May 21, 2013
Pulling an all-nighter to meet a deadline? Don't worry. Put on the coffee, take a deep breath and follow these tips to stay sharp and get the work done.
You can barely keep your eyes open, yet you need to meet that critical deadline. You had no idea it was going to take this long, be this difficult or that so many things were going to go wrong. It doesn’t matter, though, because sometimes you just need to push through. You can blame it on poor planning, ridiculous demands or both. Whatever the reason is, it’s irrelevant now because no excuse in the world is going to change things. You need to do the work now!
If you're running on no sleep, try these seven tips to stay awake, focused and on task.
Our ability to concentrate and stay on task becomes extremely diminished when we’re exhausted. Drifting around the Web and checking your email for the 100th time will keep you from getting the work done. Simply turning off email won’t work, since you will turn it back on. Disable your email and the Web altogether. The best way? Disable your wireless connection, or pull the data cable.
RELATED: 7 Reasons Working 9 to 5 Is Better for Business
Music helps ... but it needs to be instrumental or music with lyrics that you don’t know (so your mind doesn’t focus on singing). Secondly, make sure the music rocks. You want it to have lots of energy. Listening to lullabies, or music that makes you want to cry in your beer (you should not be drinking beer if you’re that exhausted), does not help at this critical time.
Napping may sound counterintuitive, but trust me, naps work. If you have kids, you know what 20 minutes of snooze time can do. It works for adults too. Yeah, you have a critical deadline ... every minute counts, right? Yet I’m telling you that you need to get some sleep, even a little bit.
It’s true. Even 25 minutes of sleep will give you more energy than a cup of coffee and loud tunes. Set the alarm to very loud and go lie down for 20 to 25 minutes. You’ll be groggy when you wake up, and you may feel the urge to suck your thumb, but start pushing forward. After a few minutes you'll be cranking away again, and even feeling pretty refreshed.
Do I need to say more? Knock back some double espressos, Mountain Dew, Red Bull or whatever it takes to keep you going for the short haul or for that last push.
Push-ups and sit-ups will wake you up. Do them hard and do them fast to get the blood pumping and your metabolism up. If you can’t do push ups and hate the idea of a sit-up, then find some stairs and go up and down them a few times. Run in place. Put your back to the wall and do squats. Whatever you do, get your heart rate up.
RELATED: 8 Ways to Change Bad Work Habits for Good
Stand up.When you’re sitting, it’s easy to slump. If you can, stand while you're working. Find a counter or build up a low counter by putting a box or something on it to create a counter you can work at. If you have something you can do while walking around and talking into a tape recorder, or writing on a pad of paper, do it.
If you ask people who are drunk to say the alphabet, they will mess up every time. If you ask them to repeat one letter at a time, after you say it, they will nail it. It's the same with your work. If you have to work on a full-length report for example, break it down into very small chunks. Just think about the one sentence you need to do. When it's done, put all the focus on the next sentence.
Read more articles on productivity.
Photo: Getty Images
Off days. We all have them from time to time.
Maybe you didn't sleep well the night before, or perhaps you're working on a project that isn't particularly exciting.
Or maybe there's no viable explanation at all, and you're just straight up not feelin' it that day.
First of all, that's OK. We can't be on all the time. Motivation is an ebb and flow: We all have periods of high energy where productivity comes easily, as well as periods of low energy where your work doesn't come so easily.
But alas ... unless we're physically ill, we're all expected to show up at work and get our work done regardless of how tired we are or how "meh" we're feeling.
It's times like these when we need to find that motivation within ourselves. The next time you're feeling exhausted, unmotivated, or lethargic at work, try one or a few of these 10 ways to get motivated again.
Have you ever found yourself faced with a deadline or a looming task, only to realize that was the perfect time to clean your house or start a new season of 24? Turns out, that's your brain playing tricks on you.
A study by Dr. John Bargh, an award-winning psychology researcher, showed that, before we start on a big project, our brain attempts to simulate real, productive work by focusing on small, mindless tasks. The result? We don't get started on the tasks that are most meaningful. And the longer we procrastinate, the more anxious we feel.
Thankfully, once you get over that hump of just starting already, you're more likely to work 'til it's done. That's a phenomenon called the Zeigarnik Effect, which is best defined as "the tendency to experience intrusive thoughts about an objective that was once pursued and left incomplete."
That's why, sometimes, we don't need a particular thing to motivate us -- we just need to get started, and a more focused and productive mental state will follow.
