deepstash
Beta
9 Productivity Mistakes You're Making in the First 10 Minutes of Your Day (Infographic)
Not emptying your brain
Keeping too much information in your head can make you think you are in control, even when that's not true.
Keep a notebook where you can empty your mind from any ideas or to-dos, before starting the day.
602 SAVES
This is a professional note extracted from an online article.
Read more efficiently
Save what inspires you
Remember anything
IDEA EXTRACTED FROM:
9
Key Ideas
Drinking coffee
Drinking a coffee to kickstart your day is a bad idea because it interferes with the time when the stress hormone cortisol is peaking in your body.
Only drink coffee between 10:00 AM and noon or 2:00 PM and 5 PM, when your cortisol levels are lowest.
Not emptying your brain
Keeping too much information in your head can make you think you are in control, even when that's not true.
Keep a notebook where you can empty your mind from any ideas or to-dos, before starting the day.
Checking emails first thing
It takes up to 25 minutes to get in a productive state after checking emails.
Keep your email closed for the first 30 minutes of your working day. Switch off email notifications while you're focusing on work.
Going straight into a meeting
Block out meeting-free time at the start of every day in your calendar, accepting only the most unavoidable meetings.
Sitting in your chair
Standing rather than sitting can help you gain more control and power over a situation.
Go for a walk or use a standing desk for the first 10 minutes of your day.
Away from natural light
Exposure to light early in the morning is beneficial for your mood, alertness, and metabolism.
If your desk is near a window, open the blinds or curtains each morning lo let light in. If that is not the case, consider investing in a SAD lamp.
Self-imposed deadlines
You need to share your deadlines with others for them to be effective.
Share your task list, deadlines and progress with your team on a daily basis.
Opening web browsers
Most of us lose an hour a day checking personal emails and social media. Don't start the day by setting a bad habit.
Block your browser for when you start work.
Several tasks at once
Multitaskers perform generally worse in tasks than those working sequentially.
Plan your day ahead for maximum productivity by allocating 40 minutes blocks for single tasks, with 20 minutes blocks in between to work on miscellaneous tasks.
SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
12
Key Ideas
Benefits of an evening routine
Haphazard evening routines can have serious effects on our sleep.
The right evening routine helps us wind down, relax, and get into a deep, restorative sleep—making us refreshed and ...
The science of sleep
When we close our eyes for the night, our mind cycles through different stages of sleep:
- Light sleep: Which is most similar to being awake
- REM (or Rapid-Eye-Movement): Where our minds are asleep but active and where dreams are most likely to happen
- Deep sleep: Where our mind is in “regeneration” mode
So many things can get in the way of us reaching deep sleep, from stress and burnout to late-night screen usage, eating late, and physical issues. To make sure we reach our deep, restorative sleep, we need a proper evening routine.
Create a “closing ritual”
For most of us it is the mind, rather than the body, that disrupts restorative sleep.
To cleanse our mind of the leftover responsibilities of the day, we need to bring a mental wind down into our evening routine.
9 more ideas
5
Key Ideas
Time blocking
It's the practice of planning out every moment of your day in advance and dedicating specific time “blocks” for certain tasks and responsibilities.
When you fill your c...
Time blocking and focus
By scheduling every minute of your day you not only guard against distraction but also multiply your focus.
Also, focusing on one task at a time can make you up to 80% more productive than splitting your attention across multiple tasks.
Cons of the time blocking practice
- It takes a lot of time and effort.
- Few of us (if any) have the same schedule every day.
- We’re bad at estimating how long tasks will take to do.
- Constant interruptions and “urgent” tasks can destroy your system.
- Flexibility is key in most workplaces.
- You can lose sight of the bigger picture if you focus just on each day.
2 more ideas
8
Key Ideas
Treating cheating as a reward
If someone treats themselves to a dress after a week of saving, this undermines the achievement they have made.
Try to view the act of you achieving your goals as...
Planning unnecessary meetings
Unnecessary meetings can severely deplete productivity out of someone’s working day.
Instead of arranging a meeting, see if you can speak with the person in another way. Skype, texting, emailing and phone calls are all efficient ways to communicate on important matters, while still focusing on your own projects.
Multitasking
Research has discovered that most people become less efficient while attempting to multitask.
Try concentrating on one task at a time for great, productive results.
5 more ideas