How to quit the cycle of feeling bad from social media
How to quit the cycle of feeling bad from social media

Niamh Ennis

This spacious five-bedroom Cork City home is on the market for €1.1million
This spacious five-bedroom Cork City home is on the market for €1.1million

IMAGE

Lough Eske Castle: Five-star luxury meets laid-back leisure at this Donegal retreat
Lough Eske Castle: Five-star luxury meets laid-back leisure at this Donegal retreat

Sarah Gill

Tornant House: This extraordinary Wicklow home is on the market for €950,000
Tornant House: This extraordinary Wicklow home is on the market for €950,000

Sarah Gill

MOTHER co-founders Lisa Connell and Cormac Cashman on Cultúr Club 2024
MOTHER co-founders Lisa Connell and Cormac Cashman on Cultúr Club 2024

Sarah Gill

Supper Club: Smoked monkfish with Parma ham and rosemary
Supper Club: Smoked monkfish with Parma ham and rosemary

Meg Walker

With incredible coastal views, this future-proofed Howth home makes the most of its spectacular location
With incredible coastal views, this future-proofed Howth home makes the most of its spectacular location

Megan Burns

Birkenstock Bostons: How to style the fashion set’s favourite clogs
Birkenstock Bostons: How to style the fashion set’s favourite clogs

Sarah Finnan

This Stillorgan semi-d was transformed into a luxurious oasis by a travel-loving couple
This Stillorgan semi-d was transformed into a luxurious oasis by a travel-loving couple

Katie Byrne

This former industrial premises in Dublin 12 has been turned into a family home with two workspaces
This former industrial premises in Dublin 12 has been turned into a family home with...

IMAGE Interiors & Living

Image / Agenda / Business

To-do list stressing you out? This simple task will improve your productivity


By Jennifer McShane
23rd Jun 2022

Upset mother forced to work from home as the pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19) forces many employees to work from home. Real people. Copy space

To-do list stressing you out? This simple task will improve your productivity

Photograph: Getty Images

Being truly productive during the working day has little to do with multi-tasking.

I used to think I thrived on multi-tasking. Having a massive to-do list, with so many boxes to tick, so many deadlines to fill in a day; it brought out the best in me in terms of my productivity. That’s what I thought when I started my current job. At first, I pushed past the warning signs; multi-tasking was inherent in me and I was good at it. Six months in, however, I was worn out.

With so many task lists, I was frazzled, exhausted and unhappy. I was getting items ticked off, but each task only left me with 20 more to do. Stress mounted. So, I had to take a step back. I couldn’t make drastic changes to my schedule, but I could start small.

Single-tasking

So, I decided to start taking things one day at a time. And it was one of the most effective small changes I’ve ever made. Productivity experts call this ‘single-tasking’ and it’s an approach that has been proven to reduce stress, increase productivity, and improve focus and decision-making as well as keeping your brain healthy. It wasn’t easy to kick my multi-tasking habit, especially as for so long it has been seen as the modern way to get things done.

However, the good thing is, single-tasking is now viewed as the ultimate productivity tool, forcing you to focus on the task at hand to the exclusion of everything else.

It takes a concerted effort to leave the chaotic addiction of multi-tasking behind, but the benefits are immediate. It will increase your creativity, energy and focus throughout the working day. And if you’re still struggling to get the hang of it, here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Give your brain some downtime. You will be more productive if, several times a day, you step away from mentally challenging tasks for three to five minutes. And we mean completely step away — a “communication break,” so to speak. Taking a break will help make room for your next inspired idea because a halt in constant thinking slows the mind’s rhythms to allow more innovative “aha” moments.
  • Focus deeply, without distraction. Silence your phone, turn off your email and try to perform just one task at a time. Start with 15-minute intervals and work your way up to longer periods if this is tough. Giving your full attention to the project at hand will increase accuracy, innovation and speed.
  • Make a to-do list. Then identify your top two priorities for the day and make sure they are accomplished above all else. Giving the most important tasks your brain’s prime time will make you feel more productive.

This article was originally published in April 2021.