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If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that the past five years have been a heck of a journey. And while I know the facts and plot points that happened along the way, when I was updating my avatar photo to match the new design, I was struck by how much I've changed since I first started writing here!
It's a little wild, right?
I got married, decided to work for myself and became self employed after nine months of hustling non-stop, was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder & depression (hello, plot twist of the decade!) and learned to manage my symptoms, became a business partner & moved into a studio… and proceeded to overwork myself for two years straight.
Last year I when I started to work from home (love it!!) I realized that I'd been falling into the trap of productivity shaming myself and constantly being overwhelmed. Nothing about how I worked actually felt good!
I needed to take everything I'd learned about taking care of myself through dealing with depression & anxiety, and apply it to how I approached my work.
No big deal, right?
Realizing that I had been a huge source of the friction and discomfort I'd experienced at past jobs was a humbling experience, but it was also one where I started to see a lot of possibility. (Once I got past the sting!)
The motto for how I got things done in my early twenties could have been “grin and bear it”, but when I finally got brave enough to start asking for something better, I realized there was a completely different way to work!
So what is that?
To me, productivity means being able to sit down to work energized and brimming with ideas, getting the most out of every minute you sink into your passions, and making decisions that let you enjoy the experience of what you do.
I've blogged about how I batch my work day and made over my inbox before but if you want to bring more energy to your work and more fun to your life, these are my tips on where to start to make a huge impact, fast:
Opt out of the digital play by play
If you're worried about email it makes sense to see them roll in as they arrive so you know what's waiting for you, right? Unfortunately all those little “dings” and banner notifications have a real cost to your creativity and productivity.
Our brains have a very primitive stress response that can't tell the difference between an email from an upset boss and a hungry bobcat. Every time your inbox notification pops up it interrupts you and spikes your stress response, which triggers your fight or flight instincts and all the brain chemistry that comes with it. On a chemical level your body locks down your higher abilities and puts energy into protecting you from danger… which never comes.
Those stress spikes and recovery periods wear you out over the day, and wastes the precious energy and focus you do have. Even worse? Theres no pay off because no matter how many notifications you get, you're still going to check your email.
Gamify your to do list
I don't like to use food as a reward (because I'm a chocolate monster and that's my danger zone) but when I'm having trouble getting through my inbox or to do list I make an exception! There's little that will make me work with more focus than when I have a little bowl of sour patch kids or M&Ms by my list and give myself a treat every time I reply to an email or check something off my list in under 3 minutes.
Call me Pavlov's dog, but when I get stuck in a habit of procrastinating or putting things off, this can undo those bad habits in an afternoon and get me into a new rhythm.
There is only “Act, Reply, Schedule, Delegate, Decline”
Sometimes we forget that email isn't about sending letters back and forth. For most of us, email actually holds lots of little tasks and research assignments. When you open an email, before you feel overwhelmed consider which categories it falls into: Act, Reply, Schedule, Delegate, Decline.
Without a system like this your inbox is like the Wild West! When you open a new email and anything can happen, from dust and tumbleweeds rolling on by to losing your Red River cart when you try to forge a river! My examples might be based on Oregon Trail, but this tool lets you view your email through a different lens so you can categorize & start taking care of business in no time.
Create a dedicated space outside of email to track what you have to do
Try putting in place a simple system like Google Tasks along side your email. Now you can break your email into actionable items that aren't buried inside paragraphs, add notes for yourself, and link your to do list items to the emails they're married to. That lets you archive things out of your inbox when you've dealt with them, and have them easy to find when a deadline reminder comes back.
Take a note from the inbox zero movement! It's not about getting to zero emails, it's about how much of your mind & energy you want wrapped up in your inbox: none.
To task track, multi platform support is the best way to guarantee you’ll stick with it, so test out a system like ToDoist.com. If you want to qualify for your email black belt, OmniFocus takes time to learn but is worth the effort and investment.
Build a life outside of work that you can’t wait to live.
Variety is the spice of life, sweetheart! No matter how much you love what you do (or how lucky that makes you), there is more to your life than the pace you work at or how focused you are while you do it. Creating a life you adore, slowly over time, makes it easier to wrap things up at a decent time every night, and gives you access to the support you need when things get tough.
Deciding to make things you genuinely look forward to part of your daily life is deeply joyful and rebellious, in the best way. You're tapping into the positivity and possibility that comes from connecting with the part of you that's in the moment and stress free.
Honestly, that makes you more fun to be with and better at anything you set your mind to!
Looking back at all the different “versions” of myself that I've been through the years, I know and love that where I am now is just another stage in the story of my life. It sounds simple, but it's true: listen to your heart, follow your passions and work hard and you can end up in places that you never dreamed of.
And I hope these tips help you get some serious gorgeous work done today, and have fun as soon as you shut down the computer!
