Three Research-Backed Ways to Tackle Your Productivity Fatigue

Consider this scenario. You start off your workday with a hazy outline in your mind. Four meetings, two calls with clients and a couple of other distractions, after which you shut down your computer in the evening only to realise you barely accomplished any of the things you set out to do.

If this seems quite relatable, here are three simple tactics to help you deal with your productivity fatigue.

1.  Give Your Brain More Downtime

 Although many offices have started creating open floor plans so everyone can communicate more easily, studies consistently show that they aren’t conducive to a productive environment. In fact, people tend to perform better when they have a little privacy.

Speaking of solitude, Psychiatrist Nancy C. Andreasen coined the acronym REST (random episodic silent thought) in the 1990s to describe the free association our brains engage in during quiet relaxation. According to her, taking a series of ‘microbreaks’ and letting your mind run freely can have a powerful effect on your body and your mind and boost your creativity. Simply put, in order to be productive, one needs fresh and innovative thoughts that arise only through rest. We need to savour solitude and replenish our mental shelves if we want to do meaningful work.

 2.  Prioritise Your Tasks

When are you most productive during the day? Figure out the hours when you seem to get hit with a wave of energy. Block those hours off every day, putting pedal to the metal and getting done with your tasks efficiently.

In our everyday life, we are faced with choices between tasks of varying levels of urgency and importance. Oftentimes, we succumb to what researchers call the “mere urgency effect” (prioritising urgent tasks over important ones), which leads to us missing out on opportunities for strategic planning and creative thinking.

So, consolidate all of your tasks onto one place and choose a method to prioritise them according to what works for you. You may adopt a goal-setting strategy known as OKR (Objectives and Key Results) to set specific and time-bound goals with measurable results. Or you may even utilise the Eisenhower matrix quadrant methodology to put tasks into one of four boxes using urgent/non-urgent and important/unimportant as the axes, and later work on them accordingly. 

3.  Get the Most Out of Meetings

 Roughly, how many meetings do you attend in each week? Throw out a number. Let’s say, each takes around thirty minutes to an hour, now you can see where your time goes down the drain. While meetings are a critical part of your workday, it’s important to streamline to make the most out of them, making sure actual work doesn’t get left behind.

If the objective is straightforward and information can be shared via email or text, do so. Be mindful of the fact that too many cooks spoil the broth. So, it’s best to invite only the people who can help move you closer towards your goal. Everyone present in the meeting should have a purpose for being there.

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Paul Keijzer is the CEO and Founder of Engage Consulting and the co-Founder of The Talent Games, which aims to transform HR by digitising talent processes and creating more engaging and productive workplaces through gamification and mobile technology. As a global HR and Leadership Management expert, Paul knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.