How to be productive in the post covid era

I’m 100% sure that you have already read a lot of topics about productivity and how to apply them in real life, but did you apply what you learned?

Unfortunately, my answer is NO. The abundance of information has, in fact, made things worse for me. Despite reading numerous books and articles, I still struggled with the same issues: lousy time management, poor focus, and procrastination. What truly made a difference was STOPPING the rigid step-by-step approach and instead, filtering practical concepts, adapting them to my personality, and committing to them. While everyone is unique, certain concepts can be considered good patterns.

I’m not a guru of productivity or a scientist, but rather a full-time worker, much like most of you, who is constantly striving to find a balance between work and personal life, and to expand my knowledge. Therefore, this is my view based on my personal experience, which helped me have a healthier and more productive life.

Below are my suggestions. They are very basic and easy to apply. I hope they can be as beneficial to you as they have been for me.

Environment Matters A Lot

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Covid-19 has drastically altered how and where we work. There is a pre-covid era, and post-covid era. While I am a huge advocate for the post-COVID working scenario, not everything is perfect. Hybrid/remote working has reduced transportation stress, time-consuming travelling and noisy coworking spaces. However, the blurred lines between work and personal life led to the development of bad habits and a less-than-ideal working space.

Finding different areas for different tasks has been my salvation. For the first months of remote working, my room was both a working and learning room. Therefore, I had poor working performance and a lot of procrastination issues.

It is easier to associate a new habit with a new context than to build a new habit in the face of competing cues. It can be difficult to go to bed early if you watch television in your bedroom each night. It can be hard to study in the living room without getting distracted if that’s where you always play video games

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits showed me the way. Two separate rooms: one for working and one for studying/playing. The working room is designed to avoid all possible distractions. Remove all the clutters from the desk. Having a clean workspace leads to a clear mind.

Even though I was a bit sceptical initially, my working performance has improved dramatically, and I can focus more deeply when studying. Using multiple rooms is optional, but I highly suggest hiding your console somewhere or using a different PC for working or personal.

I think Those easy steps will help you focus more and establish good habits to follow.

Find good habits and sleep routine

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Changing your environment is a crucial step, but it’s not enough. You must also replace bad habits with good ones.

if you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done.12 Conversely, if you get 1 percent worse each day for one year, you’ll decline nearly down to zero.

Atomic Habits

First of all, I changed my sleep routine. I used to be a night owl, staying up late playing or reading until 2 a.m. . My routine was getting up ten minutes before working and having lunch at my desk. I soon realised that not only was my energy levels close to zero, but even worse, I was incapable of scheduling my day and managing my time well.

Consequently, I forced myself to go to bed earlier and wake up early. Those steps helped me have more energy throughout the day, and waking up an hour before working allowed me to plan my day and fix my scheduling.

Sleep is crucial for both your health and productivity. Strive for a consistent sleep routine and stick to it.

There are plenty of good habits to implement. Try to remove the bed as much as possible, one at a time. Finding a good sleep habit changed my productivity a lot.

Find what you need to eradicate, then replace it step by step.

Take time for yourself

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Society forces us to be consistently productive. Stay on top every time, updated with new technology trends, and work hard to gain what we hope.

But what is the cost of this constant pursuit?

Losing what matters, and, even worse, being inconsistent in what we want to achieve. A good trainer always suggests that you need to rest if want to grow your muscles. The same happens in your life. Working 24/24 doesn’t work and is not healthy. Find time for your hobbies, and spend time with your family and friends.

Those may be obvious, but for me, they were not. When I was younger, I used to have a long period of only studying/or working without any time left for my hobbies or friends. I was depressed and alone. So, I decided not to be so harsh with myself.

Taking time for myself is not a reward, conquered after hard work, but is the key to living a happy life.

Resources

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Those concepts derive from my personal reading of books and articles. I highly suggest reading:

1. Atomic Habits: The most impactful resource for me.
2. Deep work: A guide on how to stay focused and eliminate distractions.
3. Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams": A comprehensive understanding of sleep and its benefits.
4. Getting things done A valuable resource for productivity.

There is also a wealth of information available online and in other valuable books you can explore.

My personal takeaway is to identify the concepts that resonate most with your life and commit to them.