Mindfulness Hacks to Help with Productivity

There seems to be a bit of misunderstanding regarding mindfulness and productivity. A lot of people see the two as polar opposites. You’ve got monks on one end, sitting around on a mountaintop and doing nothing. And then there are the businessmen, hustling all around the big cities — always on the move.

But the truth is that there is no conflict between mindfulness and productivity. The two can certainly go hand-in-hand. Below are three quick ways that mindfulness can improve your productivity and help you achieve a greater sense of balance as well as achievement.

First, Stop Working

So many people, working themselves to exhaustion, while not nearly as productive as they’d like. In many cases, they’re simply distracted. As you already know, mindfulness is the cure for distraction.

Learning to focus on where you are and what you are doing is key. Many busy people never really get a chance to rest because they’re always thinking about work when they’re supposed to be resting, and vice versa.

From now on, leave your work at the office when you head home every day. You can’t be at your best tomorrow if you don’t allow your mind and body to rest today. Take some time to just be where you are.

When it’s your day off, focus on your family. Give them your attention and not just your physical presence. Enjoy time with your friends. Throw yourself into your chores, your home improvement projects, and your hobbies.

Then, when Monday rolls back around, you’ll have a lot more energy and ability to concentrate on the tasks at hand.

Ditch Multitasking for Deep Dives

Multitasking is a mindfulness killer. You’re barely aware of what you’re doing because your mind is juggling half a dozen other projects simultaneously.

This is not the path to productivity and progress. A better approach is to go all in on a single task. If you could only accomplish one task today at work, what would it be?

Once you are aware of your highest priority for the day, get to work on that task. Close the door, turn off your phone and take a deep breath. Then dive into that work and don’t come back up for air until it is complete. Well, actually, do a deep dive into work for 30-40 minutes then take a 10-minute break. If you do this in controlled segments you will get a lot done. Here is a time management app that you may find helpful to set alerts, prevent notifications, and more >>>RescueTime<<<

Use Technology to Improve Awareness

This one might sound a little out of place, but technology can actually help increase your mindfulness. In the same way that a meditation teacher at a retreat might ring a bell on occasion to draw your attention and focus, you can use phone apps or even just a simple alarm to help you find your center every hour.

Do you like to work with music in the background? Here is an app specifically made to increase focus so you can work better >>>Focus@Will<<<

The next time you find yourself struggling to achieve a balance between your work and personal life, use these simple mindfulness techniques and apps to help you rest when it’s time to rest and to work when it’s time to work. Your productivity will improve in direct proportion to your sense of balance and rest in other areas of your life.

Need a few productivity hacks? See this blog post >>>Productivity Hacks to Help You Get More Done<<<

Interested in being more productive and finishing your projects more quickly? There’s a great planner for that >>>Daily Greatness<<<

Curious about mindfulness meditation? Get your beginner guide here >>>Discover the Power of Mindfulness Meditation<<<

This article brought to you by MindfulPortal, offering mindful living tips for busy people.