Bad productivity habits not only affect our work, but it can also impact our mental health. After all, it feels bad knowing that you’re not as productive as you could be. It can also affect your motivation, which leads to an even bigger loss of productivity.

Here’s what you need to know:

7 Bad Productivity Habits To Take Note Of

Being more productive is something that we all aspire to be. Whether its for work, your personal growth, or for your family, a lot of us wish that we could do more and fit more things during the day.

And the things that really set us back is having bad productivity habits. By recognizing what these habits are, we can develop strategies on how we can get rid ourselves of these habits.

1. Not having a plan for the day

First of our bad productivity habits is not planning your day adequately¹. If start your day without an idea of what you want to accomplish, then it would be hard to finish anything since your focus will be all over the place.

Instead, write down all the things that you’ll need to finish within the day. Make sure its reasonable, and work on the tasks you don’t like first. That way, you can get it over with before proceeding to more enjoyable tasks.

2. Not taking care of your health

Your health can also have a direct impact on your productivity. If you’re pushing yourself too hard or depending on sugary drinks and coffee to stay productive, you might be doing yourself more harm than good.

Be sure to eat right, exercise, and make sure to get enough sleep every night. At least 8 hours of continuous sleep is ideal.

3. Multitasking

Multitasking is one of the most common bad productivity habits that people are guilty of. At first, multitasking seems like a great idea, since you can do a lot of things all at once. But the reality is our brain is really bad at multitasking². This is because whenever we multitask, the left and right sides of our brain do different things at the same time. This can cause a decrease in your performance.

Instead of multitasking, focus on doing one thing at a time. You’ll be surprised at how focused and productive you can be.

4. Constantly checking emails and messages

These days, we are constantly bombarded with emails and messages. While some of these are urgent, most of the time they can actually distract us from the task at hand³.

Constantly checking your messages and replying to them can disrupt your focus. If possible, set a “do not disturb” reminder, or let people know that you won’t be checking any messages if you need to finish some urgent work.

5. Not taking a break

One of the more common bad productivity habits that people have is not taking breaks. Some people feel that breaks can disrupt their work, or ruin their “flow”. But the reality is that your brain can only do so much work in one sitting.

Taking breaks helps your brain relax, and can also prevent burnout which can significantly affect your productivity.

6. Sleeping in

Sleeping is another of the bad productivity habits that a lot of us are guilty of. This is especially true if you’re working at home or if you have a flexible schedule⁴.

Sleeping in means you’re probably sleeping late, and this limits the hours that you’re able to work effectively. Try to sleep early and wake up early so that you can make the most out of your day.

7. Neglecting your mental health

Last of the bad productivity habits is neglecting your mental health⁵. Your mental health plays a huge role when it comes to how productive you are. If you feel sad, depressed, anxious, or simply stressed out, it can affect your productivity.

Sometimes, taking a day or two off and having some “me” time can help improve your productivity. If you are going through a difficult time, talking to someone about it can help. If you feel that you need professional help, don’t hesitate to do so. Never neglect your mental health, since it is just as important as your physical health.

Key Takeaways

When it comes to productivity, it is important to be aware of what habits might cause you trouble. This way, you can work on your habits one by one and improve your productivity.

Learn more about Healthy Mind here.