Create Obstacles for Better Productivity

If you’re looking for productive things to do, why on earth would you inconvenience yourself?

When it comes to productivity in the workplace, sometimes it’s the (apparently) unproductive things that will help you make the most of your day. Is this counterintuitive? Utterly. Does it work? Yes it does. February 22 is Inconvenience Yourself Day, so give it a go and enjoy yourself.

Why do unproductive things give you a productive day?

Remember, productivity is the antonym of the word busy. They have opposite meanings. Cramming more work into the day by avoiding breaks and/or working longer hours doesn’t make you more productive, it just makes you more tired and more likely to make bad decisions.

Want to accomplish things? You need a rested, refreshed brain. One that’s had time to recharge. The human brain is not a computer. Many people think they’re the same, but in fact there are important differences. Your computer can work in its 14th hour straight without losing performance, but your brain can’t. 

The computer can go for hours on end doing mathematical or logical tasks, but the human brain can’t. The computer can multitask, but the human brain can’t. There are obviously more differences, but these are some of the more important ones when you’re trying to squeeze the most out of your day without working harder or for more hours.

It’s counterintuitive, but you get more done when you take breaks during the day as well as doing other “unproductive” things after work at night and in the morning before work. Brain breaks allow your brain to recharge, and they allow you to recharge emotionally by doing things you enjoy or that nourish you in some way.

Inconveniencing yourself is a great time management tool

OK, maybe now you think I’m nuts. And maybe I am (yeah, OK, I am, but that’s not relevant here.) But when you understand that taking time away from work – sharpening the saw, as Simon Sinek describes – promotes productivity in the workplace, then you might see where I’m going with this. 

One of the best ways to recharge your brain is to get more movement in your productive day. One of the double-edged swords of modern culture is that we’ve made life a lot more convenient.

You can recline in your vehicle weighing thousands of pounds and by making teeny little movements of your hands and feet can guide this massive vehicle into a paved lot for massive vehicles located in front of a giant marketplace where you can get everything you need for daily living: food, toilet paper, vitamins, school supplies, gardening tools, clothing, and medications. You can maneuver your giant vehicle so close to this giant marketplace that you barely set foot on the paved surface before you’re in the store.

In the last century, although driving definitely got you places faster, there was some physical exertion required. Steering wheels used to be a lot bigger and before power-assisted steering you actually had to use some force to turn the wheel. And you had three pedals for your feet to deal with (clutch, gas, brake) instead of just two.

And of course you can skip even the inconvenience of leaving your comfy chair (because NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!) or setting foot outside your home. You can push a few buttons on your screen and have all the necessities delivered. 

You can have a comfy chair in front of your desk and spend all day on your computer with snacks and drinks right by your side, never having to get up except to go to the bathroom.

Turns out, of course, all this convenience is bad. Sitting around all day is bad for your physical health, and no physical movement is bad for emotional, mental, and physical health. It’s bad for your brain, which means it’s bad for productivity.

Which leads us back to the idea of inconveniencing yourself. Just as you can engineer your environment to reduce distractions, you can engineer it so you have to get movement periodically. Getting away from the desk promotes a more productive day because you recharge your brain as well. 

Instead of plopping down with a 40-oz thermos, fill up a glass and go into the kitchen to get more water when you run out. (You might need to set a timer to help you remember to do this, so try setting it for 50 minutes which is about the limit a brain can do focused work.) Take a stretch break while you’re at it.

When you’re at the giant marketplace, park farther away from the entrance. (This is safer to do when it’s daylight or someone’s with you.) If you’re at a building with elevators, inconvenience yourself by taking the stairs. Go up as fast as you can and it’s practically a HIIT workout. If you’ve got stores within walking distance, walk to them instead of driving if you can. (I go to the grocery store with my backpack on my morning walk most of the time.)

Inconveniencing yourself usually means more movement, which means more blood flow to your brain. It helps you think better and more easily remove the waste products that can build up in cells.

Recap

There are many unproductive things that will actually help you have a more productive day when you’re back to work. Inconveniencing yourself helps you move more and your brain recharge.