What's a habit, strategy or system that you use to save time, and what's one thing you use to reward yourself when you're knocking it out of the park? Tell it to me straight: could you ever kill your email notifications?
LAST UPDATED ON: January 14th, 2014
CATEGORY: All Business & Blogging Posts Productivity for Entrepreneurs
Kyla, so happy I found your blog on bloglovin. I deal with anxiety/depression too, and recently started my blog on it. Thanks for being so open and inspiring!
Glad working at home is working out for you. You’re a creative just like me. Check out my book on creative work; When Talent Isn’t Enough, Business Basics for the Creatively Inclined
Thank you so much, Kyla. This post was encouraging, inspiring, and motivating. It was exactly what I needed to be reminded of. I love the idea of turning off email notifications. I get caught up looking at my phone whenever it lights up and it’s such a distraction!
“Looking back at all the different “versions” of myself that I’ve been through the years, I know and love that where I am now is just another stage in the story of my life. It sounds simple, but it’s true: listen to your heart, follow your passions and work hard and you can end up in places that you never dreamed of.” — this is probably my favorite part of your post, though. Life brings so many challenges and unexpected paths and right now we are all in a stage of life that will only last for a little while before it changes again. We should fully live and enjoy it while following our passions and being kind to others! Thanks, Kyla!
This has nothing to do with the post really. But I love your current hair style. I kind of want it for myself. Growing mine out is getting me no where.
And I have turned off email notifications. ABSOLUTELY. I turned off the badges on my phone as well so I can’t see the number of unread ones in my in box.
I could definitely do without getting notifications about email on my phone. When my current contract is up I’m going back to having a non-smart phone and leaving email-checking for after dinner.
At work I have to get email notifications in real time because some folks use it like others would an IM. Though I see the notification, I’ve learned that I don’t HAVE to check the inbox just because the little envelope is flashing at me.
Excellent post! :) Normally I am able to keep up with my personal emails, but often feel swamped at work. Every morning, I try to put my top 5 “must-do” items on a pretty post-it note (pretty post-it notes are key!!!) and put it on my computer screen. Seeing the post-it keeps me focused. If I get my big things done first, I feel way less overwhelmed. And then I have motivation to tackle the smaller things when I have time once the big things are done. I always reward myself with a new Kindle book :) And/or a big cup of tea!
Oh, I really love that last point. It’s funny, because I keep thinking about that today, about how I’ve cultivated a life I really, really love outside of work. (Though I also love my job, too, which helps!) It’s so true that we have to remember work isn’t the end-all, be-all. We have a full life to pursue!
Something that saves me time is writing a weeklong to-do list for work projects on Friday. This helps me to big-picture what I need to accomplish and break it up into manageable steps throughout the week.
I actually don’t have email notifications on my phone, which I kinda love. I don’t like to check it too often, because I can get bogged down in it.
Yes!! Especially the digital play by play. Over Christmas break I realized I was wasting so much time on Twitter because I would get a notification and then go down the rabbit hole for 30 minutes simply because som
I also got the Day Designer this year and it has been incredible about keeping me on task by setting aside every hour for a specific task and then having a to do list that I can cross off- what is it about to-do lists that crossing things off is sooo gratifying?
And I definitely need to work on the exciting and fun life outside of work…
Watching your blog grow and change over the years has been so much fun. You seem to have really come into your own and found something that makes you extraordinarily happy. Love it.
I am just awful when it comes to checking my email too often. It might be time to work on that. Thanks for the reminder!
My husband I recently set aside time together to figure out what our actually weekly to do list is and schedule it all out on google calendar. We also took the liberty of scheduling other things (eg: quality no technology time together, meal planning, dog walks) I know the idea of having that all on gCal would terrify some people, but it was nice to actually have it written out. Even though it may seem silly that you have to schedule some of those things, I found it was far too easy to sacrifice them to mindless time-suck activities. It’s greatly reduced my anxiety—No longer am I running through a chronic to do list in my head worrying if I’ve forgotten something!
Great post. I know I need to stick to limits on how often I wander over to Facebook and Pinterest… My coaching mentor taught us that we should be in a constant cycle of “play” (which is what work/productivity feels like when you approach it the right way) and rest. Rest until you want to play, then play until you want to rest. Sometimes I think the two can coexist – like in your “build a life you can’t wait to live” step. I love your M&Ms comment too – it’s so important to reward ourselves when we hunker down and get stuff done! :)
I needed this post this week! Thank you!
I’ve found that turning the sound notifications off for both my email accounts on my iPhone really helps keep my anxiety down when I’m out and about – that ‘dinging’ sound IS stressful!! I’ve also taught myself to stop answering work emails after 7:30pm. If it’s an emergency someone can call me.
Lisa.
