20 Bad Habits That Are Making You Less Productive
By lkolowich@hubspot.com (Lindsay Kolowich Cox)
There are a host of bad habits many of us do every day, and research shows these habits really hurt our productivity, especially at work. The more aware we are of how these things are affecting our productivity, the more proactive we can be at taking responsibility for our choices.
In this list, I’ll break down some of the most common examples of bad habits that stifle productivity and some ways you can break them.
Table of Contents
Bad Habits That Are Making You Less Productive
1. Rushing in the morning.
When the morning rush becomes a habit, there can be negative consequences to your sense of well-being and your overall productivity.
Why this habit is bad:
When you start off your day in a frenzied state of mind, you’re not giving your brain any time to decompress, reset, and prepare for the day. Instead, you’re pumping it with adrenaline first thing in the morning, which can cause you to crash later on.
How to break this bad habit:
If your mornings lack time and space to breathe, try waking up 10–30 minutes earlier and starting off with a quick meditation session.
Try the free app Headspace to start: It gives you 10 free guided meditation sessions, with the option of signing up for a monthly subscription.
2. Skipping breakfast.
Whether you blame it on being too rushed (see #1) or just not feeling hungry, eating a well-rounded breakfast just isn’t a priority for a lot of people.
Why this habit is bad:
When you’re sleeping, you’re fasting — meaning you wake up with low blood sugar. That low blood sugar is exactly why many of us feel tired, apathetic, and even a little irritable first thing in the morning. It’s not you; it’s your inherent need for the sustenance that, you know, keeps you up and running as a human.
How to break this bad habit:
What about replacing food with coffee? Sure, the caffeine rush from your morning coffee can help hide the symptoms of low blood sugar — but it won’t satisfy your need for food. In fact, it’ll likely cause you to crash later in the day, which can really harm your productivity.
Prioritizing a healthy breakfast is a key to boosting productivity for the rest of your day.
Try healthy breakfast foods that have the fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals that’ll give you energy. Avoid breakfast foods with added sugar like sugary cereal and pastries.
3. Tackling the easy stuff first.
It can be very tempting to get all the easy tasks out of the way first before tackling the tough stuff. This is especially true when you’re dreading that challenging task.
Why this habit is bad:
Tackling the most difficult tasks on your to-do list early on in the day is actually better for your overall productivity. Researchers have found that willpower is a …read more
Source:: HubSpot Blog
