Comments on: Six things that suck the life out of your productivity

By: bytheway

bytheway — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:17:43 +0000

Yes to all of this. It took a year of really focusing on my body to make my mind-body connection work in sync. Diet, exercise, sleep…it’s all huge, and yet we act like it isn’t. My job is mostly a thinking job rather than a physical one, and what I “thought” was the state of my body didn’t matter. I was wrong.

Regular exercise was the key for me to really tune into what my body was telling me. Exercise makes me feel confident and powerful–enough to say, “no thanks” “not right now” or “gee, sounds like a wonderful opportunity…for such-and-so.” Because of regular exercise, I sleep better. Because of better sleep, I eat better. I am more balanced emotionally, my writing comes faster and clearer, and my conflict management skills stay sharper. It’s been a truly amazing thing. It also makes me that much more sensitive to others’ malaise. As earlier post-ers have written, ill health (or what could be such better health!) is pervasive these days.

By: Marcie Lovett

Marcie Lovett — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:35:42 +0000

Deb, I used to teach and I, too, had the kids move around for what I called “brain break.” When I get stuck, I take a walk around the office or outside for a few minutes and I’m much more productive when I get back. I tell clients that it’s better to get up and get a drink of water than to force themselves to try to power through a mental block, which just leaves them frustrated (and often leads to Web surfing!).

By: Another Deb

Another Deb — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 04:20:15 +0000

I agree Jacki,
I have recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea and got a CPAP machine in September. The difference is quite noticible. The fog of weariness has been a problem for so long that I didn’t realize it was even more than just the late hours. Waking up now, my first thought is not “When can I sleep next?”

By: Jacki Hollywood Brown

Jacki Hollywood Brown — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 02:46:57 +0000

I think the BIGGEST productivity killer is lack of sleep!! It affects everything, speed and accuracy. When you’re low on sleep it is you’re more likely to feel the effects of stress and that also decreases productivity. We are living in a sleep deprived society.

Nighty night folks!

By: Another Deb

Another Deb — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 02:23:53 +0000

The analogy I have heard that makes sense to avoid stress and still keep up the productivity comes from hiking. The advice was “Stay within your breath”.

By: WilliamB

WilliamB — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:58:33 +0000

My number one rule: no multi-tasking!

Real multi-tasking uses different body parts, such as cooking (hands) and watching TV (eyes & brain). Even so it’s important that either task can be put on hold i/f/when the other needs full attention.

My number two rule: limit shifting between ongoing tasks.

Too darn easy to lose focus, especially if shifting between smaller tasks. I’m much better off to do the one then do the other. The most insidious moment is when I’m waiting for one computer to do something. The temptation is to start something on the other computer while I wait. Generally a very bad idea (for me, at least). I’m generally quite bad at avoiding the insidious temptation – something I need to work on.

By: Flounder No More

Flounder No More — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:05:07 +0000

Saying no to incoming stuff/work/projects is a critical skill that always (seems) to need honing. For the taking on too much stuff, it might be good to have a couple stock answers at your disposal. “I am focused on X right now.” I once had someone say to me, “If you need an answer right now, it is no, but if you can give me some time, that could change.” I decided to keep that one for my own use.