Comments on: Preventing Overwork http://tools-for-thought.com/2008/05/14/preventing-overwork/ Thinking beyond productivity Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:54:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Andre Kibbe http://tools-for-thought.com/2008/05/14/preventing-overwork/#comment-224 Andre Kibbe Thu, 22 May 2008 05:14:58 +0000 http://tools-for-thought.com/2008/05/14/preventing-overwork/#comment-224 Closing an open loop, even a small one, releases energy. Given a small window of time, like 10 minutes, I'd much rather <i>complete</i> a low-priority task than chip away at a high-priority one that will take hours. Every incompletion is a claim on our attention, regardless of importance, so the fewer you have, the more focus you have available for the tasks that remain. Unfortunately that's counterintuive. Conventional wisdom tell us to spend our time on the Most Important Task. Closing an open loop, even a small one, releases energy. Given a small window of time, like 10 minutes, I’d much rather complete a low-priority task than chip away at a high-priority one that will take hours. Every incompletion is a claim on our attention, regardless of importance, so the fewer you have, the more focus you have available for the tasks that remain. Unfortunately that’s counterintuive. Conventional wisdom tell us to spend our time on the Most Important Task.

]]> By: August Sturm http://tools-for-thought.com/2008/05/14/preventing-overwork/#comment-223 August Sturm Wed, 21 May 2008 20:25:36 +0000 http://tools-for-thought.com/2008/05/14/preventing-overwork/#comment-223 I like to do something that I call 'productive procrastination'. When there is something overwhelming, say a deadline is coming and you know you will be up all night, I tend to take 5 minutes to 30 doing something that can be completed. Like clearing out the old file cabinet... it helps get one of the things "off the plate" and give me the sense of accomplishment, albeit minimal. So, somehow it gives me energy to achieve those larger "should be working on 24/7" goals. I like to do something that I call ‘productive procrastination’.

When there is something overwhelming, say a deadline is coming and you know you will be up all night, I tend to take 5 minutes to 30 doing something that can be completed. Like clearing out the old file cabinet… it helps get one of the things “off the plate” and give me the sense of accomplishment, albeit minimal.

So, somehow it gives me energy to achieve those larger “should be working on 24/7″ goals.

]]> By: Vered - MomGrind http://tools-for-thought.com/2008/05/14/preventing-overwork/#comment-192 Vered - MomGrind Wed, 14 May 2008 15:39:48 +0000 http://tools-for-thought.com/2008/05/14/preventing-overwork/#comment-192 "Take more breaks. Taking breaks means disengaging, not task switching. Breaks mean not checking email, watching TV, catching up on RSS feeds. The object is to liberate attention, not reroute it. A break can entail sitting back in a chair for two minutes, meditating for 10 minutes or taking a nap for 20 minutes." Taking breaks is counter-intuitive, isn't it? You feel that you are wasting time if you take a short nap in the middle of the day. But you are correct, that it actually boosts productivity and prevents burnout. Also glad that you emphasized that taking a break does not mean switching between tasks, which seriously tasks our brains and lowers our output. “Take more breaks. Taking breaks means disengaging, not task switching. Breaks mean not checking email, watching TV, catching up on RSS feeds. The object is to liberate attention, not reroute it. A break can entail sitting back in a chair for two minutes, meditating for 10 minutes or taking a nap for 20 minutes.”

Taking breaks is counter-intuitive, isn’t it? You feel that you are wasting time if you take a short nap in the middle of the day. But you are correct, that it actually boosts productivity and prevents burnout.

Also glad that you emphasized that taking a break does not mean switching between tasks, which seriously tasks our brains and lowers our output.

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