Creating a Focused Mindset in Open Office Settings

I was diagnosed with ADD at 8 years old. I have 8 brain hacks that keep me highly-productive in office: 1. Noise-cancelling headphones ALWAYS (i.e. silence) I am highly sensitive to noise. If a pen drops, someone coughs, a coffee machine is turned on…you name it. I lose my train of thought and it breaks my laser focus. If I need to get something done, I NEED to have headphones on otherwise the task easily takes 40% longer (yes, I timed it lol). 2. Uninterrupted (no yapping) work time This is a follow-up to point # 1. I block my calendar so I can have silent headphone-only working time in order to get projects done. I am a yapper, I love to chat, and I can easily get pulled into a 100 different directions unless I have uninterrupted working time on the schedule. 3. Sit in the same place at the office When at the office, having a comfortable environment where I’m confronted with the SAME distractions every day helps me tune them out. Changing locations, changing desks means new noises, new people… you get it. 4. Sit around the most productive people This is the grown-up equivalent of sitting at the front of the classroom. Being around productivity helps improve my own. 5. Phone on “Do not disturb” ALWAYS I want to control when I look at my notifications, and keeping my phone on DND (unless for specific people like family, my partner) keeps me hyper-focused. Oftentimes I forget about my phone until I’m ready to take a break from whatever task I’m working on. 6. All major “to-dos” must be done before lunch Mornings = highly productive. I plan all of my absolute musts before lunch because it works in hyper speed before my first meal of the day. 7. Multiple screens Flipping through a million tabs = distractions. I need at LEAST two screens (at home I have 3) so I don’t have hundreds of tabs open, get overstimulated, then lose productivity. 8. Jewellery, rings, or something to keep in my hands I have a very rich inner world (🤣) and during long meetings, keeping my hands busy stops my mind from wondering. While also a fashion choice, having something to fidget with like my rings helps keep me locked in. I used to feel embarrassed about things like this, but my ADD and I are very good friends. Now that, over the course of (nearly) 31 years, I’ve learned how to manage it, I have turned in into a superpower. Because I had to compensate for other skills growing up, my emotional maturity skyrocketed at a very young age which has turned me into a great manager: ✨I’m a fantastic listener and communicator (i.e. how big sister was born). ✨ I am very comfortable with big feelings. Being different is a gift. What are some of your BEST productivity brain hacks?

"A quick call can turn into a long fall from productivity" Anyone who has ever been in the middle of a productive flow state and been interrupted by a "quick call" knows the feeling. One moment you're in the zone, cranking out work and feeling unstoppable. The next, you're on a call that could have been an email, and your momentum is completely gone. It takes time to recover from the context switch. This image captures the reality of context switching. In the expectation column, we see a straight line representing uninterrupted productivity. In the reality column, we see a sharp drop-off after the "quick call" interruption, followed by a slow and painful climb back to productivity. To minimize the cost of context switching: - Communicate expectations: Clearly outline your availability and preferences for communication. There are cases where jumping on a call is the right option and times when alternatives may be perfectly fine. This helps manage expectations and reduces unexpected interruptions. - Master the art of asynchronous communication: Opt for email or messaging for less urgent matters. This allows you to respond when it's convenient without disrupting your workflow. Especially when you can respond to an ask faster using text than alternatives, consider it. - Schedule focused work blocks: Dedicate (actually) uninterrupted time for deep work. Use tools or techniques like the Pomodoro Technique and switching off notifications to optimize these blocks. Use your best judgement for how often you need to check if you missed something important. By implementing these strategies, you can significantly reduce the impact of interruptions and reclaim your productivity. Illustrated by Ash Lamb who is always worth a follow #motivation #productivity #mindset