I’m worried I’ll lose my job

We have a fantasy that we can maintain hours and hours of attention without a break, and that others are doing this. The reality is that our energy levels work in 60- to 90-minute cycles. If we can manage three to four hours in a row, we’re doing amazingly well. Our natural rhythm is shorter cycles. So splitting up our working time is more likely to create success than sticking it out for hours.

Research has shown that breaking our work up into bite-sized chunks is more likely to lead to success in meeting deadlines and good productivity.

There are a number of things you can do to improve effectiveness:

Plan your next day’s schedule before you leave the office. That way, you can

get started as soon as you get into work. This reduces thinking time first thing that can extend well into the morning.

Turn off all email and message alerts and only look at them in your break. Designate specific times to answer them.

Take a 5- to 10-minute break every hour. Get up, walk around. The change in energy will give you a boost and you’ll return to your desk replenished.

Eat at regular intervals during the day. Our bodies need fuel and, if we don’t fill up, we’ll eventually stop – much like a car.

Be honest about how long a task will take you, so you plan realistically. It’s easy to forget how long a task takes and then find you’ve missed the deadline.

Try these ideas out and I think you’ll notice a difference.