✅😌 How to get more done
🐻 In last week’s issue we previewed the next major update for Wakeout. It was awesome to read all your enthusiastic replies. Be sure to check it out.
🔥 I’m passionate about time management and how to be productive while staying happy, balanced and healthy. I’ve been a victim of becoming a “productivity machine” and saw the toll that took on my health, personal relations and on the work itself. But this is the world we live in now, where increasing output is highly valued, at any cost.
At Wakeout we seek to change that culture, by giving people the tools to take frequent active breaks to stay balanced through the day.
So lets talk about time management. Or even better: energy management.
Plan your breaks more than your work
In our work-obsessed world, people dread being seen taking breaks. As a result, working (or pretending to work) 10 hours a day, or pulling all-nighters is seen as heroic. But the reality is, psychologists know taking frequent breaks is more conducive to productivity.
So plan your breaks with the frequency that best works for you, say, 20 minutes every hour, or every hour and a half. It’s the healthy thing to do, and hey, you’ll be a hero to us!
Recommended Read for taking breaks: Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less
Do nothing to let your brain self-organize
Most people don’t know about the power of doing nothing. We’re engaged all day with labor or leisure, but never really take a few minutes a day to do nothing. Literally just sit there and do nothing. Or take a long walk without your phone. Doing nothing. Taking “blank breaks” doesn’t mean your brain shuts off, rather, you allow your brain to dedicate processing power to self organize so you can do more when you finally engage with work again.
Schedule work like doctor appointments
In his well-known book Deep Work, Cal Newport demonstrates the power of working in short, super focused bursts. Instead of just sitting down and working until the sun sets, you should schedule little chunks of work like doctor appointments. When it’s time to work, you shun all distractions and just focus for the scheduled time (say, 45 minutes or 1 hour). Then stop.
Chaos is your ally
Micro planning your work with extensive to-do lists is shown to demotivate you, and often leads to feeling unfulfilled at the end of the day (because you likely didn’t check off all the items). Ditch the exhaustive to-do list. Plan, but leave space for creativity and improvisation. Work becomes more creative, open ended and satisfying.
Recommended reading: Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives
😌 Do nothing for 5-minutes right now!
Stop what your doing, put on your headphones, and stimulate your brain with a binaural audio session (audio recorded with two ear-like microphones). Just sit there and let your brain take a break from thinking so much. You’ll be more productive right after.
Thoughts, Ideas, Comments
Are you overworked?
What’s your schedule like?
Do you plan your breaks?
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Making your workday healthier and more productive.
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