Have you ever had a failure in your life and thought, “but I worked so hard!”
If you have, you are not alone. There are a lot of really hard-working people out there. However, some of them, maybe you included, are working much too hard.
Yes, there are times that you are overcomplicating your life by working harder and not smarter. Mindful productivity is a great way to bring your mind to the present and ensure you are making the most of your day.
1. Make Lists
Start making lists of all of the things that you need to accomplish. These lists should be in order of the most important tasks followed by the least important tasks. The prioritization of the tasks on your list will make all the difference when it comes to being efficient.
In addition, crossing out tasks on your list becomes inspiring. When items are crossed off the list, it may motivate you to get even more done. These lists can be on your phone, but many people do better with physically being able to cross an item off the list.
2. Schedule Breaks
Working for too many hours without a break can become an issue. You need to take breaks so your mind functions at its highest level. For every hour of work, try to get up and walk around for a few minutes, grab some water, stretch, and then get yourself focused on the task at hand.
Breaks don’t need to be long, just enough to give your brain the rest it deserves.
3. Learn How To Be Present
Mindfulness is the ability to stay focused and in the present. If you are thinking about what needs to be done later in the day or early next week, it’s hard to stay as productive. Many people use meditation as a way to stay mindful; they also focus on breathing and trying to reorganize their thoughts.
Worries and anxiety can make mindfulness more difficult. Try to address any outstanding issues in your life that may be causing you stress.
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4. Keep Distractions To A Minimum
Distractions are all around us, and they are made worse by things like social media. Try to limit your exposure to alerts and notifications from social media platforms. These platforms are updated all day long, and if you are not careful, you can get into a trap of continually checking alerts.
In addition, email is another problem. When working on a project, try to shut off access to your email. Check your email periodically throughout the day, but avoid having it be something you check many times per hour.
There are certain applications that can pause your notifications and allow you to work with just one screen at a time. For many people, this is a great way to train to be more productive.
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5. Technology Can Help
Sometimes when it comes to mindful productivity, technology can get a bad reputation. However, this does not have to be the case.
Productivity tools are available regardless of the task that you are working on. These apps and software options can help you track time, create to-do lists and stay on task. The design of the productivity tool you use will vary considerably from one to the next.
Find something you enjoy working with that doesn’t take too much time to set up and work with. Some productivity programs include things like Clickup, Asana, Trello, RescueTime, and Beeminder.
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Final Thoughts
We all get the same amount of time in a day; some are just better at utilizing that time. If you are not as productive as you could be, consider how mindfulness can play into the equation. Mindful productivity will absolutely help you to work smarter and not harder.
Featured Image Credit: Adobe Stock.
