By the Mind Body Align Team
Does your job feel like a chore? Do you feel burnt out? Job dissatisfaction and burnout can negatively affect your mental and physical health and lead to a steep decrease in productivity. Does this sound familiar? Look no further; we gathered four crucial tips to become your most productive (and satisfied) self at work this year.
Tip #1: Practice Mindfulness
As little as ten minutes of mindfulness is conducive to peak performance. Mindfulness helps bring your full attention and awareness to the present moment to reduce stress by discouraging negative thinking. Mindfulness can assist individuals in recognizing and tuning into emotions such as joy, gratitude, and motivation, which will help ease your mind and make it easier to complete tasks.
Practicing mindfulness does not have to be burdensome and can even be self-led! Common ways for slowing down and tuning in with the present include meditation, journaling, breathing exercises, walking, stretching, etc. All these practices help with mindfulness while simultaneously reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.
Tip #2: Get Enough Quality Sleep
If you’re feeling drained, your sleep schedule may need some attention. It’s almost impossible to get quality work done if you’re sleep-deprived! According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults ages 18-64 need at least 7-9 hours of quality sleep a night to decrease brain fog and promote productivity. One way to improve the quality of your sleep is to do things that help you mellow down as your bedtime approaches. This might include stretching, reading your favorite book, or taking a warm shower or bath. Guided apps, such as the Mind Body Align app, can help you wind down mindfully as you get ready for bed.
Another important factor to consider is your REM (rapid eye movement) cycle. It is important to wake up near the end of your REM cycle to wake up fully rested and ready to tackle your to-do list. Each REM cycle takes about 90 minutes, so you can determine the best time to wake up by counting an even number of 90-minute cycles from the time you fall asleep, or by using a sleep cycle calculator.
Tip #3: Set Deadlines
If you are self-employed or don’t have assigned deadlines, setting self-imposed deadlines can help you stay organized and avoid procrastination. You can use tools like planners, e-calendars, or sticky notes to materialize your goals. It can be difficult to stick to deadlines you set for yourself, but there are ways to set yourself up for success to finish on time; for example, make sure your goals are reasonable for the time period you provided. If you still have trouble reaching your deadlines, consider outsourcing some of the work to another company. A public relations firm, such as The PRactice, can help you reach your goals in outreach while allowing you to focus on other aspects of your brand!
Tip #4: Schedule Breaks in Your To-Do List
Public relations and communications can have fast-paced deadlines, constantly changing, and efficient practices can change how you work. Cutting Edge PR says to write your to-do list the day before to get ahead of the curve if you can. Ivy Lee, the founder of modern public relations, says to write down your six most important tasks for the following day. Once you begin a task, you shouldn’t move onto the next until it is fully finished. If your work is completely day-dependent, come up with a general list of priorities.
Be sure to schedule time in between tasks to eat, drink water, stretch, or go outside if possible. This helps you maintain mental, physical, and emotional health, which also helps avoid burnout.
It is scientifically proven that taking breaks and pushing your “restart button” will give your mind a chance to refocus. A change in scenery or a short walk can reinvigorate your creativity, energy, and productivity.
