Learn more about one of the greatest defensive fortifications ever built
Mindful productivity, as defined by learning community Ness Labs, is about "being consciously present in what you’re doing, while you’re doing it, in conjunction with managing your mental and emotional states."
It may sound complicated at first, but, in fact, there are many simple mindfulness strategies that you can incorporate into your working day. Not only should they help you perform at your best, but they will also help you better manage your mental health.
Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.
The first step in your journey towards mindful productivity is to free yourself from past and future work-related worries.
Of course, moving on from a particularly unpleasant experience at work, such as failing on a big project, can be easier said than done.
If you are struggling to forget a particular event, take some time to explore exactly how it made you feel, compare it to how you’d like to feel, and make a plan to bridge the gap.
The next step towards mindful productivity is watching your thoughts and emotions while at work.
Observing thoughts and feelings is a classic mindfulness technique, but it is not about judging your emotional or mental states.
Rather, it is about observing those states as they grow and change, accepting them for what they are, and then returning your focus to the task at hand.
The next one is perhaps a little obvious–get in the flow. Bear in mind that in order to achieve a flow state, you need to find the right balance between the challenge and your skill set.
Admittedly, getting in the flow can be more difficult than it sounds. So to maximize your chances, be sure to define your goal and cut out distractions.
Once you are ready to start work, take a deep breath and aim to keep your mind fully attentive so that you can remain focused and relaxed.
In order to strike the right balance between productivity and responsiveness, try and use mindful context switching techniques.
The next top tip is to limit multi-tasking. With our busy daily schedules, it can be tempting to try and work on multiple things at the same time.
Indeed, although humans are notoriously bad at multi-tasking, the hard truth is that most people cannot afford to stay on just one task until it’s finished.
Another important skill to develop in your quest to achieve mindful productivity is questioning your procrastination.
Procrastination is a very common problem, but many people are not aware that they must understand the emotions behind it in order to overcome it.
It is important, therefore, that you take some time to sit down and analyze the reasons you are struggling to motivate yourself.
One of the most important aspects of productivity, which many adults so often forget, is creativity.
Adults are generally much less creative than children, and this disparity has been linked to different levels of curiosity.
In order to maximize your creative output, aim to cultivate your curiosity. Take time to observe the world around you and ask plenty of questions.
In order to achieve mindful productivity, it is also important that you work on your growth mindset.
Having a growth mindset means that you believe you can improve your intelligence and skillset by putting in the hard work.
To improve your growth mindset, trying adding the word "yet" to the end of negative sentences, such as "I don’t know how to code... yet."
Another good way to improve your mindful productivity is to employ metacognitive strategies.
Metacognition, in a nutshell, is learning about learning. It involves taking time to plan, monitor, and evaluate your learning experiences.
If you are not sure where to start with metacognition, do a quick online search. There are plenty of tools out there that can help get you started.
Another important factor that influences your productivity, and which many people tend to forget, is your environment.
Try to be mindful of where you work and how it affects your productivity, bearing in mind that no sort of environment is inherently bad.
Rather, it is about using your time between tasks to remind yourself that it’s important to be mindful of your thoughts, emotions, and environment.
Sources: (Ness Labs)
Instead, being mindful of your work environment is about observing what works for you and adapting your workspace according to your findings.
Finally, and this is one that you can put into practice today, don’t forget to take mindful breaks.
Taking a mindful break is about much more than simply leaving your desk and grabbing a coffee.
How to achieve mindful productivity
Bringing mindfulness to work
LIFESTYLE Work
Mindful productivity, as defined by learning community Ness Labs, is about "being consciously present in what you’re doing, while you’re doing it, in conjunction with managing your mental and emotional states."
It may sound complicated at first, but, in fact, there are many simple mindfulness strategies that you can incorporate into your working day. Not only should they help you perform at your best, but they will also help you better manage your mental health.
Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.