Strategies For Time Management In Lab Settings

"You can do six-to-eight 1-hour long research sessions in a day, can't you?" 😳 There is a prevailing misconception that research "work" is the part where the researcher is actively with a participant and therefore we should have 6-8 hours of that in a row for it to be considered a full day of research. This of course overlooks things like the need to reset the room, back-up any recording, send or check for confirmation emails, etc. (go to the bathroom...). But aside from the logistics of running a research project there's another very important reason to add buffer time between sessions. Memory. There is a plethora of data out there showing the importance of downtime for the brain to create memories. I'll link a recent one in the comments - please feel free to share others. If a person is bouncing from interview to interview (not to mention frantically resetting the room in between) they are not remembering key details or, critically, distinctions. All the sessions run together. Your researcher is your instrument of data collection and you have to keep your instrument sharp and calibrated. For the brain, that means downtime. Downtime looks like: time not spent cleaning up notes, not spent resetting the room, not spent debriefing the team, and not spent running to grab more water - all things that still need to happen. The report I refer to notes "even a few minutes of rest with eyes closed" as beneficial. You don't necessarily need this few minutes of closed eye time after every session - but if you haven't allotted for it, it won't ever happen at all. My max is 5 sessions per day, if they are 60 minutes long each, with 30 minutes in between, if the sessions are all located in the same space - so not an ethnographic or contextual inquiry. This between-session time lets me reliably get through resetting the room, chatting highlights to the team, doing my per-participant summarization, and then every few sessions just sitting on my own (versus the other between-session time where I'm taking care of the needs related to having a human body). The return on this more nuanced, and I'd argue faster, analysis and excellent recall when addressing stakeholder questions - as well as a more stable Kelly. 🙂 ❓Do you have similar maximum session numbers for you or your team? ❓How do you ensure that there is ample time for memory making? ❓How else do you protect your data-collection instrument? #UXresearch #experienceresearch #researchmanagment #researchops

tried something new with my schedule last month that completely changed how i work... thought i'd share in case it helps anyone else who's drowning in meetings and deadlines 👇 so i noticed i was constantly tired by 3pm even though i was drinking enough water and getting decent sleep. turns out there's actual science behind this - our brains have about 4-5 hours of genuine focus available per day. that's it. instead of fighting this, i completely reorganized how i structure time at ova solutions: • first 90 minutes of my day: no slack, no email i work on one complex medical design problem before my brain gets fragmented. neuroscience calls this "cognitive momentum" - once you start deep work, it's easier to stay in flow • switched all my meetings to 25 or 50 minutes instead of 30/60 the stanford research on this is fascinating - even tiny breaks between cognitive tasks improve performance by 30% those 5-10 minute gaps let my brain actually transition • stopped multitasking entirely during important design reviews there's solid research showing context switching costs us 40% of productive time now my team knows when i'm looking at prototypes, my notifications are off completely • introduced what i call "decision minimalism" - wearing basically the same outfit each day, eating similar breakfasts, taking the same route to our office sounds boring but decision fatigue is real... saving those mental resources for the complex medical devices we're creating • started tracking my energy, not just my time discovered i can handle complex FDA compliance problems until about 2pm, then my brain needs creative or collaborative work after that working with your natural cognitive rhythms is game-changing the weirdest part? by working with my brain's natural limitations rather than pretending i can focus for 10 hours straight, we've actually accelerated three major projects this quarter what's something counterintuitive you've tried that made your workday better? genuinely curious what works for other people in product development... #timemanagement #productivity #medtech #worklifebalance

You don’t need more hours. You need better systems. Time isn’t the problem, attention is. These 6 time management strategies have helped me regain control, reduce burnout, and actually finish what matters. Here’s how to use them (plus how to start 👇): 1) Conduct a Time Audit Most people don’t need more time, they need more clarity on where it’s going. How to start: Track how you spend each hour for 2–3 days Group tasks into categories (work, admin, distraction, etc.) Spot time leaks and areas to optimize 2) Focus on One Thing at a Time Multitasking feels productive, but it lowers your output and increases errors. How to start: Choose one task and set a timer (e.g., 25 or 50 minutes) Turn off notifications and close unused tabs Don’t switch until the timer ends 3) Give Yourself a Reward Motivation increases when there’s a small win at the finish line. How to start: Set a reward tied to task completion (coffee break, walk, snack) Keep it small but satisfying Don’t skip the reward even for easy tasks 4) Use Apps to Block Distractions Your brain craves stimulation. Removing temptation boosts focus without willpower. How to start: Try apps like Freedom, Cold Turkey, or Forest Block distracting sites during work windows Set boundaries for phone use during deep work 5) Time Block Your Calendar What gets scheduled gets done. Time blocks turn intention into execution. How to start: Plan your day the night before Block 60–90 min chunks for deep work Include buffer time and breaks to avoid burnout 6) Set Clear Daily Priorities If everything is important, nothing is. Prioritization saves hours of indecision. How to start: Identify your top 1–3 priorities each morning Tackle them before checking email or messages Review your list at day’s end to track progress You don’t need to master all 6. Start with one. Build from there. ✨ Small shifts create major clarity.