When your energy is low, it can be hard to get in that get-stuff-done mindset. So when you feel yourself dragging, stop what you're doing and take a few minutes to either make a new to-do list or rework the one you already have.
After all, studies show that when we write down our goals, we're more likely to achieve them. This small step can not only help your productivity, but it can also help get rid of that uncomfortable, anxious feeling you get when you procrastinate.
There are a lot of different ways to make a to-do list -- and what works for you may not work for your neighbor. But it turns out there is one similarity to how most of us write our to-do lists: We tend to start with the easier tasks first, and save the daunting tasks for last. That way, we can cross items off the list faster ... and feel good about it.
But according to Charles Duhigg, saving the harder stuff for last increases stress and other negative emotions. To more effectively motivate yourself with a to-do list, Duhigg suggests:
To get started, think about what part of that broken-down task you can accomplish right now or today, and begin working on it with the more manageable and achievable goal in mind.
Accountability works. None of us likes to look bad in front of others. Chances are, if you've promised to do something publicly, you'll be more likely to achieve it. That's why so many people do things like create public blogs or Instagram accounts to hold themselves accountable for fitness and weight loss goals.
You don't have to go public with your goals to reap the benefits of accountability. You can do it with coworkers, or with friends and family.
For example, here at HubSpot, the blogging team holds a daily standup meeting where we come together in the morning to list out what we plan to get done that day. If we find ourselves repeating the same task over a series of consecutive days, it becomes clear to ourselves and our colleagues that we either need to prioritize that task to get it done, or reevaluate whether it really needs doing in the first place.
(You can also use collaborative to-do list apps like Trello or Wunderlist to share tasks with others digitally.)
Simply recruiting a reliable friend to become your accountability buddy can help, too. Psychology professor Dr. Gala Matthews conducted a study on goal achievement in the workplace worldwide. She found that more than 70% of the participants who sent weekly updates to a friend either completely accomplished their goal or were more than halfway there. Compare that with 35% of those who kept their goals to themselves without even writing them down.
According to Duhigg's research, your physical environment is one of the most powerful drivers of our habits and behaviors.
Take the six-month study published in The American Journal of Public Health, for example. The scientists that ran the study found that by changing the environment and the way food and drinks were displayed in a large hospital cafeteria, they could get people to eat and drink healthier -- without even thinking about it.
Just by moving bottled water closer to the cashier and moving soft drinks away from it, the number of soda sales dropped by 11.4%, while bottled water sales increased by 25.8%.
Similarly, where you work can affect your motivation levels. Duhigg says this might be because we mentally assign behaviors, habits, and routines to particular locations, like bed for sleeping, desk for working, couch for relaxing. (Another reason taking your lunch break away from your desk can do wonders for your productivity.)
Need to really focus? Step away from your desk, move to a workspace with no distractions, and hone in on whatever it is you need to do. That's what Amanda Sibley, a demand generation manager at HubSpot, told me works for her: "If there is something I must get done in a day -- a deck due to our CMO, for example -- then I turn off email and shut myself in a room for an hour or so until it's done."
Music motivates us. Think about it: Why do people listen to music when they go to the gym? Because it gives us energy.
We don't just have an emotional reaction when we listen to music; we also have a physical reaction. Music engages our bodies' sympathetic nervous systems. Our airway opens, our heart accelerates, and our muscles become primed for movement. When the speed, intensity, or volume of the music rises, our pulse quickens and our breathing accelerates.
This is great for physical exercise, of course. But it's also great for reenergizing you when you're feeling tired or bored. Not only will it help refocus you, but studies have shown that music can help draw our attention away from the negative aspects of whatever task we're doing.
"During my training and races it became obvious that even in really horrible weather conditions, or when I was physically suffering, that I could use music (and my imagination) to create a parallel universe that had little to do with reality," said Jacob Jolij, an athlete and researcher from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. "I used music to stay optimistic and see the glass as perpetually half-full while doing ultra-endurance races.
You can use music as a tool when you work out or in your daily life the same way. "
So the next time you're tackling something that doesn't quite thrill you, consider putting on some happy tunes. If you need some music ideas, try one of these science-backed productivity playlists.
Listening to pump-up jams not your cup of tea? Perhaps meditating is.
It's funny: We rest our aching muscles after a tough workout without a second thought, and yet we expect our brain to work hour after hour, day in and day out. It just doesn't make sense. Burnout is real, folks.
Taking ten or twenty minutes out of your workday to meditate is a great way to use a break time -- especially when you find your attention and motivation wavering. According to one study, intensive meditation can help you focus and sustain your attention -- even during the most boring of tasks. It also helps boost your mood: A 2012 study found that people who mediated "stayed on tasks longer and made fewer task switches, as well as reporting less negative feedback after task performance.
