Note: This article is based on the personal experience of Yousuf Rafi, who shares his personal experience with boosting productivity outside the workplace.
Is it wrong for my thoughts to go off track when I'm stuck in a mind-numbing meeting with a tedious boss while my friends are on the beach, basking in the sun, sipping juice, and enjoying the breeze? And how can I concentrate when I know there are other things I could be doing?
I'm not alone in this, am I? Most weak-minded people fall victim to envy; they don't know envy breeds unproductivity. I've just come to understand that envy not only damages my mental health but also causes a significant drop in my productivity.
Ways to Boost Productivity When You're Off the Clock
I searched for peace outside the workplace to quell the fire of this raging battle within. Here are some strategies that helped me boost productivity:
1. Convince Yourself That You're Not Tired
We've all had days when our strength dwindles, and feel anxious and completely drained. How often have you whined and groaned about running out of energy when the day is over? In such situations, you might hit the gym or engage in activities to recharge with positive energy.
Now, compare this energy to the burst of energy you get when watching a thrilling movie or dressing up for a night out, even after a grueling day. Do you suddenly feel refreshed or tired? The point is that your mind doesn't feel tired after work, even if it is demanding.
If you clock off at, say, 6 p.m., your mind tells you you're tired. The harder the day, the more you believe you're tired. Here, you can manage your mental state just by reminding yourself that you're not tired.
2. Invest in Leisure Time
What do you do between 7 and 10 p.m.? Do you sprawl on the couch watching TV, go to a café with friends to catch a game, or spend time on your phone? How you spend your downtime dictates your potential for growth in the coming years.
I usually opt to watch TED Talks and read books to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, and sometimes, when I don't feel like driving to work, I take the bus. This gives me 60 minutes to do what I want. Even when I choose to drive, I tune in to motivational speeches that refresh my mind and fill me with energy when I pull into my parking space.
Your mind will urge you to waste your energy on unproductive activities when traveling and not doing anything. Jim Loehr, the author of The Power of Full Engagement, says, "Managing energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high performance." Whenever you are caught in this whirlwind of unproductivity, you must break through it and perform a task that will get you closer to your goals.
3. Engage in a Hobby
Passion is often overhyped. If you're not Tiger Woods, Bill Gates, or Josh Waitzkin, you'll struggle to choose a hobby you enjoy.
However, if you do have a hobby you enjoy, you should make the most of it. Engage in any hobby, whether it's writing, cooking, photography, or playing a musical instrument. You might wonder: How will this help get my energy and productivity back? Put simply, doing something you enjoy boosts the body's release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in emotional regulation. Productivity increases as dopamine levels rise.
4. Eliminate All Distractions
According to University of London research, multitasking actually lowers IQ by roughly 15 points. With everything that is thrown at us in the digital age, it is only natural for our attention to go scattered. And don't forget social media platforms and side projects that are vying for your attention while you're engrossed in a major project.
As a writer, I cut off all distractions that could erode my concentration and stifle my creativity when I write. So, when you know you have a task to perform, it's easier to accomplish it if you don't waste your energy on other things.
5. Meditate
We come across hardworking individuals daily who toil tirelessly but stay in the shadows and don't get promoted. Ever wondered why? It's because they don't take the time to meditate on what's happening to them. These folks read 30 books a month but draw no lessons from them. They can play musical pieces composed by others but can't compose one themselves.
If you want to move forward in life, you have to take time every day to reflect on your life. Successful leaders focus on what went well during the day. Allocate at least 10 minutes every day to think about how close you are to your goal. Identify repetitive tasks that distract you, and delegate these tasks to others using available online delegation tools. The ideas that the outside world feeds you can teach you a lot, but author Zat Rana thinks that you can learn even more by breaking them down and gaining a deeper grasp of your own thoughts.
At last
We live in an age of mental dispersion, and with phones glued to our hands all day, people might think we're busy. Still, that isn't the same as being truly busy. Even bugs seem busy all the time, but that doesn't make them productive, does it? So, avoid people who seem busy and stick with those who are genuinely productive.
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