Work Less To Get More Done

Have you ever spent entire days or even a holiday working on a project, only to get very little done? It's frustrating to invest so much time into something to get very little out of it at the end.

So, what can you do about it?

Ironically, by working less you can get more done.

It may sound strange but consider it: if you know you have an entire week to write an essay you are likely to slack and think "I've got ages to do it, it can wait." You think this for the rest of the week until it's Sunday evening and it still hasn't been done. That's when you go into panic mode and really get into gear. And somehow, you get it done in one go.

That's because you are more likely to focus and put in the effort when you are under pressure. And what is the main creator of pressure? Deadlines of course! 

To get more work done, you need to create deadlines for yourself to create some pressure for yourself.  You can do this by setting a personal deadline for the next day or saying you will do half your essay but you can only work until 7pm.

Scheduling other 'unmissable' activities such as meeting a friend or part-time work/volunteering during the holidays can create more rigid deadlines for yourself.
If you have somewhere else to be (and someone is depending on you) you are more likely to stop working at the allotted times.

Scarcity makes things precious.  If diamonds were as widely available as socks, they wouldn't be quite so valuable, right? It's the same with time -  the less time you have, the more valuable it is.

So when you feel like you have too much time, create less of it (and increase its value) by working less and watch your productivity soar.

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Frustration Busters

So, you're hunched over your desk (as you have been for the last three hours) trying desperately to think of a way to begin that essay which is unfortunately due in less than 24 hours. You're frustrated because you can't think of anything and then you become frustrated that you're frustrated because it makes it harder to think which makes you even more frustrated because you can't think and you're running out of time and....
Stop!
 In this kind of situation there is no point in forcing yourself to continue. It's wasting time instead of being productive. You need to relax before any work worth handing in can be done. But everyone says relax or calm down or whatever. The question is how? You don't have time to waste going to the gym or meeting a friend or watching TV. So what can you do? Well. here are some suggestions:

• Make yourself a drink or snack. I know you've heard this before. Everyone says it. But that's because it actually works. And who doesn't like food? Just try to choose something remotely good for you. (No, strawberry-flavoured lollipops DO NOT count :D)
• Get up and exercise. Yes, that's right. Believe it or not, exercise can actually invigorate you and get you all pumped and ready to go. However, I would not recommend this if you are in a public place i.e. the library. People will give you funny looks. 
• Try some concious free stream writing. This is really effective to use before studying as well. Find out more here.
• Switch tasks. Do you have any other important tasks to complete? Switching to a very different subject can help e.g. from English Lit to Maths ( if you're weird like me and study both at A-level) These subjects require you to use different skills and parts of your brain, so you can rest the overworked parts. Think of it like switching exercises during a workout so you don't overwork or pull a muscle.
• Do something easy. Are you good at solving simultaneous equations? Do a bunch of them. Do you frequently beat the high score on Angry Birds? Or maybe you have a special talent for balancing spoons on you nose. Whatever. Just do something you are good at for 5 or 10 minutes just to remind yourself of your own amazingness. Then, when you sit down to tackle that horrid essay, you have your brilliant self-belief to get you through. After all, what is Larkin compared to the master of spoon-balancing?

So next time you find yourself going crazy over some work (hopefully not too soon!) try out these suggestions and tell me how you get on.

Good Luck!

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Concious Free Stream Writing - A Way to Clear Your Mind

Sometimes, no matter how much you want to get work done or how long you sit there and try, you just can't seem to get down to it. This is one of the worst things to happen to a student, I think. You could have all the time, all the resources etc.  but if you can't actually make use of these then there is not much point, right?

In my experience, when you aren't tired/hungry/on your phone/watching TV/on Facebook the cause of this is stress or your mind focusing on other things.
Now, you've probably had lots of advice on how to focus and get rid of stress.
Some bits of advice don't work for everyone and others are downright patronising: "Why are you stressing over that Chemistry exam? Chemistry's not that hard. My sister/brother-in-law/imaginary friend got an A in that. And anyway, you can retake it, can't you?"
Uggh.
Anyway, what I have recently discovered to combat a lack of focus is concious free stream writing.
It is basically written diarrhoea.
*Awkward silence*
Seriously. What you do is write/type whatever is on your mind. I start with the words "I feel ___________ because..." and just go for it. Spelling, grammar and neatness no longer exist. Don't pause or re-read what you have written because it will disrupt the flow. It doesn't matter if what you have written is complete gibberish. It's probably a good sign.
Try timing yourself to write as much as you can in 5 or 10 minutes. You can do this before you begin working as a kind of preventative measure. Then, once you're done, you can return to work with a lovely clear mind.
I find that it's pretty good therapy.
Just make sure you burn/delete/re-cycle the evidence afterwards. You don't want your mum or room-mate thinking you're crazy.
Even if you are.

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