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Never meditated before? You don't need any experience to enjoy the benefits of meditation -- especially with the many apps out there that offer guided meditations. Next time you feel disconnected or unmotivated at work, try using one of these free apps:
Sometimes, taking a short break to talk with a colleague can be enough to reenergize you for several more hours. In a study of call center workers, those who talked to more coworkers in between calls actually got through calls faster and felt less stressed -- all while having the same approval ratings as their peers.
If you just need a break from the task at hand, grab a coworker and talk a short walk.
If you need some inspiration, choose that coworker wisely, and use the time to bounce ideas off of them. If you're really struggling, try asking them for advice on how to refocus or reprioritize.
If you're working from home or no one's available, leave your current workspace (see tip #4: change up your location) and interact with someone -- anyone. "Go outside and find a human to interact with -- ordering your coffee, running an errand, whatever," suggests my colleague Corey Wainwright.
Or, give yourself a pep talk. Giving yourself advice and encouragement in the second-person voice actually works, according to a study on self-motivation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“People are used to receiving and giving advice in the second-person, and they seem to prefer using the second-person pronoun to psych themselves up before engaging in action,” study coauthor Dr. Sanda Dolcos told The Huffington Post. “Self-advice expressed using ‘You’ probably enables people to adopt a broader perspective, considering how a significant other might view the event, and to reproduce the kind of encouragements previously received from others.
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Food is fuel for our brains and our bodies. What we eat -- and when we eat it -- has a direct impact on our performance at work. Recent studies show that willpower is a limited resource and depletes throughout the day, but may be strengthened by the food we eat.
To function at its best, your brain needs a constant supply of glucose and fat that come from the right nutritional sources -- i.e., not junk food. Our brains work best with about 25 grams of glucose circulating in our blood stream, which is about the amount found in a banana. So when we're feeling sluggish, snacking on a banana between meals can actually help us reenergize our brainpower.
On the other hand, if we were to snack on something high in sugar, like a handful of M&Ms, then we risk a much higher blood sugar spike followed by a crash. While we may feel energized for a short period of time, we'll ultimately enter into a slump. The result? Low energy and low productivity.
The same is true for coffee, which only gives us short caffeine bursts. (If you love coffee, though, try bulletproof coffee, which has a longer-lasting, positive effect on your energy levels.)
Healthy snacks that'll supercharge your brainpower and help you gain energy when you're tired include bananas, yogurt, blueberries, avocados, olive oil, salmon, broccoli, eggplant, and dark, leafy greens. (Check out our infographic on "the productivity diet" to learn why these foods help you focus.)
Whether it's spending some quality time at the gym or simply going for a short walk between meetings, regular exercise can do wonders for your health, your happiness, and your productivity and energy levels at work. In fact, researchers have found that people who exercise during normal working hours are actually more productive at work, even if they technically log fewer hours.
Another study out of the University of Georgia examined whether exercise can be used to treat fatigue.
It showed that even low-intensity exercise can significantly help feelings of fatigue.
“A lot of people are overworked and not sleeping enough,” said Patrick O’Connor, co-director of the university’s exercise psychology laboratory. “Exercise is a way for people to feel more energetic. There’s a scientific basis for it, and there are advantages to it compared to things like caffeine and energy drinks.”
Here are 10 ideas for sneaking in exercise at work without looking silly, from taking short "active breaks" to replacing your desk chair with a stability ball.
Another way to unleash your brain's natural energy? Take a power nap. Researchers have found there are clear benefits to napping, including increased alertness after your nap. The key is doing it right. In other words, napping for the right amount of time, and at the right time of day.
According to Sleep Expert Dr. Phyllis Zee of Northwestern University, the best naps are between 1 p.
m. 3 p.m. and last between 20 and 40 minutes.
That afternoon timing is best for your body clock, whereas napping later in the day can affect how well you sleep that night. Taking a nap longer than 40 minutes can cause your brain to slow-wave (deeper) sleep, which'll leave you waking up in a state of confusion -- the opposite of what you were trying to solve for.
Then, once you're up from your nap, get back to it.
If you've tried some of these tactics and none of them are helping you refocus and reenergize, be careful: You might be burned out.
Burnout is defined as a state of chronic stress that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment. Although people experience burnout differently, a telltale sign is when you're experiencing the trifecta of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy all at once.
