5 genius ways TO BOOST PRODUCTIVITY
GET MORE DONE IN LESS TIME!
Ever feel like all the work you need to do never seems to get finished? Is your to-do list never-ending? Do you come out of a long workday feeling exhausted, yet not productive enough? According to workplace psychologist, Dr Amantha Imber, we can put in place strategies to help us get more done in less time, use our time more productively, and eliminate distractions that slow us down every day. Here are five sure-fire strategies from Dr Imber that can help.
RE-LEARN HOW TO FOCUS
We are working in the age of digital distraction, where the average worker can only stay focused for six minutes before they do a check of their email or Messenger, according to research by Rescuetime. This leads to workers prioritising ‘shallow work’ (work that is non-cognitively demanding) over ‘deep work’, which requires intense focus and concentration for uninterrupted periods of time. Understanding the difference between the two can help you prioritise deep work over shallow work.
WORK IN SPRINTS
A stereotype exists of the classic overachiever who spends 16-hour days at their desk doing nothing but focused work. I remember being a university student and trying to write a very long thesis for my PHD.
I aspired to work in 16-hour marathons, but in reality, I couldn’t last more than 30 minutes without an excuse for a break.
What I later learnt is that the human brain is designed to be a sprinter, not a marathon runner. Our energy levels work in 60- to 90-minute cycles. So, instead of aiming for a long and intensive uninterrupted day of work, aim for two to three 60- to 90-minute sprints instead.
STOP MULTITASKING
Humans are chronic multitaskers, flitting between emails, checking their phone and so on. Professor David Meyer found that multitasking makes you take 40 per cent longer compared to if you monotask, that is, focus on one thing at a time. The next time you catch yourself multitasking or task switching, remind yourself that you are only making both tasks take 40 per cent longer. Instead, monotask your way through the day. By making this one change, you can free up two to three hours per day if your workday is the standard eight-hour day.
KNOW YOUR CHRONOTYPE
When is the best time of day to undertake certain tasks? The answer lies in working to our chronotype (the natural peaks and troughs of our energy levels over a 24-hour period).
Larks, for example, are at their cognitive peak in the early morning and should schedule their most cognitively demanding ‘deep work’ for this time. In contrast, owls have their cognitive peak at night and are best served working on less cognitively demanding work during the day. There’s a handy quiz to assess your chronotype at amantha.com/what-is-your-chronotype
TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS
If you are in a busy job and already working long hours, you may be someone who can easily get consumed and ‘forget’ to take a break. Or perhaps you believe you simply don’t have time to take one.
Research has shown this style of working has a big impact on productivity. We believe we are working more (through not taking a break), however, we are actually in a constant state of poorer cognitive performance.
One study showed the most productive performers worked solidly for 52 minutes and then had a break for 17 minutes. Other research has shown that in contrast to one 30-minute break, hourly five-minute walking breaks can help to boost energy, sharpen focus, improve mood and reduce feelings of fatigue in the afternoon. And another study found taking a 40-second ‘Green Micro-break’, that is, looking at a view of greenery, increased concentration levels by eight per cent.
• Dr Amantha Imber is the founder of behavioural science consultancy Inventium, and host of How I Work. Learn more at inventium. com.au/resources/how-i-work-podcast