It’s nobody’s favorite situation, but we’ve all been there: You sit down at your computer at the start of a busy workday, only to find your mind going to 100 different places as your to-do list remains untouched.
With outside stressors and other factors, it just isn’t possible to cruise through your tasks every single day. That said, productivity experts note that many of us engage in certain behaviors in the evening that potentially set us up to fail the next day ― including by hindering your focus time at your desk.
Below, experts share those after-work behaviors that are getting in the way of a productive workday:
1. You’re not taking care of your basic needs.
It should go without saying that you’re doing your productivity (and yourself) a disservice if you’re not attending to your basic self-care needs, like getting enough sleep and eating a balanced diet.
Lots of necessary processes happen when we sleep, said Alice Boyes, a former clinical psychologist and author of “Stress-Free Productivity.” Without enough sleep, our body doesn’t do the repair, rebuilding and recovery work that are necessary for every day, she said. These include physical recovery, tissue growth, memory processes and brain filtering.
Think about it: Have you ever tried to do a seemingly easy task after not getting enough sleep, and found that you couldn’t focus? If you aren’t sleeping for the recommended seven to nine hours that adults need, you’ll have a hard time getting anything done.
Additionally, make sure you’re eating nutritious foods. You need to properly fuel yourself — with enough calories, protein and more — to be focused and productive, Boyes said.
2. You’re not letting yourself think about work outside of work.
Hear us out for a moment. You’ve probably gotten mad when you find yourself thinking about work on a day off, or when you’re on vacation. But Boyes said this isn’t actually a bad thing when it comes to your productivity.
“One of the things I have written about is how the advice to not think about work outside of work is bad advice,” Boyes said.
“To be productive, we need to have that time where our mind drifts to work, so that we can make those creative connections between ideas,” she added, noting that brain does a lot of its background processing for creativity, planning and organizing when our minds are allowed to roam.
This kind of planning isn’t something you can do while you’re deep in the weeds of your…
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