This Time Management Routine Will Make You Fitter, Happier and More Productive.

How to maximize efficiency in the work-from-home era.

In a world where most of us are working from home, the round-the clock-pressures of work are beginning to feel increasingly persistent.

Perhaps its due to the fact that there is little else to do besides work during lockdown, or because technology now allows us to always be connected, but in the last year I’ve felt like my work emails never stop.

When my bedroom is my office, living room and sleeping space, it can end up feeling like the working day never truly ends.

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In light of these increased working hours, one thing that has taken a hit is my daily exercise. I find myself repeating the classic excuse of ‘I want to exercise, but I just don’t have the time’.

This results in a perpetuating cycle; where my lethargy impacts my productivity, which means I work longer to make up the reduced efficiency. This leaves no time for exercise, which makes me feel sluggish, and so the cycle continues.

However, in the last few weeks I have stumbled upon a habit which has not only boosted my productivity at work, but allowed for me to get some daily movement into my routine.

Last year I read an article in the New York Times, which laid out a time management routine which breaks your time into 25 minute working chunks with 5 minute breaks. This system is known as the Pomodoro technique.

I played around with this method every now and then but I was never able to stick to it for longer than a day, and even then I found it very rarely effective.

However, recently I’ve adapted the method to suit my personal situation and now I’m more efficient in work than I ever have been.

My system is like this:

1) I divide my working day into eight individual 1-hour chunks. 50 minutes of work, 10 minute break.

2) At the end of the 50 minute work block, I MUST get out of my chair and do 20 push-ups and 20 sit-ups.

3) My phone must not be used at all during the 50-minute work period.

Only once the exercises are done I can use my phone or start any amount of “break time” activity.

There are several reasons why I think this system allows me to be at my most efficient.

Firstly, by ensuring that I’m completing the physical task I’ve set to bridge the gap between work and reward, I ensure that I’m not completely sedentary all day.

The human body is not built to sit in a chair all day. Mitigating this has been proven to have huge health and longevity benefits, and one which I notice from a personal viewpoint boosts my mood and my energy.

The pre-frontal cortex region of our brain is in charge of our key cognitive abilities. However, its also the most sensitive to stress.

Increased stress levels have been shown to “inhibit activity in the brain areas involved in goal-seeking and executive function”. These short bursts of exercise help reduce stress levels, allowing me to keep my creativity to a maximum and procrastination to a minimum.

Secondly, by breaking my working day into these manageable chunks of 8, the day feels far more structured. I find that for the best results in productivity, I time my 50-minute segments on my watch, which I check regularly. This allows me to keep track of my time spent on tasks and holds me accountable to 100% productivity during those minutes.

Of course, the exercise/activity could be tailored to your personal goals and interest. However, ensuring that you are injecting some movement into your day and get the blood pumping is crucial!

The game has changed. No longer are we shackled to the 9–5 office routine. Working from home has brought myriad opportunities allowing us to maximize our time to suit our needs best. Whilst it may not be appropriate to start doing lunges in the middle of the office, remote working allows for the flexibility to incorporate more regular movement into the day and achieve maximum productivity (Just make sure you’ve got your webcam off first).