Our constant access to information is killing our productivity. Do you and your coworkers start your day by picking up your phones and getting lost in a stream of notifications and information? Maybe it’s an endless barrage of texts, tweets, and emails. This digital fog can negatively impact you throughout the day and reduce your effectiveness and productivity.
By intentionally allowing yourself to be overwhelmed by so-called smart devices, we inhibit our ability to process, recharge and focus. We may actually be making ourselves less smart.
Here are three things you can do to create more time for yourself and stay focused at work!
- Start your day right. The biggest mistake most of us make is how we start our day. When you first wake up, don’t immediately start checking email on your phone. Instead, develop a habit of starting your day with relaxation and gratitude. Take a few deep breaths and make a mental list of the things you’re grateful for. If possible, allow 20-30 minutes for meditation and reflection. This will train your nervous system to be calm despite your daily stresses. When you are calm, you improve your relationships and make better decisions.
- Organize your day. Take advantage of your body’s natural rhythms. If you are like most people, you’ll want to focus on complex, creative tasks in the Schedule meetings in the afternoon. This plan may not work for everyone so be flexible and experiment with what works best for you.
- Organize your space. A clean work environment leads to a less cluttered mind. Put everything in a drawer. Create folders on your computer desktop to get rid of all the random files. On your phone, keep only the 8–12 most important apps on your home screen. Turn off all unnecessary notifications.
