All of us are staying home making sure to stay alive amidst the deadly corona virus. Our regular work routines have been changed now, it feels as if we are immobilized as we do things in the comfort of our own homes.
From taking classes online to working out at home, our way of living has been modified. And the internet is trying to remind us that productivity should be our top concern even when the whole world is shaking.
While a lot of people have developed satisfaction by doing things at their own pace, a lot of others have been fell under anxiety trying to bridge the gap between the expectations they have laid out for themselves and the reality of what they are actually doing.
We wake up every day and are constantly struck by the thought of how to be more productive than I was yesterday? We create an unrealistic to-do list and go about doing things with the hope that we will do our best.
But in a matter of a few hours, we get overwhelmed by the amount of expectations we have set for ourselves.
It is because the attention span of human beings is a maximum of about 20 minutes. Even when you push yourself to the extent of doing more and more, the outcomes are not so satisfactory. Because, you are not doing things out of passion and interest, you do it out of fear, fear of losing time.
Productivity- is it something we should strive for?
Let us talk about productivity now. Productivity means different things to different people. For some, its an act of devoting their valuable time by doing things they love, that matters to them, and then taking the time off in relaxation.
For some, it means to stay alert and work almost all the time, now that we are in the lockdown period they almost feel guilty every time they be lazy.
There is too much emphasis on productivity now that we are in the lockdown, we try to stay hyper-efficient trying to squeeze productivity out of every second.People have become guilty about taking the time off, dozing off, and laze around.
People are pushing them to a greater extent by working long hours, trying to stay fit, taking online courses, reading books, and listening to success podcasts because the peer pressure is just too much. My LinkedIn feed is filled with people posting about the successful completion of their online courses.
Its good that a lot of us are trying to learn more by staying home and safe but a lot of people are more focused on the result rather than the process. Everything we do should revolve around the Learning and the self- development aspect.
If you are someone who enjoys getting more done because its what you love, that’s wonderful. But its also possible for some people to focus on getting things done and ignoring the rest of their life, ignoring the need to create a balance between work and play.
Sometimes, it is good to get less done and take some moments to relax, to just breathe.
Let us talk about how to do less and be efficient.
The Pomodoro technique is a time management method that lets the person stay actively focus and be creative allowing people to complete the projects more efficiently by reducing the mental fatigue.
The process is simple:
For every project throughout the day, you schedule the time with short increments and take breaks periodically. You work for 25 mins and then take a break for 5 minutes. After completion of 4 pomos ( 100 minutes ), you try to record your progress.
Pick a task, start a 25-minute timer and get to work. When using the Pomodoro technique there is no concept of pause, stick to your chosen task for the full session, and note any distractions you need to come back to.
It works the best for any kind of work such as writing an essay, learning a new skill, washing dishes and so on. But you have to make sure to work on that specific task completely by reducing the distractions. After successfully completing some Pomodoros every day, you will reach a sense of satisfaction by being efficient with your time.
A tip for everyone during the lockdown is to allocate your time for work either in the morning or in the evening and try to complete the tasks within a stipulated time and then make time for resting and relaxation. By doing that, you would create a wholesome balance between productivity and fun.
Motivation and productivity, a beautiful alignment.
When we work on the projects we care about, the ones that get you all excited about, the motivation flows effortlessly. You don’t need to push yourself out of resistance when you work on something that genuinely interests you.
But, when you work on things that you don’t want to, and don’t feel passionate about there is a lack of motivation and hence the productivity gets disturbed by the constant scrolling through the Instagram feed, checking e-mails and so on.
So my tip here is to set a realistic long term goal for you and create an actionable plan that you can do every day and devote your time to reach closer to your goal.
I want you to remember that it’s perfectly okay to take a complete day off after working to your heart’s content for a few days. The quality of work done is more important than the quantity of time spent on it.
Getting less done is the new productivity mantra:
If you have a lot of things to focus on like career development, physical fitness, mental health, and so on make a list of things you should be doing to achieve those goals.
And the most important thing is not to try fitting in all the activities in your everyday schedule. Let’s face the truth, your mind cannot focus on too many things at a particular time. Now that we are in the lockdown, it has become harder for the mind to stay focused amidst the uncertainties.
Be reasonable and kind to yourself, accept the fact that you cannot be productive all the time. Don’t get too intimidated by the progress your peers are making, understand that everyone works at their own pace.
Finally, my thoughts on how to relax?
Relaxing is something we all know how to do, aren’t we all searching for ways on how to be less lazy trying to get some help from the productivity masters from Youtube and Instagram. Doesn’t it mean that we all already know how to be lazy?
But some people have forgotten how to relax, how to take time off without feeling guilty. For those of you, I have some tips on how to create a balance:
- Firstly, pick up a time when you are the most productive. For me, it is always the mornings after having that perfect little cup of coffee and stretching a bit.
- I plan my morning by prioritizing the most important things that I need to accomplish by scheduling time as explained by the Pomodoro technique. After about completing, 4 – 5 pomos I get exhausted but at the same time a strong sense of satisfaction blooms in my heart.
- Then I spend the rest of the day, by doing things I truly enjoy that don’t necessarily fall under the productive category.
- After working, head outside. Take a walk or run and notice the small things, the beautifully painted sky with its birds, the fluffy clouds and listen to the music of nature.
- Read a good book for some time, make sure to read at least 10 pages on the topics that interest you. I hear a lot from people that reading books is boring, I would say that you guys haven’t found the right book then.
- If you can’t stop thinking about that favorite Netflix series then please go ahead and watch it without feeling any guilt after having worked on the projects. I always try to get my work done first before watching series as a reward for myself, this little trick works.
- Take evenings off, seriously. No working in the evenings.
- Breathe. Just breathe.
Bit by bit, figure out how to relax. Discover that productivity isn’t all that matters. Creating and getting things done are incredible, yet you don’t have to fill each second with work. At the point when you get to work, be efficient, pour your heart and soul into it, chip away at significant, high-sway works … and afterward relax. Just remember we are going through a pandemic, where staying alive is the top priority.
source : pinterest
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