How to achieve the flow state, and more productive

Every day we receive many notifications that we are constantly distracted and reduce productivity. Try to disable them. This does not mean that you are completely cease to communicate with others. You'll just do it on their own terms, in your own rhythm. This will help you get into the flow state.

Why is it important

Remember, as usual passes your work day. Four hours of hard work, lunch and four more hours of work? Unlikely. Rather, much as - coffee, e-mail, coffee, meeting, coffee, lunch with colleagues, coffee, and then just a job. What do we have? It remains only about two hours for continuous operation, the remaining six, we are constantly on something distracting.

And during those two hours we must have time to warm up, get down to work and enter at the same flow state, which they say many psychologists.

If your work requires at least as something creative, you will achieve the best results just in a state of flux. Of course, it can also be achieved in an open office, armed with a noise-canceling headphones. But it is much easier to do it in a calm quiet environment where you will not distracting.

Switching from one task to another does not pass in vain. Even a simple SMS with plans for dinner can distract and negate everything for which you have worked. This is confirmed by various researchers stephen Monsell. Task Switching. , Including Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi), author of the theory of flow.

But employers often somehow ignore that information. They continue to put their employees in noisy open office. Continue to hold endless meetings. Expects that staff will immediately respond to messages. As well with all this time to do anything?

1. Turn off notifications

Consider whether you are so important to find out in a minute's true that there was a new podcast? Or that each layknul your picture yesterday? Is not it better to disable these alerts? After all, if there is any important matter, you receive a call.

In addition, when people know that you are responsible for the day and not the next ten minutes, they begin to formulate more specific questions. No more "You're not busy?" And "Can I ask you?".

2. Cherish the time, avoiding unnecessary meetings

Spend a little experiment at the next meeting. Write down all the questions raised, which could not be solved by e-mail. Yes, as some of these issues surely find it. But was it worth it because they spend those 30 or 60 minutes, you could be held immediately at work?

If someone can not explain what he want from you in a letter, it is unlikely that it is better to come in person.

The next time someone asks you to meet to discuss a question, try to approach the situation differently. For example, like this:

You: "What did you want to discuss?"
Interlocutor: answer.
You: "What do you think about this?"
Interlocutor: answer.

You can now express their own opinion on the matter. Sometimes you have to just the approval, and a simple "good" will suffice.

That's all. You avoid unnecessary meetings and save time.

Of course, some might be offended because of what you do not want to meet them in person. Be polite and patient, tell him that you are happy to answer all of their questions by mail.

Time - the most precious thing you have. Take care of it. Do not let others thoughtlessly you take it.

3. Ask for a separate office

Yes, it is not always possible, but it's worth it.

Our productivity is increased by 13% when we work individually, not in a noisy office. If you do not have the opportunity to work from home, or you just like the atmosphere at work, try to ask for a separate office.

This can be done when you next time to discuss with the authorities their successes or salary increase.