{"id":8374,"date":"2018-06-14T14:19:27","date_gmt":"2018-06-14T14:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/?p=8374"},"modified":"2018-06-14T14:19:27","modified_gmt":"2018-06-14T14:19:27","slug":"avoiding-modern-work-cycle-pitfalls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/avoiding-modern-work-cycle-pitfalls\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoiding Pitfalls of the Modern Work Cycle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ever sat down at your desk for an entire day and by 6:00 p.m. feel like you accomplished nothing? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nine hours went by, and you feel more behind than when the day began. What the heck happened!? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe you spent all that time lost in a daydream you couldn&#8217;t remember. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps you accomplished so many things throughout the day that upon quittin\u2019 time, you didn\u2019t have the mental resources to compute the work onslaught that just took place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or was it that you failed to prioritize your tasks, used every incoming email, push notification or new initiative thrown at you to distract yourself from the initial task at hand, as a result spending most of the day bouncing from tab to tab, email thread to email thread, and only getting a marginal amount of work done on something that wasn\u2019t even your main priority? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56%; position: relative;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"giphy-embed\" style=\"position: absolute;\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/nzFhajbsYJhDO\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It might be tough to admit, but acknowledgment <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the first step to solving any problem. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The digital economy continually demands our attention and from every angle. To feel bogged down is understandable. But for many people, it\u2019s not just a barrage of distractions and a sense of being unproductive that are the issues; we\u2019re &#8220;working&#8221; more than ever, some of us never really \u201cclocking out\u201d mentally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Patrick Leddin points out in his post on <\/span><span style=\"color: #3daca7;\"><a style=\"color: #3daca7;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/3-problems-plaguing-productivity-might-killing-you-leddin-ph-d-\/?trk=eml-email_feed_ecosystem_digest_01-recommended_articles-14-PBYN&amp;midToken=AQF0QDz_NA0B_Q&amp;fromEmail=fromEmail&amp;ut=2bq_9B1wgZoog1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">today&#8217;s productivity issues<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, our always-on work cycle is leading to poor diets, a lack of exercise and inadequate sleep. These are not job issues; they are life issues!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"d\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-8422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/victoria-heath-597279-unsplash-1024x612.jpg\" alt=\"Lady working on her MacBook Pro in bed at night, the laptop glow filling the room. \" width=\"800\" height=\"478\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s obvious this has to change. But, what can be done\u2014particularly in a digital economy that champions workaholics yet mandates the hours at which we\u2019re supposed to be productive?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Prioritize Instead of Multi-Task<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you didn&#8217;t hear, the multi-tasking fad is over. It\u2019s hurting our productivity and leading to more error-prone work. According to the <\/span><span style=\"color: #3daca7;\"><a style=\"color: #3daca7;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.apa.org\/research\/action\/multitask.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American Psychological Association<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, even brief mental blocks caused by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone\u2019s productive time. Yikes!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to do we stop our bad habits? We need to simplify our work life. Prioritizing our most important task and working on it in a blocked-off amount of time puts us in the best mental position to succeed. Some use the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pomodoro_Technique\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #3daca7;\">Pomodoro Technique<\/span><\/a>, consisting of 25-minute focused work increments. Experiment with what works best for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Take Breaks<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking regular breaks, going for a walk without your cell phone or even getting in a short nap, can all help us to regain clarity and focus in our work, says Daniel Pink, author of \u201cWhen: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing\u201d in an\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #3daca7;\"><a style=\"color: #3daca7;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2018\/01\/17\/578666036\/daniel-pinks-when-shows-the-importance-of-timing-throughout-life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NPR Interview<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> earlier this year. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&#8217;s an excerpt from the interview for motivational context:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Because human beings are not inexhaustible supplies of energy. We need that recharge. And it actually ends up being really important . . . the whole idea of breaks I think, especially in the United States where we have this sort of, you know, puritanical tradition of work where you power through, where you don&#8217;t relent is counter to the science . . . one of the things that I&#8217;ve discovered and in fact changed my own behavior on is that my view always was amateurs take breaks; professionals don&#8217;t. And it&#8217;s the exact opposite. Professionals take breaks. Amateurs don&#8217;t. Breaks are part of performance. They&#8217;re not a deviation from performance.&#8221;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-8424\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/rawpixel-284730-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Office worker stretches his arms high and smiles after being productive and earning himself a much-deserved break. \" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" \/><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focusing our undivided attention on one task at a time and taking breaks to keep our minds fresh go a long way toward avoiding common work cycle pitfalls. If we can feel positive about our work behavior and get more done in the process, maybe we&#8217;ll leave the office with a sense of accomplishment. And<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0instead of retreating to safe zones like takeout and television, we&#8217;ll be more likely to exercise for an hour, prepare a healthier meal and lie down to rest with a clear mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Find Your Zen Anywhere\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>At HotelsByDay, we can help you find some zen during the workday. That\u2019s why we created <span style=\"color: #3daca7;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #3daca7;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.napbyday.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NapByDay<\/a><\/strong><\/span> \u2014 an easy way for you to find a nice hotel to take a quick (or extended) nap. Bonus: many of these quick nap hotels have fitness rooms. After a nice siesta, you can get your heart rate up, shower in luxury and be back to your best mental self.<\/p>\n<p>Once you find a space that suits you, book a <strong><span style=\"color: #3daca7;\"><a style=\"color: #3daca7;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/en\">nap hotel room<\/a><\/span><\/strong> and leave this vicious modern work cycle behind you!<\/p>\n<p><em>Image Credits:<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Featured image: <span style=\"color: #3daca7;\"><a style=\"color: #3daca7;\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/1K9T5YiZ2WU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;Full Focus&#8221;<\/a><\/span> by <span style=\"color: #3daca7;\"><a style=\"color: #3daca7;\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@punttim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tim Gouw<\/a><\/span> via Unsplash<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3daca7;\"><a style=\"color: #3daca7;\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/MAGAXAYq_NE?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;The Luxury Trap&#8221;<\/a><\/span> by\u00a0<span style=\"color: #3daca7;\"><a style=\"color: #3daca7;\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@vheath\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Victoria Heath<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3daca7;\"><a style=\"color: #3daca7;\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/PG3NsaGpY3s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;Well-Deserved Break&#8221;<\/a><\/span>\u00a0by\u00a0<span style=\"color: #3daca7;\"><a style=\"color: #3daca7;\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@rawpixel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">rawpixel<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7409\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-d\u2019e\u0301cran-2017-10-13-a\u0300-15.47.22-15-1024x168.png\" alt=\"Person lying comfortably on their side in bed. \" width=\"540\" height=\"88\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever sat down at your desk for an entire day and by 6:00 p.m. feel like you accomplished nothing? Nine hours went by, and you feel more behind than when the day began. What the heck happened!? Maybe you spent all that time lost in a daydream you couldn&#8217;t remember. Perhaps you accomplished so many [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":10373,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[11,97,234,323,669,675,681,735,784,822,961,1081,1083],"class_list":["post-8374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-when-the-scientific-secrets-of-perfect-timing","tag-breaks","tag-daniel-pink","tag-energy","tag-multi-tasking","tag-nap-hotels","tag-napbyday","tag-npr","tag-patrick-leddin","tag-productivity","tag-stress","tag-work","tag-work-health"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Pitfalls-modern-workforce.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8374"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8374\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsbyday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}