Remember: It's OK to take your foot off the gas pedal every once in a while and to adjust your work output to your current motivation level.
But if you're feeling the symptoms of burnout, take care to dedicate specific time for unplugging and relaxing -- and even take a vacation if you can. It's good for you, and even your boss would agree: 91% of business leaders believe their employees return from vacations recharged and ready to work more effectively.
Want more? Read 28 of the Best Motivational TED Talk Videos to Inspire You.
Topics: Collaboration/Teamwork
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Table of contents
At work, an ordinary person who is neither related to Rockefeller nor himself, spends most of his life.
And even if this work does not require a constant stay in the office, sooner or later a critical point comes when fatigue rolls in, hands drop and the question arises very sharply: what, in fact, is the meaning of my activity and what does it bring for me personally?
This is exactly the case when the hackneyed phrase “Happiness is not in money” takes on a very real shape. And let the one with whom this has never happened be the first to throw a stone at me.
So what to do now? Drop everything and start over? Or still find some other, less radical solution? In my opinion, this is quite possible, if only we slightly change our approach to the above question.
So, suppose you write an article (or do some other work) and offer it to a customer. You worked day and night and another day. And during the breaks, you pondered the essence of the problem, rummaged through the Internet and even (just imagine!) in print publications. And then the deadline arrived.
Button pressed, email sent.
But no answer. And there is no day, and three no. You write to the customer. And finally, you get a short reply: "Your job is not suitable." What are you doing? Most likely, the first thought that comes to your mind is: “I am a bad specialist.”
That's not it! Perhaps you are not perfect. But that's not the point. The customer has hundreds of other reasons to refuse you: the wrong style of presentation, the wrong concept, or the task has lost its relevance altogether. Not everyone is willing to take the time to explain all this to you.
Find a use for your work if possible and stop stigmatizing yourself. Everyone has room to grow. But this does not mean at all that you are not valuable right now.
You have found a customer. Or you have been assigned the solution of some interesting task in which you are well versed. And they ask a perfectly reasonable question: “How much does it cost?”.
I know a lot of people who are afraid of this question as if they were asked to show a personal skeleton in the closet. Why? Yes, because most of us tend to doubt our own competence. Unfortunately, more often this happens precisely with those who are really specialists.
One should never be ashamed to appreciate oneself. That is, name exactly the amount that you deserve. How to do it? Study the market and offers from specialists of your level (after all, deep down you still know it) and add up the price.
If you are interested, no one will run away anywhere. Simply, the customer will either agree to your conditions, or offer a more acceptable amount for himself. And then you will make the decision.
Are you passionate about work? Do you work quickly and tastefully? Are you responsible? Excellent qualities! Your boss or customer will certainly appreciate this and ... load you to the maximum.
At some point, you will feel that the tank has run out of gas and start to slow down.
Or stop altogether. And, believe me, no one will push you. There are enough people around who want to harness themselves to your cart. And here you need rest. And, perhaps, a way out of prolonged depression, which usually accompanies chronic overwork.
Learn to brake in time. And it’s better to plan your day, leaving in it, albeit small, but pleasant “pockets” for relaxation. Coffee or tea, music on headphones, a few minutes with your eyes closed, and if possible, a short walk at lunchtime... Fatigue will be removed, and the world around will become much kinder. Working in this mood is much more productive.
What am I giving to the world? Yes, the question is quite hackneyed, and there is a lot of pathos in it, but in one form or another it visits very many people. Money stopped making you happy? Imagine this is possible. When everything you do seems small and insignificant.
See also
One stylist always advised her clients to take five steps away from the mirror.
Good advice in any situation.
Big seen from a distance. Each of us does work that is often just a puzzle in one huge jigsaw puzzle. Step back five steps and see if this mosaic will really be whole and complete if your piece is not in it? You will see that it is not.
In some theater studio there was a principle that sounded like this: “You should always leave your backpack outside the threshold.” It is really very important to leave the burden of problems where they have to be solved. The house should be your refuge, a place where you can relax and forget about work troubles.
And even if you work at home, try leaving your workplace to leave your drawings, blanks for future articles, and so on and so forth. Time to drink tea, eat cakes and give your warmth and attention to loved ones.
Turn on your imagination. It is quite possible to visualize the process. Close your eyes and imagine a briefcase or backpack in which you put sheets of your plans, drawings, sketches, your diary, calculator, to-do list, and more.
Close it tight. And leave it at your workplace. Going home without such a load will be much easier.
