Tips: Boost Productivity and Be More Present

We all want to be more present where we are and we want to be more productive. It sounds good until you start to do it. Then it becomes a challenge.

Do not fret. I can help. Outlined below are a few ways, I stay present and more productive by turning off the distractions and turning on my presence.

1. Use Time Blockers

I use a few different time blockers on my work computer and my phone. This gives me a chance to recognize a negative behavior and turn it into a positive one.

Leechblock

Leechblock is a Firefox extension that lets you set your predetermined time on websites to keep you from accessing them. Right now, on my work computer, I have LinkedIn and Facebook set to only let me access for 10 mins per hour. That means I need to have 50 minutes for work. Being a Millennial, surfing the web is a bad habit that’s been ingrained into my every fiber of being. Leechblock is fully customizable for time, websites, and other accessibility modes to make you the most productive you’ve ever been

Phone Apps

Additionally, to Leechblock, I use my phone to limit my screen time. As an iPhone user if you go into your settings, you’ll find “Screen time” and you can use the setting in there to limit your apps to a duration and a time. At 7pm my phone goes into “focus mode” where my apps do not appear on the screen. I can still search for the and use them but my lock screen goes black and my app pages disappear. This helps to be more present even if my phone is around.

2. Put your phone in another room

I tried to use this method but I got away from it. I am slowly going back to it. Putting the phone in another room is great for the “out of sight, out of mind” people. I know if I have access to my phone, I’ll use it. That gravitational force keeps my phone on my hip or in my hand constantly. I need to get better to keep it at bay.

3. Pomodoro Method

I have yet to try this in full, but I’ve done some variations of it. It’s almost like a tabata or HIIT training method but for productivity. It’s 25 mins of true work and 5 mins off. This give you 50 mins of solid work with 10 mins of rest. It’s truly amazing what you can get done in 25 mins without interruptions. The reason why I have done it, is I can help interruptions at any given time. Phone, Co-workers, looking out the window… It’s hard for me to have 25 mins of true work. But as I write these blog posts, it is as close as I can get. I can set the time aside and hammer down and work. Then when I finish I get a break.

I hope you enjoyed this short primer on being more productive and more present. What do you use to be more productive? How do you become more present? Let me know in the comments!

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