Being productive feels good. When we are productive, we progress by implementing our skills and abilities, and move from our current position to a better one towards our goals. This motivates us to repeat the cycle to get the same good feeling. While some people assume that a productive person is the busiest one in the room, whose brain is always activated, and constantly providing non-stop output, research in cognitive neuroscience debunks this idea.
Less Busy, More Productive
Although our modern world celebrates busyness, portraying it as the ultimate sign of success and highlighting the necessity of more—consume more, do more, spend more—this actually harms our brains when incorporated into our routines.
According to a research on the importance of downtime on our brain health, our brains are not designed for constant output; they need strategic rest periods to enhance creativity and decision-making. Keeping our brains constantly activated could indeed harm our ability to be productive; on the other hand, intentional subtraction and taking breaks boost our performance and increase our ability to concentrate and pay attention. Moreover, they fuel our creativity, enhance our well-being, and allow us to enjoy what we have accomplished.
All of this serves our productivity and helps us achieve more than we think we can.
Actionable Tips to Be More Productive
Success and productivity are not tied to workaholism; it is more about attitude. Therefore, learning when to push and when to pause is crucial, as well as being careful with what we add to our routine and life in general, and wisely implementing subtractive thinking, removing what no longer works for us.
Here are five helpful tips to implement subtractive thinking wisely; consider:
- Eliminate unnecessary meetings or classes: try to eliminate energy leaks; they are whatever drains your energy and time with insignificant return.
- Go for shorter focused work hours: it is not about how much you do; it is about what you choose to focus on.
- Master habits rather than adding more of what does not work for you: success is not about how many skills you have, but how you master them; pay attention to what you want to add to your skill set.
- Alternate between intense work intervals and true recovery periods rather than constant hard work: use the “25-minute focus, 5-minute break” technique or the “90/30” rule (90-minute work, 30-minute reset); breaks could vary between exercise, meditation, and taking a walk.
- Be present: engage with what is at hand rather than going through random, mindless motions.
Concisely, instead of biting off more than you can chew, driven by untamed curiosity and energy, just try to be more mindful of what you have and do, and slow down to enjoy what you have accomplished. A simple yet rewarding attitude shift.
References
health.clevelandclinic.org
psychologytoday.com (1)
psychologytoday.com (2)
psychologytoday.com (3)
uwlax.edu
Cover photo by Freepik