I. Introduction
Howdy, everyone! Due to covid-19 and the on-going lockdowns all around the globe, I decided that I would start some kind of 'blog' on mc-market that aims towards helping students, starting entrepreneurs, and generally people to improve their (work) life with simple but significant steps. If the feedback for these articles is positive and there's enough demand for more I will try to publish one article per week.
I will try to keep the information in these articles as plain and simple as possible, I will also write a short summary at the end of every article for those who want to have the information summed up rather than having to read through the article.
II. What keeps distracting us?
If you're like me you often find yourself in a situation where you want to get the work done, but just can't keep yourself concentrated. It doesn't matter whether it's an essay, a program that needs to be finished, or a book that you haven't finished in weeks - you are distracted.
One of the main problems are smartphones. I know what you think: 'Ough, not this, I already have notifications turned off, that's not my problem', well yes, but actually no. The increasing amount of information that is getting to our brain has increased dramatically within the last decade, being distracted has become a habit for many people. Why is that? The explanation is quite simple, social media, advertisements, and many aspects of modern media are made for quick, effective impressions. Our brain gets used to only having to concentrate on things for a short amount of time before switching to the next task.
Another aspect that's distracting us is multitasking. Confused? I hope so! One of the biggest myths around productivity is that multitasking is a necessary skill, but it isn't. Scientific studies have shown that we are actually less productive when working at multiple tasks at once, as aforementioned, our brain can only focus on one task at once.
When multitasking we don't actually work on multiple tasks at once, our brain is just switching from one task to another. That means when working on different tasks at the same time you'll never get your brain to work at full capacity because it always has to process different, unrelated information. In fact, multitasking decreases our productivity by up to 40%.
Among the most common distractions during work are hunger, thirst, interruptions in form of co-workers, friends or parents, and flashy desktop notifications like this red annoying symbol next to the Discord icon.
III. How can you increase productivity?
Digitalization makes us more distracted than ever before. Cut down on your smartphone and social media usage to give your brain space and time for important tasks. Also, quit multitasking, it actually makes you up to 40% less productive.
Thank you for reading through this article. I hope you don't mind possible spelling mistakes, unfortunately I'm not a native speaker. Regardless of that, I sincerely appreciate that you took your time to read this article, if you have any questions please let me know.
You can also share your opinion and experiences with productivity, focus and generally getting more done in less time.
Enjoy your weekend and stay healthy,
Zero
Howdy, everyone! Due to covid-19 and the on-going lockdowns all around the globe, I decided that I would start some kind of 'blog' on mc-market that aims towards helping students, starting entrepreneurs, and generally people to improve their (work) life with simple but significant steps. If the feedback for these articles is positive and there's enough demand for more I will try to publish one article per week.
I will try to keep the information in these articles as plain and simple as possible, I will also write a short summary at the end of every article for those who want to have the information summed up rather than having to read through the article.
II. What keeps distracting us?
If you're like me you often find yourself in a situation where you want to get the work done, but just can't keep yourself concentrated. It doesn't matter whether it's an essay, a program that needs to be finished, or a book that you haven't finished in weeks - you are distracted.
One of the main problems are smartphones. I know what you think: 'Ough, not this, I already have notifications turned off, that's not my problem', well yes, but actually no. The increasing amount of information that is getting to our brain has increased dramatically within the last decade, being distracted has become a habit for many people. Why is that? The explanation is quite simple, social media, advertisements, and many aspects of modern media are made for quick, effective impressions. Our brain gets used to only having to concentrate on things for a short amount of time before switching to the next task.
Another aspect that's distracting us is multitasking. Confused? I hope so! One of the biggest myths around productivity is that multitasking is a necessary skill, but it isn't. Scientific studies have shown that we are actually less productive when working at multiple tasks at once, as aforementioned, our brain can only focus on one task at once.
When multitasking we don't actually work on multiple tasks at once, our brain is just switching from one task to another. That means when working on different tasks at the same time you'll never get your brain to work at full capacity because it always has to process different, unrelated information. In fact, multitasking decreases our productivity by up to 40%.
Among the most common distractions during work are hunger, thirst, interruptions in form of co-workers, friends or parents, and flashy desktop notifications like this red annoying symbol next to the Discord icon.
III. How can you increase productivity?
- Monotone music is proven to increase your productivity by 10-15%. This includes simple beats like lofi, classic songs and basically any kind of music that has a steady, monotone rhythm and frequency. Listening to them while working on a task will put you in a work flow that improves.
- Work when you have the most energy. Get up early, between 5-6AM, take a shower, workout, eat something for breakfast and get to work. You will find yourself getting a lot more done in the morning rather than working in the afternoon.
- Hydration and saturation. Make sure to put a bottle of water next to your desk and a bowl of snacks, I would personally recommend nuts, fruits or vegetables.
- Quit eating food that contains industrial sugars. While sugar gives you a short and almost immediate boost, the energy provided will soon fade away and leave you at a low, with a lack of motivation and focus - eat natural or unprocessed food.
- Workout at least twice a week. Beside having multiple health benefits working out also increases your productivity. Studies have shown that exercising significantly improves the performance at work, often by up to 20%.
- Fresh air, simple but effective. Your brain needs oxygen to function properly, lack of oxygen equals less performance.
- A minimalistic workplace. You'll want to remove everything unnecessary from your workplace, such as your phone, unneeded objects, waste and anything else that distracts you. Try to have as little in front of you as possible, this will help you to focus on what's there - less is more.
- Write down what you want to accomplish today. Take a sheet of paper and note down what needs to be done today, once a task is completed tick it off. While this might sound like wasted time it isn't, having a list of responsibilities signalizes your brain that its important and constantly reminds you of it. Ticking off a task also gives you a short burst of dopamine - 'Finally, another task completed!'
- Get enough sleep. While many scientists argue how much sleep we actually need, the average adult should get between 7-9 hours, children and teenagers need between 8-10 hours. Getting enough, quality sleep is important and can literally change your day.
- Create a work routine. Start working on your tasks at the same time every single day. You might also use to 50/10 method. 50 minutes of work followed by a 10 minute break - without your phone. You can also set rewards after each successful work session, this will encourage you to get the work done faster. Consistency is the key.
- Avoid distractions. Close unneeded applications during work, make sure that there are no flashy notifications that might distract you.
Digitalization makes us more distracted than ever before. Cut down on your smartphone and social media usage to give your brain space and time for important tasks. Also, quit multitasking, it actually makes you up to 40% less productive.
- Listen to lofi/monotone music while working.
- Get up early and start working when you have the most energy.
- Stay hydrated and saturated. Drink water and eat fruits, veggies or nuts. Quit processed food.
- Workout twice a week to sharpen your focus during work.
- Get enough fresh air.
- Keep your workplace minimalistic and clean.
- Write down your goals and set up a todo list.
- Get enough sleep, between 7-9 hours for adults.
- Have a consistent work routine and use the 50/10 method. (50m work, 10m break)
Thank you for reading through this article. I hope you don't mind possible spelling mistakes, unfortunately I'm not a native speaker. Regardless of that, I sincerely appreciate that you took your time to read this article, if you have any questions please let me know.
You can also share your opinion and experiences with productivity, focus and generally getting more done in less time.
Enjoy your weekend and stay healthy,
Zero
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