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5 Habits That Kill Your Productivity

You may have picked up a few habits that make productivity an uphill battle. Here's a list of 5 common habits to break asap and boost your productivity.

Everyone wants to be as productive as possible. But productivity is difficult when you feel stuck. This is a common dilemma for entrepreneurs with a million and one projects to do and not enough people or time to do them. When we are overloaded it curbs productivity–especially if we spend time worrying about it.

Our surroundings impact productivity as well. But there’s a good chance you have picked up a few habits that make productivity an uphill battle.

Here’s a list of 5 common habits to break asap and boost your productivity.

 

1. Multitasking

Multitasking is no longer a thing. Study after study has shown that attempting multiple tasks at the same time actually slows you down (and you probably won’t do a very good job either). One study confirms that multitasking cuts your productivity by a whopping 40 percent. Focus your attention on a single task at a time and get more done–faster.

 

5 Habits That Make You Less Productive - YFS Magazine
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2. Being late

Are you chronically late? If so, you are probably living on an endless loop of anxiety and pressure. “While there are those who get a charge out of keeping others waiting, if you’re typical, you dislike being late,” Diana DeLonzor writes in her book Never Be Late Again. “Yet tardiness remains your nemesis.”

Sometimes we feel like being early is inefficient or it can make us uneasy. But more often than not the results are detrimental. For example, if you call a meeting and you’re late for it, it sets the tone for your entire team. It also causes productivity loss through the day if your tardiness is chronically impacting others.

Get organized if you want to stay productive. Use apps like Tide to improve time management. Using the Pomodoro Technique Tide uses a timer (with peaceful white noise) to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.

 

3. Poor eating habits

Do you tend to snack on all the wrong foods during the day. Some snacks enhance energy levels, while others leave us feeling depleted. The food you eat has a direct effect on your productivity.

 

Photo: © Kaponia Aliaksei, YFS Magazine

Make a healthy breakfast with fruits and vegetables instead of carbs to keep your energy levels higher for longer. A study published in theBritish Journal of Psychology found that people who eat fruits and vegetables tend to be happier and more creative than those who eat junk food.

Replace your coffee with healthier teas to keep your blood pressure stable, promote weight-loss and keep you alert.

 

4. Social media

Nothing distracts you like social media. How many times have you scrolled through Instagram, Twitter or Facebook in the last 30 minutes?

CareerBuilders study found that 52% of people surveyed believe that smartphones and texting are the greatest workplace distractions. If you find yourself wasting precious time on social media, it’s time to put your smartphone on Airplane Mode and turn off push notifications.

 

5. Not taking breaks

Contrary to popular belief, you’re not too busy to take a break. The science behind this notion proves that taking breaks can make you happier, and more focused and productive. Breaks can also curb boredom.

 

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Photo: © Jacob Lund, YFS Magazine

The benefits of taking a break are undeniable. Bustle writer Amanda Chatel explains: “The attention span for an adult is anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes. When it comes to concentration, we need to realize that everything we do throughout the day is just subtracting from the cognitive resources in our brain, which is why we sometimes find ourselves running on empty.”

“It makes perfect sense that our attention spans and concentration need to be rebooted, so to speak, at several points throughout the day,” says Chatel. So if you’re low on creativity and ideas, relax and get some fresh air. You’ll feel refreshed and ready to work again when you sit back down again.

 

This article has been edited.

Brooke Whistance is a passionate health and lifestyle blogger who loves to write about prevailing trends. She lives in Los Angeles, California with her family including, her parents and two siblings. She is a featured author at various authoritative blogs in the health and fitness industry and currently a blogger with Hourglass Express, providers of quality waist trainers, belly bands, and weight loss products. Connect with @IamBrooke94 on Twitter.

 

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