Member-only story
This mindful productivity tool has given me my time back
Monitoring my working hours has made me more mindful of my time, more productive, and left me with more free time each day.
I am a bit of a productivity freak. I obsess over ways that I can optimize my work flow to get more done in less time. I know I’m not the only one.
My job as a scientist requires a lot of deep thinking, writing, and problem solving and is bound by high expectations from colleagues, and mostly myself. All these, coupled with my perfectionist tendencies, can lead to serious bouts of stress.
In the last five years, I have hit this wall of stress head on many times. I have been pummeled with insomnia and daytime jitters that leave me feeling anxious and unproductive.
If you’re like me, you may have found yourself battling the relaxation begets stress paradox. When I am stressed, I know I need to take more time to relax. But, when I spend too much time relaxing, I feel like I am taking away from my productive time. Not getting anything done when I am relaxing can, actually, make me feel more stressed.
Maybe it’s all in my head, but this paradox can be all consuming at times. I know I need to relax and rest, but I also have a million things to do. Taking a break seems counterproductive even when I know I need it.
