As we’ve touched on before, mindfulness has numerous benefits for both physical and mental health including: reduced stress and anxiety, improvement on memory and focus, and more satisfied sleep. In fact, even in small amounts, mindfulness can help with emotional, physical, and cognitive wellness.
Another major benefit of mindfulness is the boost it gives our productivity. Both the amount we are able to be productive and the quality of work we produce.
While some struggle to make space for mindfulness in their routine, afraid of the time it will take away from all of their other responsibilities, in truth, making space for mindfulness will help you achieve what you need to. And it will make what you achieve better than when your headspace was constantly cluttered with thoughts of other things!
Ask yourself:
- Are you burned out by the end of the day?
- Do you feel like for every task you cross of your to-do list, one gets added on?
- Is it a struggle to maintain energy throughout the day?
- Do you feel like you aren’t doing everything to the best of your ability because you’re so worn out or overwhelmed?
Working on mindfulness can help with this. Being mindful doesn’t necessarily mean “slowing down” and it doesn’t mean you won’t have time to achieve what you need to! Instead, incorporating mindfulness into your routine can help you learn to focus on one thing at a time–keeping your mind & energy focused on what you’re doing right now so that you aren’t wearing your energy down by trying to focus on everything at once.
Mindfulness is all about being present in the moment, so even if your schedule is jam packed, that doesn’t mean mindfulness isn’t for you.
Rather, it just means that when you have a busy schedule, the way mindfulness can help is by teaching you to focus on one thing at a time. This way, your energy won’t be so quickly depleted by trying to focus on many things at once, and your productivity will actually boost in both quantity and quality.
Here are a few ways you can use mindfulness to boost productivity:
Prioritize & Organize Your Tasks:
Whether with physical pen or paper or on an app, make your to do list for the day. Figure out which tasks are priority, and which ones are things you would just like to do if you have time. Organize your list in the order of how you want to do them, adding in breaks for coffee or lunch, etc. This way you will have a roadmap for the day. Then you can just work your way down the list, one thing at at time. This ties into tip 2:
Stop Multitasking:
When working your way down your to do list, ONLY work on ONE thing at a time. Multitasking seems like it will help you achieve more, but really it just splits your focus. In fact “Studies show that task switching can cost as much as 40 percent of someone’s productive time.“
Instead, commit your energy & focus to one thing at a time. You will do better with it, and you will not be wasting any productivity like you would if you multitasked.
Take Breaks When Your Focus Wanes:
Part of being mindful is being aware when your thoughts wander. Is your focus constantly shifting? Do you keep getting distracted? This is your minds way of telling you that you need a break. Don’t try to power through it. Take a break–walk around, get a snack, take a few moments to journal or breathe deeply, etc. When that extra energy has been worn out, return to the task at hand.
If it is an emotion overwhelming you, don’t try to ignore it! Write down how you’re feeling, why you’re feeling it, etc. Whatever comes to mind without judgment. Release all of those thoughts in a journal or a word doc, and when you have, then (& only then!) should you get back to work.
Minimize or Eliminate Distractions:
Is your focus pulled by email notifications or phone calls or texts? Other random notifications popping up on your phone? People chatting in the office? Take a few minutes to customize the settings in your phone or on your email so that notifications aren’t popping up every few minutes. Pick specific times throughout the day to check those instead of being constantly torn away from what you’re working on. Bring headphones to work and listen to music that helps you focus instead of the chatter of the office.
