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5 Lazy Ways to Get More Work Done
- March 1, 2021
- Posted by: Funmilola Sanya
- Category: Productivity
Most times we are so consumed with getting results that we forget the factors that are responsible to achieve those results. You admire the people you look up to who are making waves in their fields: the CEOs, Founders, Entrepreneurs, and the established businessmen and women. You see their accomplishments, read about them, and want to be like them, but what you don’t see behind-the-scenes are the habits responsible for their high achievements.
If you are tired of listening to motivational speakers go on and on with their speeches about how you can be productive, leaving you bereft of practical ways to help you get the work done, then you’re in luck, as this article will teach you simple ways – that most people think are lazy – that can influence your productivity.
Considers these 5 lazy ways:
Getting enough sleep
We can’t talk enough about how the lack of sleep is the main factor responsible for poorer performance and productivity, not to even talk of the health damages it causes.
Sleeping well leads to working efficiently, which in turn leads to achieving great results. Most motivational speakers will tell you that to get the work done, you have to be awake as early as 5 or 4.30 in the morning. But what if that is when you are at the peak of your sleep?
Our bodies vary, and it will do you well to know how much sleeping time – especially at night – is needed for your body, mind, and brain to be refreshed and be alert when you wake up. Don’t be fooled into thinking that lazy people sleep. Sleeping is a productive activity, so get enough sleep.
Saying “No”
Have you noticed that some folks are always busy, yet they produce no results?
Being busy all the time isn’t a sign of productivity; neither does being productive suggest you are doing the most – barely having time to do the things you love.
You should not take more tasks when you’ve barely completed the ones on your desk. It is right to say no to demands that drain you and make you look busy all the time.
Take long walks
You can walk your way to higher productivity, here’s how: walking – even if it’s a 5 minutes stroll with a colleague, during your lunch break – is a form of exercise that will make you make you more energetic compared to when you sit all day; will put you in a better mood which opens the free flow of creative ideas; can heighten your abilities to focus longer according to a cognition study conducted by Alejandro Lleras, a psychology professor in the University of Illinois.
Popular innovators like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jack Dorsey are known for conducting long “walking meetings” with their colleagues to provoke the best creative ideas. Get walking!
Interact
Most times, socialisations are seen as distractions or signs of slacking in the workplace, but then, no one was made to figure it out all alone by themselves. Most times, it is in interacting with your colleagues that you get solutions to a problem you’ve been battling with for some time.
You can’t think on your own and still be able to come up with ideas all by yourself. It is a hard thing to do. Sometimes, all you need is a chat to help you clear your mind and think better.
Don’t be an island.
Take a nap
Sometimes, you won’t be able to get the perfect sleep at night, and you’ll find yourself battling to stay awake during work. We strongly urge you to take a nap, as not even the biggest cup of coffee would come to your rescue. Some benefits of napping:
- Improves and boosts working memory; retaining information five-fold.
- Improves creativity, just like a good night’s sleep will do.
- Reduces stress and anxiety.
A nap shouldn’t be more than 30 minutes, else you might fall into a deep sleep and wake up feeling groggy – which might result in time loss.
These activities: Sleeping, saying “no”, taking long walks, interacting, and napping – actually look lazy, but they’ve been proven to be effective in helping you get the work done.
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Featured image: istockphoto