Zen productivity

What to do if there are a lot of things to do, and you are overtaken by anxiety and procrastination? Some effective ways to increase your productivity.

I had a lot to do this morning. When I woke up and started thinking about all this work ahead, I immediately felt a growing anxiety.

Instead of starting to work, I watched my condition. This is an interesting sensation of increasing panic and adrenaline rushing from the chest. My mind wandered erratically, my heartbeat quickening.

Sometimes this happens to me - there is a feeling that there is a lot to do, and I start to worry. I have learned to cope with it, so that when this feeling first appears, I already have a belief that everything will be okay.

And this in turn helps to get rid of anxiety.

What do you do when you are depressed and there are a lot of things to do?

Below are the ways that are effective for me. I am presenting them in the hope that they will help you too.

1. Trust in the moment. Anxiety is usually fear (or multiple fears) about the future, which, in principle, does not bode well. But in reality it is a lack of faith in the future. We do not believe that everything will work out. And I came to the conclusion, based on my experience, that the root cause of this is lack of faith in the present. If “today” is not attractive enough for us, if we are dissatisfied with ourselves at the present time, then we will fail in the future as well. But in doing so, I learned that virtually nothing bad will happen to me in the future if I consistently apply my principles here in the present. Therefore, I trust the present and believe that everything will work out. Try this: Take a look at the current moment. Look around, look inside yourself. In principle, this moment is favorable. If this were not the case, then you would probably be in the ambulance, and not read this article. If this moment is favorable, then the next moment will probably be the same, as well as the next. We tend to picture a terrible future in our minds when it doesn't actually happen.

2. Meditate for a few minutes. Ironically, when we have a lot to do, it's best not to rush to work. I have found that taking a few minutes to meditate really helps me get back to the present moment, which turns out to be beautiful. Instead of focusing all the time on the future, I can focus on the present moment, on myself and my breathing, and this allows me to calmly focus on my business. Just sit for 3 minutes, pay attention to your breathing, to your body, to the sounds around you. Continue to refer to these things in the present as your mind wanders.

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3. Make a short list. When you have a lot of work, it is too stressful. But to be honest, I realized that I can't do everything at the same time. I can't even do two things at the same time. I can only concentrate on one task at a time (although I can switch from one task to another, it is ineffective). So I have to focus on what is most important. The best way to accomplish this is to make a short list of the most important things I need to do. What will make the biggest difference today? Not just semi-urgent emails, but the tasks that are most important to my life and career. This usually boils down to three things a day, although check five tasks if you can't limit yourself to three. This is the list that I concentrate on in the first place. I can do other things later.

4. Single-tasking. I work most effectively when I pick one important task and really focus on it. When I switch between different tasks, I don't make much progress. And the most important tasks fade into the background, as they require more concentration than constant switching allows. However, constant switching can be productive if you are doing secondary tasks, and not the most important ones. So instead, I concentrate entirely on one important task. Sometimes other things can distract my attention, but that's okay if it can't be avoided. You cannot control every moment (or any single moment, perhaps). But I am fully engaged in the current task, to the best of my ability, without switching to other things.

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5. Determine the meaning and purpose. Before starting a new task, I pause. I ask myself, "Is this the most important task I need to do now?" To do this, I ask myself the question: "What is the goal I pursue with this task?" Which means why am I doing this? What do I hope to achieve by this? What is my motivation? It helps me understand the purpose of the task and keeps me motivated when the difficulty arises. Often the goal is expressed as “Helping my readers with a problem,” which is great when tackling this task. This reason is much better than “Because it's on my to-do list” or “Because I got an email asking you to do this.” I can complete a task in any way, but with a firm intention, I am more focused and motivated.

6. Imagine that you have already achieved your goal. Often we strive to achieve our goal faster, without ceasing to move towards our goal. But where are we going? Will we be happier when we reach our goal? Is this new place better than where we are already? I realized that no, not at all better. Where we are now is already the best place. This moment is as good as wherever we are striving. We have already reached our goal. Therefore, I smile and appreciate the present moment, and this makes the current task not the next step to something better, but something significant in itself.

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As we progress through many tasks, they accumulate in our head as we complete them according to our list. These things wandering around in our head cost us dearly, causing stress and confusion in our thoughts. Therefore, by letting go of past and future tasks and focusing only on the current task, we can be less stressed and burdened throughout the day.

8. Free yourself from trying to complete your list or empty your inbox. This is what strains me all the time. Trying to finish my task list. An attempt was made to process all incoming emails. These are all meaningless goals. There is always a certain number of new letters in your e-mail, tasks on your list. What happens if you end your day with a blank list or three tasks? It won't change your life. Letting go of these abstract goals that are not really helping you means you are relieving stress. Therefore, I practice this release and leave for tomorrow some tasks unfulfilled and some letters unread. These are the methods that I am trying to apply. I don’t always use them correctly and often do the wrong things. But when I think about these methods, my day is much better, I am more focused, and my stress levels are greatly reduced.