Day 15: The Principles of Mindful Productivity
Since starting my career journey, I have been focused on being productive and focusing on how to get the most out of my productivity habits at work and in my personal life. Still, like most people, I've been doing it rather unsustainable. The long hours, always being on the go, and pushing out as much output as possible, have led to burnout multiple times. When starting my current role, I decided this time will be different, and I will take steps to avoid experiencing burnout.
This goal has led me down the rabbit hole that is mindful productivity. Mindful productivity is defined as being consciously present in what you're doing while you are doing it and calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings and thoughts when engaged in work or creative activities. This doesn’t mean you stop whatever you are doing, it's about seeing the present moment without pressing the pause button. It's interrupting the autopilot mode we often use daily, taking time to appreciate the little things, thoughts and feelings, and the world around us.
To practice mindful productivity, you have to think of it as a set of principles that can be used as a flexible roadmap that anyone can apply to work and feel better. So let's get to it:
10 Principles of Mindful Productivity:
Presence: Live in the Present
Try not to get trapped in the past and pre-living future worries. This thinking causes you not to be able to enjoy the here fully and the now and can make it hard to concentrate on your tasks.
I fell victim to this went starting this role. I was so afraid of making a mistake and so consumed with the past mistakes that I made....even more mistakes. I have since adopted the attitude that I will make mistakes because I am just starting my career. I know the bare minimum, and all my mistakes are necessary.
Awareness: Watch your thoughts and emotions
When your mind wanders, bring it back to the task at hand.
You want to be aware of your emotions and thoughts so you can accept them, move on, and return to being productive.
A highly focused mental state which facilitates productivity
Can be described as "Getting in the zone" or feeling absorbed in an activity
Define your goal, cut the distractions, take a deep breath, and keep your mind fully attentive.
The brain is often the happiest when you are engaged in the meaningful pursuit of a goal.
Single Task: Avoid Multitasking
It's not a secret that constantly switching contexts between different tasks hurts your attention and makes you less focused. In a perfect world, people who focus on one task at a time are calmer, more effective, and more productive, but we have to find a balance in the real world.
Use Mindful Context Switch to strike a balance between productivity and responsiveness.
Motivation: Question your procrastination
Use the DUST model to understand why you are procrastinating.
Curiosity: Cultivate your curiosity
Curiosity helps you learn. It enables you to remember better information; the more curious you are about a topic, the more likely you are to remember it.
Observe the world, take the time to learn, ask questions, don't take anything for granted.
Growth: Develop a growth mindset
A growth mindset means you believe you can grow your intelligence and skills with hard work.
It would help to question your fixed mindset attitudes to see what's holding you back.
Metacognition: Use metacognition strategies
A powerful form of self-monitoring and self-regulation
It means being in tune with your awareness to determine the best strategies for learning and problem-solving and when to apply them.
Instead of blindly working away, take the time to plan, monitor and evaluate your working and learning experiences.
Environment: Pay attention to your work environment
Be mindful of where you work and how it affects your productivity. Understand what works for you and adapt your environment based on your findings.
Also, consider your habits when designing your environment.
Breaks: Take mindful breaks
Using breaks to remind yourself to be mindful of your thoughts, emotions, and your environment
Set aside time for the present moment to clear your mind and take it off red alert.
Unplug and come up for air: Make sure you have ample time for other pursuits besides productivity. It doesn't hurt to limit your screentime.
Take time to breathe, eat a snack, and look out the window.
Practicing mindful productivity can seem like a daunting task, but take it from me. It's well worth the effort. Life can get hectic, but by letting the principles of mindfulness act as a guiding point in your everyday life, you can be present in the midst of it all.
