Ages ago the world of work was a much simpler place. For the vast majority of people working within the industrialized and industrializing nations, the work day was divided into eight hour chunks to maintain constant progress and enable consistent efficiencies. In a recent article on LinkedIn, Leo Widrich, the co-founder of Buffer, outlines how such a system is no longer as relevant as it used to be, despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans (and probably Canadians too) labour 8.8 hours a day.
According to Widrich, something needs to change, which is why he argues that we need to adapt how we work to suit the modern world. I couldn’t agree more. Widrich’s reasoning is that the current working model (while great for building the maximum number of Model Ts in an assembly line) doesn’t take into consideration that the mind needs rest to accomplish complex and creative tasks. While we can work for eight hours straight, it is very difficult to be creative, focused and productive for that amount of time. Instead Widrich makes the following recommendations:
Manually increase the relevance of a task: It can be hard to maintain focus, especially if what you’re doing doesn’t have a deadline. Overriding your attention system, and adding your own deadline together with a reward can significantly improve task completion, according to researcher Keisuke Fukuda.
Plan your rest so you actually rest: “The fittest person is not the one who runs the fastest, but the one who has optimized their rest time,” says Tony Schwartz. A lot of the time we are so busy planning our work day that we forget about “how” to rest. Plan beforehand what you will do to recharge: Nap, read, meditate, get a snack, etc.
Split your day into 90 minute windows: Instead of thinking about an 8, 6, or 10 hour work day, split your day into four or five 90-minute windows. That way you will have, say, four tasks you will get done more easily.
Allow zero notifications: One of the best ideas I’ve ever had was to follow Joel’s advice on zero notifications. Having absolutely no alerts on my phone or computer that breaks my focus has been a huge help. If you haven’t tried it, try to turn off every digital element that could become an alert.
These tips will help you create more adaptable and effective working environment. But I wouldn’t stop there. Here are few other tips straight from The Potentiality on how to keep sharp, adaptable and productive:
Change up your tasks from things that require concentration to things that don’t. Writing a policy brief may be tricky while setting up new appointments may not be. Vary your tasks, but focus on each one (rather than multiple ones at the same time). When you need a break from a task, take it.
Use flags to identify your wins. Not only will this allow you to better track your tasks and projects but it also provides a feeling of accomplishment when you are able to tick something (or cross something off) your to-do list. There’s something mentally satiating about this. If you have a large project or task, consider how you can break down the various tasks/tactics that you need to accomplish to allow you to visualize your progress.
Separate email from project work. Similar to Widrich’s point, it can be tempting to constantly respond to email. Try to avoid this. Hide your email client and circle back only after a segment of time (Widrich recommends 90 minutes with a 20 minute break).
Think about adapting your work ways with these tips and watch your productivity grow and your mental well-being in your workplace improve. Your brain will thank you (and so will your boss).