Great post, Kyla! Breanna Rose, a blogger, recently wrote about how she turned off email notifications for the same reason as you state – it causes so much anxiety. I did it and I can’t tell you what a relief it was. Instead of checking my emails constantly throughout the day, I dedicate an hour or two. This not only helps with stress, but prevents emails from getting lost as I check them on the go.
I started really late in life. I feel like my 20’s were about taking care of things I should have taken care of in my teens. I’m in my (very early) 30’s but I feel like I’m racing to catch up and this is exactly what I needed to hear! I like to reward myself with good reading time. I know if everything is done, I can read, lose myself in a few pages and that’s a luxury for me now. As for email notifications? I would love to permanently, but I do it every now and then when I need to completely unplug.
I LOVE(!) your third point, “act, reply, schedule, delegate or decline”. I have never heard email actions summed up quite so precisely. I immediately wrote that out on a post it and put it next to my laptop so the next time I am staring off into space instead of getting work done I will have a reminder!
I’m glad it was helpful, Bonnie! Using that as a framework to “see” my email through has helped make it feel a lot more manageable.
Love this post, especially as I’ve also struggled with Depression and still struggle with anxiety. Usually I have it under control and then there are days like yesterday, when I didn’t hear back from my boyfriend… First, I just figured he was busy at work. Then I still didn’t hear back from him and it was ok, ok he left his phone at home… but then why didn’t he email me to say that. Then, after awhile longer, he was either dead or dying. Of course he eventually wrote me back and he had just been busy. He kept apologizing last night for making me worry, but I kept explaining that my irrational anxiety is not his fault. Oy.
One thing I like to do at work is keep my email on a delay. I press “send,” but it hangs out in my outbox for 5 minutes before it actually goes. That way when I have that inevitable, “OMG I just pressed send and I’m sure I forgot the attachment/called them the wrong name/misspelled something,” I can check before it actually goes anywhere.
Ooh, I feel you. The one thing that depression & anxiety have taught me is that just because I’m feeling something doesn’t mean that it’s true or real. It’s a really strange separation at first, but because I have anxiety & depression it’s natural to focus on the “why” or what’s causing it… when nothing is causing it! I’ve wasted so much time trying to fix situations or circumstances when what’s causing me distress is almost always my chosen interpretation/reaction.
Now I try, as much as I can, to just let it pass and see how I feel the next day. I have all the time in the world to be anxious (yay! it’s the worst surprise party ever! lol) so if I’m really feeling that way for a reason it will still be there in 2 – 3 days. It’s hard but I treat that part of myself like a drunk 16 year old. I love her, but she just has no sense and won’t stop crying & throwing things! I mostly try to tell her she’s pretty and wait until she tires herself out so I can get back on with my life. ;)
Great ideas, Kyla! I’ve been thinking a lot about this same stuff, too.
One of the best things I ever did for myself was to turn off the email notifications on my phone. It made a HUGE difference in my sanity!
My email notifications are set to manual. The only time I get them is if I physically go into my phones inbox, then they’ll all come crashing in. I’ve had it this way for at least 6 months and it changed my life. I went from checking my email on my phone several times an hour due to the dreaded “email ding” to maybe 2-3 times a day.
Last night I wrote a post about doing less, not more. I’m so focused on productivity all the time that I forget that I have a life to live and that work is not it!
That’s exactly how mine is set up, Aileen. It’s like the email equivalent of a dunk tank, isn’t it? lol Even if you get inundated now and then, not having them coming constantly is a subtle change to how we experience our days that can have a far reaching impact. My theory is that it gives us practice at not being interrupted all the time, which actually makes it easier to concentrate when you want to because you’ve built up that focus muscle.
It is soooo easy to dismiss that last point, but holy moley, it makes all the difference in the world! Since starting aerial training (silks and hoop), I suddenly find that I have even more drive and passion during the day for my business. Saccharine as this sentiment might be, being excited to LIVE LIFE gives everything else a tingle and buzz that just wasn’t there for me before I found a hobby that I was truly passionate about.
Anyway, great list of actions! I’m definitely guilty of making email my to-do list, which is definitely not the most efficient use of my time and energy!
I love that, Chelle. It’s definitely been true in my life too – and we can be on a sugar high from our saccharine worldviews together! ;)
This is a really good post, very helpful thank you :)
Becky x
I reward myself with the occasional macaron, although I do that less lately because I do not love the macarons at the shops in downtown Charlotte – so I will probably go on a macaron binge at the end of February when I am back in Minneapolis. :)
Sometimes I do to save time is meal plan on Sundays. That way I don’t hem and haw on week nights when trying to figure out what to eat!
I don’t think I could ever do away with email notifications! I am such an iPhone addict and am constantly refreshing my email, as bad as that probably is!
I love your Sunday meal planning, it’s something I usually do too but have fallen out of practice with so I added it to my habit tracker to help remind me that I need to get back to! I also apparently need to find local macaroons, because somehow that never occurred to me. Thanks for the great idea ;)