Well, if your condition has become chronic, it may be worth considering whether your doubts are really caused by fatigue and routine work, or it is time for you to change your occupation. Learning is not scary and it's never too late. Perhaps the job of your dreams is already waiting for you, and you just have to take a couple of decisive steps.
Be vigilant, quarantine, keep your distance, use respirators. For our part, we are ready to help you with our resources and legal advice for free.
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Alena Lepilina
Sometimes life is so exhausting that you want to say: “Burn everything with fire! Life has failed, and I leave the effort. Someone gives up and closes in on himself, and someone comes to self-destructive behavior: addictions, aggressive and risky behavior, sleep disturbances, inability to relax - everyone has their own problems.
People were not created to immediately live in the conditions of the 21st century. However, we adapted perfectly, but it came at a high price. In the past, people lived in small villages and knew each other well - even the appearance of a casual traveler or a fair was a big event.
Any person knew who he would become when he grew up, since, as a rule, everyone continued the work of their fathers and mothers. They went to bed at nightfall and got up at dawn. Life was predictable.
Source
Thousands of years of living like this has shaped our brains, our perceptions and responses to stress. As long as we are young, everything is fine. But as we get older, things get worse. The fact is that before people did not experience 35 years, which means that the human body did not have time to adapt to the effects of prolonged stress.
All organs and tissues of our body suffer from stress. Ultimately, serious damage is done to the brain. If you look at a CT scan of the brains of people suffering from chronic stress, you will see large white gaps where brain tissue would normally be.
Humanity is currently in a state of permanent stress due to fundamental changes.
We are under attack by a flood of information: from television, the internet, our mobile phones, magazines and newspapers. We constantly make choices and decisions that drain our willpower. We live with artificial lighting, heating and cooling, and this allows us to work longer. 
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Modern life is generally not suitable for us, but we are so hypnotized by advertising, acquisitiveness and mass media that we fail to see this crucial fact. Now that we have faced the threat of a real economic collapse and seen how merciless and indomitable capitalism can be, many have had to give up their illusions.
Perhaps the best antidote and prevention of burnout can be building strong relationships with loved ones. When we can share our experiences with family and friends, despair subsides and we are able to see new horizons.
Retrieved
You may not know it yet, but science has proven that human relationships have proven to be the single most important source of life satisfaction, regardless of age or culture. People who feel connected to others live longer and have fewer health problems than those who isolate themselves from society. Those who care about others are happier than the selfish ones who pursue only their own interests.
If we go back in time and remember the happiest times in our lives, we will surely see that most of our memories are connected with people.
It's okay, you won't be a millionaire until you're forty. It turned out that the fairytale prince has a boyfriend. You set the bar too high and worked hard to get where you wanted to be, and now it looks like you won't succeed.
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So, does disappointment and failure really mean that life is over? Please imagine that it was our efforts to cope with stress and frustration, and not just stress and frustration in and of itself, that became the main cause of our state of intense depression.
And now we will consciously pull ourselves together and start from scratch, in a new way. We will learn to consciously control stress and make intelligent decisions. We will be able to change our ideas so that life acquires a new meaning. And it's not that hard at all, it just takes time and effort.
We set ourselves unattainable goals or were in too much of a hurry. The circle is closed. But no matter what way we choose to deal with the vicious cycle of stress, there is always a chance to break it.
Source
Meditation, exercise, change of mind, new goals, openness to the world - any positive change can set in motion a spiral of adaptation, where each subsequent change strengthens what has been achieved. Our reaction to a positive event makes another more likely, and so on.
If we smile at people more often, they smile back more often, and we get a dose of endorphins. If you continue in the same spirit, you can change your life.
Non-stop stress enters our body and we try to live with too much adrenaline. The result is exhaustion, apathy, loss of strength. But, fortunately, this can be dealt with.
1. Be prepared for stress
Learn relaxation exercises, meditation, breathing practices.
And try to become aware of your emotions. As soon as you realize that everything is about to go to hell, turn to the life-saving techniques that you have learned.
2. Do not give in to momentary desires
There is a great temptation to take medicine or drop into a bar around the corner, burst into shouting and say hurtful words when the mood is at zero. Take your time! Analyze your judgments and desires. If the situation calls for your intervention, wait until you can control yourself
3. Don't forget the essentials
Remember fundamental values and act accordingly. What is more important - blow off steam or maintain a relationship with a loved one?
4. Get a pet
The presence of a pet in the house will help you cope with stress better, and walking with a dog will open up new opportunities for communicating with people.
5. Pay attention to the state of your body
If you are too anxious, angry or frightened, first calm down, and for this, do relaxation exercises.
