As the world continuously plunges into an abyss of sadness and chaos, some are becoming more and more despondent to the situation around us. However, life goes on, and it still demands our attention always. How do we then stay productive in a time that is filled with all kinds of unrest and fear? You might plan to start your university study or march on with your existing Masters/PhD project. There are still a few things that you can do to stay just a little productive without throwing away everything in the current environment.
Try the Pomodoro Technique.
If you are easily distracted or unmotivated, the Pomodoro Technique is the go-to method to structure your time and focus. The technique is relatively simple: identify the task you need to do – writing the introduction to your research paper; finishing the referencing section of your assignment; writing an abstract etc. Once you have your task selected, allocate 25 minutes to it. Work on it until the 25 minutes timer is up. Then you can award yourself a short 3-5 minute break. Rinse and repeat for another 3 more sets of 25 minutes (with 3-5 minute break in between sets). Once you have completed 4 sets of 25 minute blocks, you can then award yourself with a more extended break, typically around 15-30 minutes.
I am so using the longer break to eat ice-cream and watch a short youtube video just so that we are all clear.
A kitchen timer is great for this technique!
Tackle your worst nightmare first, then pick off the not so nightmarish ones after.
Ever heard the saying that it is so low that you can only go up from here? Use the same mentality to tackle difficult tasks first thing at the start of your day. For example: write abstract > replying emails; edit your reference list > thinking what to have for breakfast. Do the task that your brain hates the most, and the rest of your day can’t get any worst.
It’s all about priorities!
Move your workspace/zone somewhere else.
We are creatures of comfort. Who doesn’t like familiarity and predictability, especially in the current mess of a situation that we are in? However, getting too comfortable also signals complacency. Complacency also leads to a lack of productivity. How about pick up your laptop or your documents and move to a lovely park near you when the weather is good? Or go to a cafe where they serve super delicious bagels that you can eat while doing your assignment or research write-up? A change of environment also means a slight bump of productivity – well, most of the time anyway (if you get distracted by delicious bagels that might be a problem).
Take your pick.
Have a plan. Stick to it. At least fake it till you make it.
If you are like me, who is easily distracted by a million small tasks at hand, you might want to sit down and draft up a simple plan. It can be as straight forward as having some goals, a deadline, what you want to achieve, and some checklists to keep you on track. Having an attack plan is better than stabbing in the dark.
Finally, although slightly contradicting, it is OK to be NOT productive in a time like this.
We’ve been taught to be super productive all of our lives; if you are not, you are considered lazy and unworthy of a bright future. Although the situation now is quite different. We’re worried about our safety, health, mental wellbeing and many more. It can be super exhausting and taxing on our ability to concentrate, let alone being productive. I am not telling you to ditch everything together; instead, take a break and don’t guilt-trip yourself. It is fine to have downtime! After a well-deserved break, then you will be ready to take on the world again!