1262: 5 Proven Tips that Will Improve Your Productivity by Alex Sebuliba with Dig to Fly on Pomodoro Technique & Focus Improvement

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[00:00:59] This is Optimal Work Daily Episode 1262, five proven tips that will improve your productivity

[00:01:06] by Alex Subaliba with dig2fly.com. And I'm Dan, I am your host and narrator here on OWD,

[00:01:13] the show that is all about improving your work and productivity. And today, productivity is exactly

[00:01:19] what Alex is going to be talking about so let's get right to it now as we optimize your life.

[00:01:28] Five proven tips that will improve your productivity by Alex Subaliba with dig2fly.com.

[00:01:34] I had just poured myself my third cup of coffee and I realized something very important.

[00:01:40] I remember because as I put the coffee to my lips, I looked up at the clock. It was 11 a.m. on

[00:01:46] the dot. I had accomplished nothing at all. I rebooted my computer, I visited with a few friends,

[00:01:54] I went to a meeting that was canceled at the last minute. Literally nothing was accomplished in two

[00:01:58] and a half hours. Have you ever had a morning like this? Working in a shared or open environment is

[00:02:04] a challenge, it's easy to get distracted or distract a friend. After years of procrastination

[00:02:09] and lack of concentration, I finally took it upon myself to do something about this.

[00:02:14] I set out on a mission to enhance my mental state so that I could improve my focus, productivity,

[00:02:19] and just feel a lot happier at work. I've been working on improving my own concentration for nearly

[00:02:24] a decade. I never look at the clock and think I haven't accomplished anything yet today.

[00:02:29] I've made big strides in my productivity and here is how I did it. One, buy into brain food and drink.

[00:02:37] Avoid the cereal bars and mid-morning chocolate. Foods that are rich in zinc such as pumpkin seeds

[00:02:43] can help fight brain decline and improve thinking skills so go for them instead. Pumpkin seeds are

[00:02:48] a convenient office snack too. I normally pack a small Tupperware pot of mixed seeds which I can

[00:02:54] sprinkle over my morning yogurt or simply snack on while checking emails first thing.

[00:02:58] You might also want to consider bringing in fresh blueberries. Blueberries are packed with vitamin C and

[00:03:04] E and the flavonoids in these berries activate an enzyme that improves the flow of blood to the brain.

[00:03:09] In one office I worked at, fresh fruit was delivered on Fridays for staff to snack on,

[00:03:14] all for free. Who doesn't like fresh snacks? Definitely an incentive to eat healthier.

[00:03:19] Other brain-friendly foods include Omega 3 rich walnuts and oily fish. Omega 3 has been

[00:03:25] shown to boost your mood, prevent cognitive decline, and there's proof that it can even enhance

[00:03:30] your memory. Walnuts might be the preferred choice for the office unless you want to alienate

[00:03:35] colleagues. Fill up on plenty of water as well. My office has a huge water cooler which I'm lucky enough

[00:03:41] to be positioned right next to. Not only is dehydration the number one cause of headaches,

[00:03:46] fresh water has also been proven to help your brain work faster.

[00:03:50] 2. Sit properly. Invest in a decent chair and practice good posture throughout your day.

[00:03:56] Bad posture is not only distracting as it can cause brain fogginess and pain but it is also

[00:04:02] dangerous. The long-term implications of not choosing to invest in a suitable office chair or

[00:04:07] take part in any exercise can mean that you might not even be able to work, let alone have problems

[00:04:12] concentrating in the working environment. Get up and talk to your colleagues as well,

[00:04:17] not only is it better for maintaining professional relationships at work, it gives your back a break

[00:04:21] from the chair. 3. Tune into the right music. Are you allowed to play music in your office?

[00:04:28] My office prohibits music but you can listen to headphones and thank goodness. Certain types of

[00:04:33] music can help aid concentration. Forget your favorite playlist on Spotify and use a recommended

[00:04:39] service such as Focus at Will which lets you tune into music specifically selected to help

[00:04:44] you focus on the task at hand. Choose from channels such as Focus Spa or Optempo

[00:04:49] and engage in scientifically proven music to tune into your brain's limbic system.

[00:04:54] This is the part of your brain that regulates the easily distracted fight or flight mode.

[00:04:59] I now work in an energetic environment. People are always moving and talking to each other

[00:05:04] and this is great but only when you're in that kind of mood too. So what about when you just want

[00:05:08] a zone out and actually get something done? Yeah well head to the headphones and don't feel like

[00:05:14] you're missing out, you've got work to accomplish. 4. Ban Digital Time Suckers

[00:05:20] Facebook is my nemesis. I love it and hate it all at the same time. Time suckers in my opinion

[00:05:27] are any apps, websites or media devices that crave your attention. It's difficult to switch off

[00:05:32] from notifications on your mobile or constantly checking your email account but in order to do your

[00:05:37] best work you need to be able to escape from these time consumers. 5. Work in Chunks

[00:05:44] This is my favorite tip working in chunks and taking breaks. This method of chunking the Pomodoro

[00:05:50] technique has been around since the 1980s. It works by breaking your time into manageable 25-minute

[00:05:56] chunks. Each chunk is called a Pomodoro, Italian for Tomato. After each Pomodoro you take a 5-minute

[00:06:03] break. After 4 Pomodoro's you can take a longer break typically around 20 minutes. So I normally

[00:06:09] check my emails, take a break, work on my biggest project for 2 Pomodoro's then move onto something

[00:06:14] a little lighter. After that I take a longer break before hitting my biggest project again.

[00:06:20] You get to keep motivated and boost your concentration and you get a great excuse to buy a 1980s

[00:06:25] tomato timer. I've been working on improving my concentration in the work environment for almost

[00:06:30] 7 years and at last I feel like I'm finally nailing it but there has been a lot of trial and error

[00:06:36] along the way. Remember, eat right, drink lots of water, sit properly, don't be afraid to zone out

[00:06:42] but not on social media and reward yourself with breaks. After all no employer wants a distracted

[00:06:48] employee or contractor. You just listen to the post titled Five proven tips that will improve

[00:06:58] your productivity by Alex Ceboleba with dig2fly.com. We're driven by this search for better but when

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[00:09:14] any big thank you to Alex for this article he actually wrote this one as a guest writer for digdefly.com

[00:09:20] which is owned and operated by Carl Stabe Carl helps entrepreneurs understand their struggles

[00:09:25] and turn them into stepping stones and he knows something about that from his own personal experience

[00:09:30] because in 2010 Carl was diagnosed with his secular cancer and then was laid off from his job a year

[00:09:35] later and while those were difficult situations he calls them blessings and disguise because since then

[00:09:41] he has stopped doing work that doesn't fit with his passions and instead now focuses on things he

[00:09:46] truly cares about. He's the author of the book bring gratitude and has a lot to offer on his site

[00:09:52] so come by digdefly.com to learn more and I do have that linked in this episode's description for

[00:09:57] you and by the way digdefly means dig deep to fly high Carl also has a podcast of his own you can

[00:10:04] find the digdefly podcast wherever you get your audio and that's going to wrap up another episode

[00:10:10] of optimal work daily I hope you enjoyed it please be back with me tomorrow where your optimal life awaits