Productivity varies from person to person and situations. Everyone believes their way of managing work is the most productive for them but oftentimes it’s the opposite.

Here’s what we think is productive VS what actually is:

Multitasking

Some people do find multitasking productive and think that switching from tasks keeps the procrastination at bay as they remain interested in the work and perform better under the pressure.

Multitasking does not actually mean you are productive. Switching from one task to another is draining. In fact, some researchers suggest that multitasking can actually reduce productivity by as much as 40%.

Focus on the work at hand. Start a task. Finish it completely and then move on to the next one. It saves you time and stress you spend juggling.

Over work 

Often we are required to do a lot more work than we should do on an average day. Overwork doesn’t reflect productivity. It tires you; overwork means you are over tired. You need to rest to energize yourself. When you are energized you focus better and perform better; thus are more productive. 

Determine realistic and workable time duration for every task and set up a schedule accordingly to avoid overworking.

Doing it all yourself 

Habit of doing everything yourself is exhausting. Impossibly high standards of perfectionism can contribute to serious health problems like anxiety, depression and fatigue. Delegation of work and responsibilities is the logical answer. Remind yourself that you do not need to do everything yourself. Start delegating and experience a prominent rise in productivity.

Being busy

Being busy and actually doing meaningful work that needs to be done are two different things. You can be very busy doing several unimportant tasks while ignoring the tasks that require your attention. 

Assess and plan the work schedule beforehand in order to focus on important tasks. Avoid checking facebook feed, instant messages and other social media by turning off notifications and blocking the sites and apps during work hours.

Time management

Making todo lists and scheduling tasks is just a fraction of actual time management. Thoughtfully prioritize your work, find your ideal time, recognize when you are most productive and schedule work accordingly is proper time management which effectively makes you more efficient and organized.

Declutter

Decluttering every few days significantly increases productivity. But we mostly sweep things under the rug while trying to declutter. Actual decluttering involves getting rid of the unnecessary things. Digital decluttering is even harder than physical decluttering. Order and examine your files, delete files and content you don’t need anymore, organize all your work material on hard disk and cloud, cleanup desktop and software, cleanup your email, unsubscribe newsletters and other subscriptions that are unimportant or useless and most importantly backup all the material you do not need immediately but does not want to lose either. 

Hustling

Day after day backbreaking work for long hours without proper break will exhaust you immensely. 

Well timed regular breaks are most beneficial for you mentally and physically. Step away from your work environment and completely relax. Take short breaks of 5 to 10 minutes to refresh, recharge and regain strength.

You can surely be productive hustling, multitasking, being busy doing everything yourself but the stress and exhaustion will affect your health and consequently productivity. Be mindful, work smartly, take smart breaks and be more productive.