Day Twenty Eight - Wildcard
We know from elite sports that you don’t win a gold medal by training 10 hours a day with little or no breaks.
A greater likelihood of podium finish comes from training in defined blocks and recovering well to consolidate the hard work. It’s the same with knowledge work, if we want to perform at our peak, then we need to make sure we have a break between work-life and other life.
Pre COVID-19 this was easier. On a good day, we simply packed up at the end of our day at work, left the physical workplace, and transitioned to our other life on our commute. The physical separation between work and homemade it easier to disconnect. In my case, I usually avoided the temptation to scroll through Instagram by reading a book on the bus which made the transition to home life more manageable. Obviously, this is a little more difficult when working from home as there is no physical barrier between work and home.
So how can we create a better balance?
Daybreaking. Its counterintuitive but more regular breaks during the day will help focus, attention & performance (sometimes called productivity). Consider the Pomodoro techniques to help break your day into defined ‘sprints’ with regular breaks1.
Define hours of work. This is tricky I know but consider how many hours you can work and still be productive ie add up how many hours you need for recovery (wellness, sleep duration, family, hobbies, etc). Set expectations and share this with your team, so they know your boundaries or set a default 8.30-5.30pm?
Tomorrow's actions. Five minutes before your defined end of work, create a daily habit of writing all the actions in play and those outstanding on a list. According to David Allen (Getting things done), the key to success is the action and the immediate next step.
Digitally disconnect. Resting your brain is key to knowledge work performance. Disconnect from your phone and other electronic devices at least 45 minutes before bed. Invoke the no phone in bedroom rule and get a good book. Reading is shown to reduce stress by up to 68% (backlit e-reader is okay)
Get outside. Spending time outside not only resets your circadian rhythms that help sleep but also improves your ability to concentrate. Studies of nature restorative theory showed those people who spent time in nature daily performed up to 20% better on tasks.
Daily reflection. End each day by reflecting on what went well or what you are grateful for. Gratitude (or worry) diary is good for this.
Everyone is different and works in a different way, but I have found the above helpful to perform at our best. Let me know if these work for you also.
References
1. Focus keeper app
Further reading
Read – End of work routine www.calnewport.com & How to leave work at work hbr.org
Watch – How to be a better human ideas.ted.com
Listen – The value of deep work the art of manliness
** Disclaimer – Part of the Build Your Ideal Day Program – 30 Day challenge by Duncan Young. All content and media on the Build Your Ideal Day Website is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice.
