5 Scientifically Proven Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder

Working harder can be an easy habit to slip into, though. Sometimes it's hard to switch off at the end of the day or take time out on the weekend and stop thinking about work. Here are five ways to avoid that trap:

1. Take more breaks.

In one of my favourite books, Stephen Covey tells a story about a woodcutter whose saw gets more blunt as time passes and he continues cutting down trees. If the woodcutter were to stop sawing, sharpen his saw, and go back to cutting the tree with a sharp blade, he would actually save time and effort in the long run.

The analogy is an easy one to remember but harder to put into practice. Here's what Covey says about sharpening the saw in our lives:

Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have--you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual.

Sharpening the saw is a great habit to get into in all areas of our lives, but I think it can be especially beneficial when it comes to work and helping us avoid burnout.

On average our brains are only able to remain focused for 90 minutes; then we need at least 15 minutes rest. (The phenomenon is based on ultradian rhythms.) By taking period breaks roughly every 90 minutes you allow your mind and body to renew--and be ready to fire off another 90-minute period of high activity.

For some people, 15 to 20 minute breaks might be tough to pull off, but taking short breaks throughout the day can still help you to refresh your mind and reset your attention span.

2. Take naps. 

Research shows naps lead to improvement in cognitive function, creative thinking, and memory performance. In particular, napping benefits the learning process by helping us take in and retain information better.

The improved learning process comes from naps actually helping our brain to solidify memories. According to Max Read, "Research indicates that when memory is first recorded in the brain--in the hippocampus, to be specific--it's still 'fragile' and easily forgotten, especially if the brain is asked to memorize more things. Napping, it seems, pushes memories to the neocortex, the brain's 'more permanent storage,' preventing them from being 'overwritten.'"

One study into memory found that participants did remarkably better on a test following a nap than those who didn't sleep at all.

Not only are naps beneficial for consolidating memories and helping us remember new information (handy if your job includes a lot of research during the day!), they're also useful in helping us to avoid burnout, since research shows burnout is a signal that says you can't take in more information in this part of your brain until you've had a chance to sleep.

3. Spend time in nature. Daniel Goleman, author of Focus: The Hidden Power of Excellence, suggests spending time in nature to help us reset our attention span and relax our minds.

One experiment he mentions tested how relaxed people were when taking a walk down a city street versus in a quiet park. The study found that the level of attention needed to navigate a busy city street is high enough that the walk doesn't let the brain relax enough to reset our focus levels:

Unlike natural environments, urban environments are filled with stimulation that captures attention dramatically and additionally requires directed attention (e.g., to avoid being hit by a car), making them less restorative.

Spending time in nature, however, allows your mind to fully relax and unwind and helps you focus longer when you return to work. Plus, other research has found that for students, motivation to learn is higher when they are outside instead of in a classroom.

4. Move and work in blocks.

I recently read a blog post by Joel Runyon about a method he calls "workstation popcorn"

The idea is that you set up at various cafés, workspaces, to get chunks of work done throughout the day. Workstation popcorn starts with a clear, thought out to-do list: you create a plan for what you will accomplish at each location so you can immediately jump into those tasks.

Joel breaks up his to-do list into sections--one per café that he plans to visit--and each section into three clear tasks. Once he gets through the group of tasks he has set, he moves on to the next café on his list.

Of course, you can sort out your task list however suits you best, but the important part to note is having a clear finishing point based on your task list rather than the time you will move to a new location. And when you move, cycling or walking is a good way to go, according to Joel:

Use this time to practice your Zen, take a break from your screen, and get some movement into your day. Keep your phone in your pocket, and move. Take a break away from work for at least thirty minutes.

Joel also noted in his post that he has been more productive, more active during the day, and is working fewer hours since he started this process.

5. Check your email first thing. 

This one is fairly counterintuitive; basically everyone says not to check email right away, but I do and find it extremely useful. Here are some ways checking email first helps me to be more productive during the day.

If you work in a remote team, a business trend that is increasingly more common, you'll know what it's like to have half of your team (or more) working while you're asleep. If you need to work closely with others, it's important to check in before you start your workday and make sure you're on the same page as everyone else.

Dealing with important issues first thing helps me make quick decisions about whether my day needs to be adjusted to fit in with what everyone else is doing or whether I can proceed with the tasks I already had planned.

What tips do you have for working smarter?

Source: http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/5-scientifically-proven-ways-to-work-smarter-not-harder-tues.html

I'm just too busy. How do I find more time?

I'm just too busy. How do I find more time?

"I feel like I'm always rushing, always stressed, and still don't have enough time for the things in life that are most important to me.”

“This stresses me out a lot. What can I do?"

Always rushing?  These time management tips can help you to set a new pace.

Many people find themselves too busy these days, which causes stress.  The reasons vary from person to person, but the following are some main ones why people find themselves too busy, along with time management and stress management ideas to help:

It's OK To Say No
Many people end up overscheduling themselves because they feel uncomfortable saying "no" when people ask things of them. This may be because they don't want to admit to themselves that they can't "do it all," or perhaps because they don't want to disappoint others.

Unfortunately, they ultimately disappoint themselves by not having enough time to do what's important to them. Does this apply to you? If so, learning to say no might be a good time management priority. 

Be Clear On Your Priorities
Others become overscheduled because they add activities to their schedules for the wrong reasons, and end up spending their days doing things that don't reflect their values and priorities. Then they find themselves struggling to fit in what's important to them. Necessities like adequate sleep and other healthy habits fall by the wayside. Is this you?

To find out, make a list of what's most important to you. List things like family, friends and career. Then look at how you spend your days. See how much time goes to these things. Is it a good match, or are you spending an inordinate amount of time doing things that aren't as important to you? It's never too late to make changes.

Map It Out
A common time management trap many people fall into is that they don't know where their time goes, or they overestimate the amount of time they have available and underestimate the amount of time each activity takes to complete, and become overcommitted.

How many times have you found yourself adding new activities to your schedule when you don't really know how you'll find the time to do them? If you remember several such instances, you may need to keep a careful schedule, writing down everything you do. Don't agree to new activities until you've found a way to pencil them in, overestimating the amount of time you think it will take to complete them.

Manage Money Wisely
It's become increasingly common for people to work more than they'd like because finances demand it. Many people are working longer hours and even more than one job. Do you find that you're working hard to pay the bills, and when you're not working, you're still worrying about money?

Do you know where your money goes? To get out from under debt and financial woes, you need a plan that involves spending less, saving, paying off debt, and possibly earning more (not by working more but by getting paid what you're worth).

Stay Organized
In addition to keeping an organized schedule, as mentioned above, it's important to maintain an organised home. Most people don't realize how much time and money are sucked up (not to mention stress created) by living in an environment where things are difficult to find and relaxation is a challenge.   
                                                                    
To Thine Own Self Be True
Knowing yourself well can also help you to avoid getting overwhelmed. How? For one thing, by knowing your limitations, you avoid taking on too much. For example, if you know you're not the best manager of people, you can avoid putting yourself in a position where you'll be asked to do management-type tasks, saving yourself stress and the extra time and energy it would take to learn to do this better.

Also, if you constantly put yourself in a position of taking on more than you can handle, take an honest look inward to help you figure out what's behind this. That way, you can stop.