
If you can get past that first five or ten minutes though, your focus will gradually
start to improve.
It’ll get stronger during every distraction-free moment that passes.
And then, before you’re even really aware of it, you’ll be deep into that precious
flow state we all dream of.
But only if you can get past that first phase.
If you can ignore the urge to give up or do something else.
Once you’re in full flow, the urge to open a new tab and start wasting time will certainly
arise.
Ignore it.
Let it pass.
As soon as you succumb to it, you’re toast.
For me, finding flow and staying in it has been the key not only to producing more work,
but also to producing better quality work.
Perhaps the same will be true for you, too.
Though it’s something that we all struggle with from time-to-time, being productive isn’t
quite the impossible task it often seems.
Increasing our working output just requires a few simple changes.
Perhaps you’re dehydrated, maybe your office is a mess or maybe you’re using social media
too much.
Whatever it is, by making use of these tips, remaining focused and meeting the working
demands of each day becomes far easier.