4 Mindful Tips To Increase Productivity and Happiness

These four practices will help you maximize personal and professional growth by connecting these not-so-distinct parts of life

Productivity is all about integration. Most people divide several aspects of their life into distinct categories and then find themselves short of time to allocate to each component.

No matter your goals or level of motivation, there are only 24 hours in each day. So when it’s all said and done, the amount of time you spend working towards your goals never feels like enough to make the progress you desire.

I know what it’s like to have a lot of things on your plate all at the same time.

Like the rest of you, I recognize what it feels like to have an exponential list of tasks to complete, pressure mounting from all directions, and the physical, mental and emotional fatigue that comes with trying to achieve your goals.

So, how can you both achieve your dreams, continue to climb the ladder at work, and maintain healthy relationships all while enjoying each moment?

The answer is simple: integrate.

Read the list below to discover four ways to integrate your life, achieve your goals, and increase productivity.

1. Maximize efficiency during transitions

The election’s over — stop wasting your precious time scrolling through social media.

Instead of getting frustrated and overwhelmed when you have too much to do and are failing to achieve your personal and professional goals, examine how you spend your time.

So often we numb ourselves and try to make ourselves feel better by playing games on our iPhones when we could be enriching our lives.

Short-term dopamine prevents long-term goals.

If you commute via a train or bus to work, you’d be surprised how quickly you can read a book when you use that time to read. If you drive, you’d be amazed at how much new information you can learn through audiobooks. And if you’re working from home, you’d be astonished by how effective your peace of mind can become if you practice mindfulness — even in brief moments.

When waiting in lines, stop opening social media apps, and start checking and returning email.

If you’re stuck in traffic, stop wasting energy getting angry at things you can’t control and start engaging in mindfulness meditation.

Take charge of your transitions and start adding value to your life.

2. Re-frame your tasks and responsibilities into opportunities for growth

Appreciate the challenge!

If you want to start getting things done, you need to stop complaining about how much is on your plate and start viewing each challenge as an opportunity for personal and professional growth.

Start gamifying your tasks.

Praise yourself each time you complete something — no matter how small. These small celebrations will help you build momentum and get more done each day.

While you may have more things to do than is realistically achievable, you can lesson the mental and emotional strain by focusing on how much you’ll learn from each task and how each small detail connects to your larger goals.

3. Integrate your professional and personal lives so they are no longer separate categories

For me, this involves choosing to read books that also help me become a better psychologist.

It means enjoying my exercise while improving my physical health and increasing my energy throughout the day. It means meditating for my mental health, which also improves my ability to focus for long periods of time. It means writing articles that bring me happiness and further my professional growth.

Make your personal goals fit into your professional goals.

Instead of thinking about your life as separate categories with no overlap, start finding ways to connect your various interests and goals into a common web so that when you’re doing one task for fun, you’re also adding value to your professional aspirations.

Integration takes time and practice, but the result is maximum productivity and greater enjoyment of each moment.

4. Know when to hit the reset button

Learning when to disconnect and recharge your mental, physical, and emotional batteries is one of the most valuable skills a productive individual can have.

As a cofounder psychologist, it’s all too common for high-achieving clients to run themselves into the ground and then wonder why their productivity is dropping and they aren’t getting enjoyment out of their lives anymore.

The truth is, you can only learn when to hit the pause button by pushing yourself and expanding your stamina.

At the same time, it’s important to listen to your intuition and your body when they say enough is enough. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is take a few days off and start fresh.

Take charge of your life.

Be mindful of transitions, re-frame your tasks, integrate your interests, and know when to pause. The more that you practice these skills, the greater your productivity will become.

You can become both a great person and a polished professional when you integrate your life.