Some days there are simply not enough life hacks or productivity apps to increase efficiency or energy levels. Recently, myself and my colleagues were provided the opportunity to look beyond the apps and life hacks to truly conquer the workday (at home).
According to PwC’s Canadian workforce of the future study, the top two work challenges for Canadian employees since COVID-19 are preserving a work-life balance and maintaining productivity. So, the big question is, how do we combat this? Over the past month, Redstone participated in a leadership development series on intentional energy with facilitator, Shona Welsh. Shona is an award-winning speaker, writer, and learning designer with 30 years of leadership experience in innovation and public speaking.
During this series, we explored strategies that take a wholistic view of time, energy and attention (TEA) so you can get the most of each day using the TEA method, drawing extensively on the work of Chris Bailey, author of The Productivity Project among other writers and researchers.
Time
Shona discussed the importance of focusing on high impact tasks and reducing low impact tasks. With more distractions than ever at our fingertips while working from home, it’s easy to spend more time than necessary on low impact tasks. To remain focused on high impact tasks, try applying “The Rule of 3” and write down your three main goals for each workday. You can set reminders throughout the day to ensure you stay on track.
Pro tip: complete your most unpleasant tasks first to avoid procrastination and negative feelings.
Energy
If your organization offers flexible work hours, use it to your advantage. The 9-5 workday does not work for everyone. Try tracking when you notice dips in your energy level, as well as your peak productivity times, which is also known as your biological prime time (BPT). Use this information to create a schedule around your BPT and take breaks to recharge – your body will thank you!
Attention
We often use the word “multitasker” to describe ourselves in a positive way; however, does multitasking benefit us in the long run? Shona shared with our team that multitaskers actually perform worse than those who concentrate consciously on one task at a time. Here are a few tips to run your day instead of letting the day run you:
- Take a break from technology and eliminate distractions while you work on one task.
- Turn off notifications, whether that be email, texts, or both!
- Try working on one task for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. This Google Chrome extension, Marinara: Pomodoro® Assistant, is a helpful tool to keep you on track!
“While I admit to being a ‘recovering’ multitasker myself, applying the results of Chris Bailey’s year-long productivity project has made a major impact in my life. I’m thrilled to be able to share his insights along with many other strategies with the committed team at Redstone,” said Shona Welsh.
How do you stay productive while working from home and what’s your favourite way to recharge? We would love to hear from you – get in touch!