7 Ways To Tame Your Mind And Boost Productivity

Did you know that our minds are capable of producing up to 100,000 thoughts every day? With our on-the-go lifestyles our brain is exposed to seven times more stimuli than our ancestors.

We wake up to our smart phones, try to reply to the emails, check the notifications and try to scan the headlines even before our workday starts. Working hours are longer, we have to deal with traffic jams, the social commitments and what not.

It is natural to be distracted, as our mind is constantly jumping from one thought to the other especially when you are in an open-relationship. This makes us lose concentration, we are often distracted and there is just too much clutter in our heads all the time.

Buddha described such a mind as monkey mind, which jumps from one thought to the other, just like an excited monkey jumps from one branch to the other without any focus.

This often results in mitigating our productivity throughout the day. Here is a list of some very simple things that you can do to tame your mind and give a boost to your productivity throughout the day.

1. Create And Check Your To-Do List

Most of the workplace distraction is caused by the things left to be done and unfinished tasks. It is always a good idea to work on a to-do-list at the end of the working day, or before going to bed so you are well prepared for the next day.

Create the list by prioritizing the tasks and which tasks would you like to take on in the first half and which you might want to leave for later.

It is also a good idea to take a look at this list and check against the achieved tasks, it sort of calms you down knowing that you have already achieved this much. You can always add new tasks as they come up during the day and organize this list later.

2. Silence All Notifications

Our smartphones and tablets are a big convenience, but they happen to be the biggest source of distraction as well. With all our email accounts, facebook, Whatsapp, LinkedIn and what not all installed on our phones it is impossible to avoid that buzz, ping or ring.

It is a good idea to put all those on mute for an hour or so, when you absolutely want to concentrate on something. It is impossible for most of us to be in that zone, and what if there is an emergency.

The latest version of iOS and Android lollipop both have exceptions for favorite and repeated callers. So if your boss wants you in his room, don’t worry your phone will let you know it’s the boss calling.

3. Keep Your Workspace Clean

A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind, period! It is easier to get distracted if you have files, notes or memos lying everywhere.

Now you might keep some things around as a reminder of something that needs to be taken care of, but do it so in an organized way.

I usually have papers or quick notes which I keep, but they are part of my ‘organized mess’ folder as I like to call it. A clean workplace or desk helps you to focus and concentrate better.

4. Change Your Environment

Sometimes sitting in a cubicle or your desk can even make you lose your concentration. For some of us even smelling the coffee gives us that buzz.

If your work allows you take your laptop and notes and enjoy the hum of a coffee shop away from the hustle and bustle of your office, do it. If you prefer you may even go to a park.

If you work from home, sometimes even changing the rooms can do the trick. So next time you feel a dip in your productivity try hitting your nearest coffee shop and trust us, you will be buckling down your to-do-list in a flash.

5. Get A Breath Of Fresh Air

Sitting crammed behind your desk for long hours does not only have negative effects on your physical health but your mind also goes into inferior productivity mode.

The stuffy air in your office also slows you down, so it is a good idea to get up from your desk every hour and go out and take a breath of fresh air to give your productivity a boost.

If that is not possible at least extend your limbs and walk around the office. Once you come back from this five minute break you will feel much better and will be able to get back to work with a new zeal.

6. Meditate

Most of us are unaware of the benefits of meditating. Meditating is not about focusing but actually about losing focus and giving your mind some downtime to refresh and recharge.

Although if you have not meditated before the idea of stopping everything and doing absolutely nothing for 10 minutes might sound very difficult to achieve, but once you master the art of meditating you will realize there is nothing like it.

There are a number of meditation apps available which you can customize to suit your style.

You can try your hands of some guided meditation or simply listen to some Zen music in which you can even add sounds of nature such as raindrop or birds chirping to relax your mind completely.

7. Take A Nap

According to a recent article published in Daily Herald Japanese companies have started to encourage taking power naps at work.

We aren’t too sure how the top management might see this, but taking a short nap of 10-20 minutes can completely relax your mind and give boost retention to all the facts and information which have been encumbering your mind.

A midday rest is more practical if you work from home or have flexible working hours. However, you can try to just sit with your eyes closed and head rested for about 10 minutes, if you have a 9 to 5 job.

You could even try taking your power nap during your lunch hour.

Conclusion

Remember, you can only enhance your productivity when your mind is at peace. The health of your mind directly affects your productivity throughout the day.

To improve the health of your mind you need to give it occasional downtime. Creating new habits is never easy, but if you start making these small changes, you will see the health of your mind and productivity enhanced in no time.