Episode 310
Setting up your deep work environment
And welcome to The Travelling introvert. Today is almost a second part to talking about deep work. I've talked about why deep work is really important, especially for introverts. But now I want to talk about strategies to help you be able to do that deep work. And deep work refers to the ability to just focus on one task, to concentrate intensely on a cognitive demanding task without distraction and interruption, allowing you to produce high quality work in less time. In the context of self development, deep work is a highly valuable skill to cultivate and use on a regular basis. When you learn to focus intensely on essential tasks, you become more efficient and effective in reaching your goals. But deep work is also about creating an atmosphere that can help you focus on that one task. And to do this, it's crucial to turn off possible distractions like social media, email, phone notifications, that a thing. But also avoid things that might take away your attention like pets, kids, and spouses. Breaking your tasks into smaller parts and setting goals will help you finish your work quickly. In addition to improving productivity, deep work leads to personal growth and development.
When you engage in deep work, you challenge your mind and expand your knowledge and skills. Achieving deep work is an essential skill that maximizes productivity and focuses on the most critical tasks. Although, don't get me wrong, it's not always easy to get into the zone and that deep flow and focus intensely on a single task. But the more often you do it, the easier you find it. And setting yourself up for success is really important. You can't just be like, I'm going to do some deep work today. Setting the environment to help you do so is hugely important. And so I want to talk about some of the things that I've done that might help. Schedule uninterrupted blocks of time. And I know that might be easier said than done. But one of the best ways to help you achieve deep work is by scheduling uninterrupted blocks of time to do it. Block off a certain amount of time on your calendar. It could be 30 minutes. No one says it has to be 18 hours. That's a lot of time. But block off a certain amount of time on your calendarand commit to focusing on a specific task during that time.
You can set aside 30 minutes, an hour, or several hours depending on the task's requirement. Also, eliminate distractions. Distractions are the enemy of deep work. To achieve deep work, you need to not have phone calls, emails, notifications. There are various ways you can do this. You can turn off your phone. Some people lock their phone in another room, put it on airplane mode, close your email and make sure it doesn't have the notifications that pop up. Some people use noise cancelling headphones if necessary. Tell your family and friends not to interrupt without a good cause. Those are the things you could do. It's really, really important that even though you are doing deep work, that you take breaks. An integral part actually of achieving deep work is by taking breaks. After working for an extended period of time, take a short break to rest your mind, recharge, bio break, hydrate. It could include going for a walk, getting some fresh air, or doing some stretching exercises. But this will help improve what you do overall over time. Don't think that this is, Oh, I have to sit at my desk for four hours. Please do not.
You should get up, take a break, give your eyes a rest at least every 30 to 40 minutes. One other thing is make sure you set a very clear goal. Setting clear goals is really crucial for deep work. Before you start working on a task, take time to set a clear goal and define what it is specifically you want to achieve. And when you're thinking about that, it has to be important that there is an end point. It can't be, work on my website. It should be more like, I want to complete all the copy for the homepage of my website. This will keep you inspired and focused and motivated throughout the tasks. But overall, all I'm talking about is developing better habits. Better habits will help you achieve deep work easier. And this might include creating a consistent morning routine, getting enough sleep, color coding your calendar, having certain days where you do deep work and certain days that you don't. All of these are just better habits to help you work more efficiently and in a way that works for you. Achieving deep work is crucial for maximizing productivity and completing tasks. Focusing on what you are doing and nothing else ensures that you can do the task well and therefore, it comes to get more and in a better way.
Thank you for listening. This is Janice at thecareerintrovert.Com, helping you build your brand and get hired. Have a great rest of your week.
Transcript
And welcome to The Travelling introvert. Today is almost a second part to talking about deep work. I've talked about why deep work is really important, especially for introverts. But now I want to talk about strategies to help you be able to do that deep work. And deep work refers to the ability to just focus on one task, to concentrate intensely on a cognitive demanding task without distraction and interruption, allowing you to produce high quality work in less time. In the context of self development, deep work is a highly valuable skill to cultivate and use on a regular basis. When you learn to focus intensely on essential tasks, you become more efficient and effective in reaching your goals. But deep work is also about creating an atmosphere that can help you focus on that one task. And to do this, it's crucial to turn off possible distractions like social media, email, phone notifications, that a thing. But also avoid things that might take away your attention like pets, kids, and spouses. Breaking your tasks into smaller parts and setting goals will help you finish your work quickly. In addition to improving productivity, deep work leads to personal growth and development.
When you engage in deep work, you challenge your mind and expand your knowledge and skills. Achieving deep work is an essential skill that maximizes productivity and focuses on the most critical tasks. Although, don't get me wrong, it's not always easy to get into the zone and that deep flow and focus intensely on a single task. But the more often you do it, the easier you find it. And setting yourself up for success is really important. You can't just be like, I'm going to do some deep work today. Setting the environment to help you do so is hugely important. And so I want to talk about some of the things that I've done that might help. Schedule uninterrupted blocks of time. And I know that might be easier said than done. But one of the best ways to help you achieve deep work is by scheduling uninterrupted blocks of time to do it. Block off a certain amount of time on your calendar. It could be 30 minutes. No one says it has to be 18 hours. That's a lot of time. But block off a certain amount of time on your calendarand commit to focusing on a specific task during that time.
You can set aside 30 minutes, an hour, or several hours depending on the task's requirement. Also, eliminate distractions. Distractions are the enemy of deep work. To achieve deep work, you need to not have phone calls, emails, notifications. There are various ways you can do this. You can turn off your phone. Some people lock their phone in another room, put it on airplane mode, close your email and make sure it doesn't have the notifications that pop up. Some people use noise cancelling headphones if necessary. Tell your family and friends not to interrupt without a good cause. Those are the things you could do. It's really, really important that even though you are doing deep work, that you take breaks. An integral part actually of achieving deep work is by taking breaks. After working for an extended period of time, take a short break to rest your mind, recharge, bio break, hydrate. It could include going for a walk, getting some fresh air, or doing some stretching exercises. But this will help improve what you do overall over time. Don't think that this is, Oh, I have to sit at my desk for four hours. Please do not.
You should get up, take a break, give your eyes a rest at least every 30 to 40 minutes. One other thing is make sure you set a very clear goal. Setting clear goals is really crucial for deep work. Before you start working on a task, take time to set a clear goal and define what it is specifically you want to achieve. And when you're thinking about that, it has to be important that there is an end point. It can't be, work on my website. It should be more like, I want to complete all the copy for the homepage of my website. This will keep you inspired and focused and motivated throughout the tasks. But overall, all I'm talking about is developing better habits. Better habits will help you achieve deep work easier. And this might include creating a consistent morning routine, getting enough sleep, color coding your calendar, having certain days where you do deep work and certain days that you don't. All of these are just better habits to help you work more efficiently and in a way that works for you. Achieving deep work is crucial for maximizing productivity and completing tasks. Focusing on what you are doing and nothing else ensures that you can do the task well and therefore, it comes to get more and in a better way.
Thank you for listening. This is Janice at thecareerintrovert.Com, helping you build your brand and get hired. Have a great rest of your week.
