How to Concentrate in a Collaborative Workplace | by James Pothen | NYT Open

Routines don’t tap into willpower, resilience, or intrinsic motivation, leaving you more of those resources to spend on hard problems.

One can walk in the morning sun, or do any kind of exercise that pumps up the lungs and heart. Writing and reading are also good options.

Adult life is stressful. If we’re not caring for others, working long hours, doing side projects, or just socializing, it can be hard to slow down and stay rested. Napping isn’t a part of the company culture in most organizations, but a 20-minute or (more rarely) 90-minute nap in the afternoon provides a useful energy boost.

The goal is to completely shut down all work and work-related thinking until you come into the office the next day. No after-hours email, phone calls with team members, or late-night coding sessions. Deliberate rest from work is one of the most important ways to work effectively, as it allows your mind to recharge so you can perform well the next day:

• Take a final look at Slack
• Take a final look at the inbox and messages.
• Write down any new tasks into task lists
• Skim every task in the task lists
• Look at the next few days on the calendar
• Make a plan for the next day
• Check action lists in a notebook

There are few things as valuable to good mental performance as sleep.  Sleep is also a time where you do much of your best work. While you are asleep, The brain is doing maintenance, processing the events of the day, and even working on the problems you couldn’t solve during the day.

• Switch from always being available to being strategically available in order to best support your work.
• Ensure the tech stuff stays on the desk. You can use a pen and paper.
• Avoid long chains of messages on email and Slack, aiming to close the loop fast.

• Use the DND feature on your smartphone which only lets certain important numbers come through.
• Give your work number to your family, caregivers and school faculty for emergencies. 

• Inform your client about your usual availability hours.
• Request to schedule phone calls in advance so that you can be available with preparation.
• Be available during important product launches.