08 Mar Bad Habits That Were Killing My Productivity and What I’m Doing Instead

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

First thing in the morning, when you wake up between 7 am and 9 am, depending on your commute and flexibility at the office, what do you do?

Do you drowsily get out of bed, grab your phone, and scroll through social media while your coffee is brewing?

Or do you jump up, make your bed, apply your skincare routine and head out the door?

Good habits and routines are important for success

We’ve all got different routines at home and at the office, comprising different activities and rituals (coffee pleaseee) that bring a sense of stability and consistency to life. Routines are subjective to each person, as we all value and feel comfortable with different activities and mindsets.

So, let’s get to the point. Do you want to be more productive? It’s all about removing as opposed to adding more habits to your routine. You’ll scroll through Pinterest or Instagram and find countless stuff to do in the AM: meditate, make your bed, go for a run, stretch, read a book, write a list of stuff you’re grateful for, eat a healthy breakfast, etc. but who seriously has time for all of that? I can barely get my clothes on and a coffee in my system once I roll out of bed.

Seriously, it’s up to you to pick three things you can realistically do and sustain for the long-term and eliminate time-wasters. For example, I’ll break down what I typically do in the AM:

• 8.00-8.15 am: I wake up, stare at the ceiling for five minutes, taking some time to appreciate my time in bed. I leave my bed, make it so it looks nice when I get back, and turn on the stove to brew my coffee in the moka.
• 8.15-9.00 am: I wash my face, apply toner, a peeling serum, and a moisturizer with SPF. followed by some mascara as my basic skin + makeup routine. I don’t wear makeup, so that saves lots of time. I then get dressed, spray some perfume on, and head out the door.
• 9.00-9.30/45: I take my time and walk to work every morning. I live right by the beach so it’s pleasant to stroll, watching the waves and wind blow into the palm trees by the sea. I take this time to get some exercise and listen to music to get pumped for the day ahead!

What I value in the morning is sleep. I love getting enough shut-eye to be a better human being throughout the day, so my morning routine is pretty minimal. I prioritize a warm coffee to feel energized, making my bed, following a structured skincare routine and getting some exercise before sitting at my desk.

We’re all different so try to find what works for you. If you enjoy planning, start your day with a to-do list and mentally stay on top of your tasks. If you enjoy more leisurely mornings, take some time to brew a nice cup of joe, cook up some breakfast, and dedicate some time to practice yoga at home.

It’s all about what you value and finding what works. Don’t overload your routine with extras that seemed cool on some influencer’s Instagram post but are not actually sustainable in the long run.

Habits that kill productivity

Productivity is based on how well you can focus on a given task, and for how long. Bad habits can interrupt your focus and disrupt your flow of work. Whenever you lose focus by splitting your attention among different thoughts and tasks, you’ll end up taking longer to complete your work.

Multitasking

We usually consider multitasking a useful skill, but not when talking about focus. In fact, when you’re multitasking, you’re not undertaking multiple tasks contemporarily. Instead, you’re temporarily giving partial focus to a single task while allocating most of your focus to the actual act of shifting tasks.

So, most of your efforts are being devoted to switching tasks instead of completing them. Switching gears between tasks can also be mentally draining, which negatively impacts the quality of your work.

Instead of multitasking, be a completionist and focus on finishing the job you started before shifting gears. It will improve your performance and efficiency in pushing projects forward. Or, if you cannot go cold turkey, start by grouping similar tasks together so it’s not as hard to switch.

Social media

Social media is such a massive distraction for all of us. You start with scrolling a few minutes and it ends up being two hours, accomplishing nothing except a hefty dose of FOMO.

By picking up your phone every few minutes to check on the latest updates from people, you’re wasting lots of precious time. Plus, it’s also bad for mental health.

Turn off all notifications when working. Set yourself up to prevent an endless stream of distractions — the iPhone has a “do not disturb” option, for example. Only check texts and your newsfeed at planned breaks.

If the desktop is also an issue, turn on URL blockers on your browser such as StayFocusd. This and many others are productivity extensions for Google Chrome that can help you stay in the zone.

Saying yes to all requests

Your time is valuable just like everyone else’s, so don’t do yourself a disservice by agreeing to help out with any task that’s asked of you. If a team member needs help and you have the capacity, go for it, but don’t sell yourself short. You’ll risk getting overloaded.

What to do? Be honest. Say no. Saying no is empowering and allows you to prioritize what truly matters. You won’t offend anyone by telling them you sincerely cannot support them at the moment. If the situation is critical, you can always offer to help them at a later time when you have the bandwidth.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you can maximize your productivity through focus. Until you learn to focus, you won’t be able to think clearly, solve problems, decide on things, or remember stuff. Every time your mind gets distracted from your work, you have to waste time and effort getting back on track with your main task.

Make sure to avoid habits that may hinder your productivity in the long run and learn to shut out interruptions, so you can accomplish your work and thrive even under pressure.