How to stay productive if the schedule changes all the time

At first glance, it may seem that working in a flexible schedule is the limit of dreams. But in fact, an unpredictable schedule often turns around “I felt vulnerable”: freelancers on the stress of self-employment / Guardian stress, the disappearance of boundaries between life and work, and sleepless nights. It requires high skills of self-discipline and self-organization. This can be easily confirmed by freelancers, remote workers, private practitioners and people involved in project work.

Therefore, it is very important to make an adequate schedule for you and find life hacks that will help you feel calm and confident. Here are some ideas on how to do this.

1. Maneuver and switch

But do it in a smart way. Working in multitasking mode looks very tempting, but in reality it does not increase productivity, but, on the contrary, only exhausts you.

Trying to quickly switch from one thing to another, we are only wasting time and effort. After you get distracted — for example, by a new notification — you will need on average This is nuts: It takes nearly 30 minutes to refocus after you get distracted / The Muse 23 minutes to concentrate on the old case again.

But still, switching between tasks can be used effectively, and that's when it's worth doing it.

• If the case can be completed within the next 15 minutes. For example, the customer urgently asks to make edits to the project or answer some questions. Does this task take at least 20-30 minutes? Keep focusing on the current work.
• If the task can be moved to background mode. While you are uploading videos to the hosting or waiting for photos to be processed, you can check your email, post stories on social networks or reply to messages. In this case, you are not distracted, but simply compensate for a small "downtime".
• If two cases involve different processes. For example, one requires the work of the mind, the other requires the work of the hands. While you are shopping, cleaning your house or doing any other mechanical work that does not require mental stress, you can listen to a useful audiobook.

2. Find the "core" in your graph

Even in the most chaotic schedule, there is most likely stability. For example, on some days you go to group gym classes, English lessons or manicure. And in others, you go to the office for a meeting or meet with a regular customer.

Let these cases, clearly tied to a certain time, become a kind of core around which you will build the rest of the schedule.

All you have to do is fill in the gaps with more flexible tasks — and now you have a schedule, not just a chaotic pile of tasks.

This will give you a sense of certainty and stability. In addition, with a more or less constant schedule, you will have more time and spend less time trying to navigate through a variety of messy tasks.

3. Create rituals

Flexible tasks, including personal ones, can also become an important part of the schedule. And if you combine them into groups and tie them to a certain time of day, they will turn into rituals. For example, a morning ritual may consist of exercise, meditation, and keeping a diary — as in Hal Elrod's acclaimed book "The Magic of the Morning." And in the evening you can add reading, eye exercises, a bath with fragrant oils, grooming procedures and so on.

Rituals help to structure the day and divide it into blocks, bring a sense of stability, set you up for work. And they also improve Why routines are good for your health / Piedmont Healthcare sleep.

4. Maintain a working attitude

For those who work outside the home, this is easier: the very environment of the office or office is conducive to work. But freelancers and remoters can find it very difficult to tune in to complete tasks. There is always a temptation to lie on the couch for a couple of days or, conversely, forget to "leave" work and relieve tension.

To prevent this from happening, try to separate work and household chores.

For example, deal with work issues only up to a strictly defined hour and on certain days — as it would be with a constant schedule. And be sure to allocate a work area at home: sitting on the sofa, where you usually watch TV shows, it will be difficult to tune in to the case.

5. Sleep during the day

Especially if you don't get enough sleep at night due to an unstable schedule. A short nap — from 10 to 90 minutes — refreshes, helps to restore strength, and energizes. The duration of such a rest will have to be determined independently, based on your own feelings.

And in general: do not forget to rest and take breaks every 25-45 minutes. Otherwise, you risk losing concentration and work will be unproductive.

6. Keep personal matters a priority

With a regular schedule, work takes up strictly allotted time for it — for example, from 10:00 to 18:00. And when the schedule is unstable, she tries to absorb 16 hours a day. If not all 24. And personal affairs and projects are often shelved with the caveat "I will do it when I'm done with work." But this happy moment never comes.

Therefore, try to act from the opposite. First of all, take time for personal matters — sports, self-education, creativity or blogging. And only then proceed to the main tasks. This way you will learn how to do the same job in less time and get rid of the feeling that life is passing you by, and you do not have time to do what is important to you.