One of the problems people have is figuring out how to be more productive. And with cell phones, emails, the Internet, and instant messaging, it’s easy to lose focus at work or home.
So in this article I wanted to show you 3 quick tips to help you combat the ‘negative’ effects of technology that many of us fall victim to.
In 2006, Microsoft research conducted a study to try to find out how long it takes for people to return to a task when they’re interrupted by an email or an instant message.
The results were not encouraging.
While the average “task recovery” time was pegged at 15 minutes, more than a quarter of the subjects didn’t return to the task at hand for two hours.
Dr. Eric Horvitz, the principal researcher for and the study’s co-author revealed: “We found that people, once interrupted, take the opportunity to do other things, like check more email. Or go to news or sports pages.”
Moreover, Horvitz adds, when people do finally start working again, they don’t reach their earlier level of concentration for 10 more minutes. Thus, the total time lost as a result of an email or instant messenger distraction is 30 minutes. The disturbing verdict: That’s the best case scenario.
Psychiatrist Dr. Ned Hallowell of the Hallowell Center concurs with the findings of the Microsoft Research study and suggests the following moves to keep you focused and help you become as productive as you can be:
1. Make your mornings count.
Hallowell points out that when people have a “morning burst.” This means they have a rush of energy and a sharper focus. So, as Hallowell advises, do about 60 to 90 minutes of work before you check your email or go online or turn on the TV. He adds: “We should all be ruthless about shielding [this time] from all distractions.”
2. Control yourself.
Instead of checking your email every hour, instead check it once in the morning and once in the evening. Or try checking it at only 2 or 3 specific times each day. You should also be just as disciplined with your instant messenger, and use of the Internet.
Learning to ignore disruptions and distractions is crucial to your productivity since it takes so long to get back on track once you’ve been interrupted.
3. Use Your Time Wisely.
Evaluate your Internet surfing habits and Television habits and come clean about how much time you spend doing these things. Chances are you can cut several hours a week from your Internet and TV time to be more productive doing something else, like accomplishing your New Year’s Resolutions.
The bottom line is you want to use technology, but not be a slave to it. I’ve heard several experts say that distractions are the number one reason why people having a hard time achieving their goals and being as successful as they’d like.
Don’t let that be you!
Have a great day,
Dr. Chris Van Wyk
Van Wyk Chiropractic
