10 Hangups that are Destroying your Productivity

Life is busy as it is and having a demanding job requiring one to be the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker really doesn't make it any easier. To help ourselves cope better we develop habits and routines to get us through the day.

However, these habits may help let off some steam but they do not always allow us to be the most productive, which is ultimately what you want.

Productivity = More Free Time

The more productive you are at work, the sooner you can get done with your tasks and enjoy the things that you really want to do. This means no late nights, no waking up at 3 in the morning thinking about all the things you need to complete, or (as in my case) no waking looking like a teenager with stress-related acne covering your face!

Recognising habits that waste your time

While it's all well and good grabbing that cup of coffee with Jenny and letting off some steam during your mid-morning, you also need to make sure it fits into your day! If you taking that break, avoid getting sucked into your Facebook or Instagram feeds, replying to messages in nonsensical WhatsApp groups or trolling the internet for the latest cat vids! Having the luxury of a flexible work environment, as in the case of most startups, is great but you also got to get a hold of managing your time! Here are 10 time-zappers that could help you free up some time and make your workday shorter!

10 Time-wasting habits that are sucking up all your free time!

Multitasking (or trying to)

Millions of people fall victim to Multitasking each day. It makes us feel as if we are working hard and getting so much done. But in reality, all it produces is sub standard work and make you feel as if you haven't achieved much for the day.

Fix this by:

Completing one task and then moving on to the next. Create a task list and choose a combination of easy to hard tasks to complete so you can tick a few items off your list each day.

Procrastinating a.k.a indulging distractions

As mentioned above, one of the biggest time wasters is getting distracted by interesting, yet nonsensical (but oh so funny) websites, online shopping, social media, and instant messaging platforms.

Fix this by:

Turning your phone on silent, disabling notifications and work where others can't distract you. If you have an open plan office, invest in a great pair of headphones plug into the matrix and push those productivity levels.



Perfectionism (bordering being destructively anal)

Having unrealistically high-standards you spend too much time fixating on the minor things (this is something I struggle with). Like finding the perfect font colour (or even font for that matter), the perfect image to accompany your post or the quickest way to achieve a certain task. You land up wasting so much time on minor things (which honestly no one but you will notice the effort you put in) that you fall behind schedule and your tasks start to pile up.

Fix this by:

Stop fussing over every single detail. Pick your battles and fuss over the most important things! Ask yourself, how much revenue with this task potentially bring in and access the amount of effort you really need to put into it. Lastly, focus on completing the task at hand and stop trying to be so darn perfect!

Humouring the snooze button

I used to think that the snooze-button was God's gift to me (since He knows how much I love me some sleep). But studies actually show that when you hit that snooze and catch that extra few minutes of shut-eye, you lose that initial alertness and wake up much later than intended and feel more tired and groggy! This ultimately sets the tone for your workday.

Fix this by:

Forcing yourself to get up on that first sound of your alarm. Remember productivity = more free time. And the more free time you have means the more naps you can have later ;)

Sitting on your butt all day

The human body's primal instinct is not to sit in the same position all day long. Besides the back strain and the bad posture that causes body aches and uneasiness, you feel redundant and are less motivated to produce at an optimal rate!

Fix this by:

Investing in a standing desk or taking frequent walks to get that blood flowing through your bones. This will help you feel more energised!

Being a Yes-Man

Classic Yes-Man syndrome is often to our detriment. You can actually say no sometimes. saying yes to every little thing others ask of you is not only draining but also your tasks tend to take a back seat and you will have to pick up the slack later (most probably in the time you could have been napping or watching cat vids!)

Fix this by:

Stop trying to be a pleaser. It's killing your productivity. You don't have to say yes to Every Little Thing! Learn to say no sometimes!

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings

How many minutes, hours, days, even months of your adult life has been wasted in pointless meetings! These meetings suck up your precious time and often make little difference to the broader picture. Productive people avoid meetings as much as possible!

Fix this by:

Don't accept a meeting unless the organiser has a clear agenda. Ask how much time they require and cut it down by half if possible. Avoid being distracted and talking about mundane things.

Getting a good nights rest

A good nights rest not only makes you more productive, but it increases happiness, helps you make better decisions and help refuel your energies so you can get the best from yourself in all regards. Staying up and stressing about workload or tasks that you still haven't completed won't help anyone!

Fix this by: 

Getting enough sleep! Power down and start relaxing leading up to bed time and let those the teeming thoughts go. I often lay awake unable to switch my mind off but breathing really helps me get back to my centre. Take big-deep breaths, concentrate on your exhale and inhalation and before you know it, you'll be out cold!

Checking your email throughout the day

Every time you check your inbox you get distracted, try to multitask and lose at least 20 to 30 minutes of your time. You reshuffle priorities and feel overwhelmed by all that needs to be done.

Fix this by:

Have set intervals to check your emails. Work in 30 to 40-minute intervals (at least) before you allow yourself to get distracted by your inbox.

Skipping Breakfast

Breakfast helps gets your day started and fuels the body and the mind so that you can reach your optimal potential. Skipping breakfast will leave you feeling hungry sooner during your morning and if you not distracted by what you going to have for lunch you with be hangry AF!!

Fix this by:

Start your day off with a healthy balanced breakfast to get the best out of your day and to avoid wasting time on beating annoying people up due to aforementioned hangriness!

The way forward

So you have identified the problems, now it's time to work on your strategy and implementation. As the great Gandhi once said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Also, Stay focused, never give up and always eat your jungle oats! ;)

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Tags: psychology, tips, advice, work