Have you ever tried to read and watch TV at the same time? It’s like having a serious conversation in the middle of a nightclub. We’ve all been there, trying to relay to someone our feelings concerning a very important topic but being constantly interrupted by “fun”. Well, like oil and water, entertainment and productivity do not get along.
I’ve always tried to make the bridge between productivity and downtime. I’ve hoped that I could be doing something that I needed to do, while enjoying something that I’ve wanted to do. For instance, reading a thought-provoking book during the commercial breaks of a movie on TV. As pleasant as that seems, I’m pretty sure that I missed some really good parts of the movie and also I’m going to have to re-read the last few chapters of that book.
How can we apply this to every day life? Here are some small suggestions:
1. Turn off your notifications from Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Vine, Instagram, Myspace, Friendster (I’m dating myself). Allow yourself to be “in-the-zone” without distractions. Once you start working on something and are not paying attention to your “Social Life” you’ll get your important tasks completed a lot quicker giving you more time to be devoted to your Vine creativity.
2. Stop multi-tasking. Allowing yourself to be absorbed in two things is most likely asking you take even longer on both tasks and it certainly affects the quality of the work you’re doing. Allow yourself to prioritize and then attack one problem at a time accounting for greatest reward first.
3. After being productive and accomplishing a task, let yourself relax. We spend most of our lives lost in thought. Wandering through an endless maze of possible situations and solutions that we will never encounter. Instead of causing yourself more stress, allow yourself time to be still mentally. Not only will this skill refresh you during stressful days, and make you more productive in the long run, but it will also allow you to start enjoying the present instead of worrying about the future. Some would recommend meditation, I recommend meditation after reading scriptures, others would even suggest yoga. Whatever you need to do to take a mental break, just be sure to hang a sign from your forehead “Back in 5 minutes”.
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