Oh, the irony of technology: It's as much of a time-suck as a time-saver, at least at work. In a recent CareerBuilder poll, employers cited e-mail, social media, and cell-phone calls—along with classic distractions like gossip and meetings—as frequent focus zappers.
More irony? Thanks to a still-recovering economy, most of us are already short on time, with mega workloads as the norm. But, says Maura Thomas, chief productivity trainer at RegainYourTime.com, "it's also true that, in my experience, most people are 'busy' all day but get very little of the important stuff done." (Um, who, us?) Let these expert tricks prevent time wasters from hijacking your day—or your job.
• Free up your mornings.
Check your e-mail first thing to make sure you're not missing a last-minute meeting or a crucial bit of news that transpired overnight. Then go sans Outlook for the next 90 minutes. "This starts your day in a proactive, rather than reactive, way," says Julie Morgenstern, productivity expert and author of Never Check E-mail in the Morning.
• Outsmart your computer.
If your screen is the Vegas strip, then new-message pop-ups are its neon signs. Change your e-mail settings to nix the constant flashes. "It's pretty safe to say that at any given moment, you have new mail—so why do you need the flash?" says Thomas. Ditto with the endless beeps: Dial down the sound when you need to focus.
INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA
• Save it for later.
Do your Facebook breaks regularly deteriorate into an hour of link clicking (damn you, BuzzFeed!)? Download an app like Pocket to your computer or phone: It lets you save news articles and quizzes to one place, then automatically syncs to all of your devices so you can read them later.
• Choose an offline reward.
Promising yourself a treat when you complete a task can amp motivation, but a Twitter scroll shouldn't be your goodie. "You don't get the benefit of a break since leisure computer time uses the same part of your brain as work computer time," says Thomas. Instead, take a quick walk or get that macchiato you've been craving.
• Try "Tabless Thursdays."
James Hamblin, M.D., a writer for The Atlantic, preaches the gospel of Internet single-tasking once a week. His rule: To open another site, he must close the one he's on—a trick he says forces him to focus. He's not wrong; research shows that people who tackle one thing at a time are more efficient and better decision makers than those juggling several to-dos at once.
• Cock-block yourself.
If you're addicted to social media (guilty as charged!), install an anti-distraction program like Cold Turkey, LeechBlock, or Anti-Social, which should bar you from the sites that attract you the most.
YOUR PHONE
• Get some distance.
Leave your phone in your bag or in a drawer. If it takes effort to check it, you're less likely to pick it up for every little ping. (One point for laziness!)
• Keep your favorite apps off the home screen.
You were just checking your weather app when, oh hey, Candy Crush Saga! A quick game won't hurt, right? Axe temptation so it can't lure you. Don't worry—now that you're a productivity machine, you'll have plenty of time to play Kim Kardashian: Hollywood when you get home.
COWORKERS
• Disappear.
On deadline? Book a conference room or empty office for yourself, or hunker down in a nearby diner and bang that project out.
• Sign out.
During the hour or two each day when you're most in the zone, hang a "Do Not Disturb" note outside your door. Bonus: By designating a regular uninterrupted work period, you'll train your brain to think more deeply and efficiently during that time every day, says Morgenstern. No door? A plant or stack of books create a visual barrier, so others can't make eye contact with you easily.
• Do gossip—a little.
Though employers in the CareerBuilder poll blamed the office grapevine as a slack-off mainstay, Dutch researchers found gossip can actually improve workplace efficiency by helping ID which colleagues shirk responsibility. But don't dish too often, or you'll be the one workmates say isn't pulling her weight.
MEETINGS
• Stand up.
Seriously: Research shows that seated meetings are, on average, 34 percent longer than no-chairs-allowed ones, likely because people get sick of being on their feet, says Holly Liu, chief of staff at interactive entertainment company Kabam, which has a daily standing meeting. Even if your boss isn't game, keep your duff off the chair during job-related chats with coworkers: A study found groups who work together while on their feet are more engaged than they are seated.
• Flip your phone.
Shane Atchison, CEO of creative agency Possible, turns off notifications and blatantly puts his phone facedown on the table at the start of a meeting. Often, others follow his lead. "When everyone is engaged in the conversation, you're more productive and the meeting is shorter," he says. (Worried about missing an urgent call? Set a special ringtone for people who might contact you in an emergency—just keep the ringer on low and only answer for that tone.)
• Manage your meetings.
When your boss calls an all-hands get-together, you're stuck, but if a coworker is having a vague, hour-long status pow-wow, ask to see an agenda in advance so you can be prepared. "If they don't have one, it's going to be a huge waste of your time," says Carson Tate, a managing partner at Working Simply Inc. Offer to provide input or notes by e-mail instead if your opinion is necessary.
More from Women's Health:
The Surprising Secret to Success
4 Steps to Ignite Your Creativity
Manage Your Online Reputation: What Your Resume Can't Hide
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