| I'd focus on looking at things that are blocking flow states. If you can enter a flow state, you may find you're working faster on average. - Consider starting your day by hand-writing a bullet pointed lists of tasks or things that are stressing you, including life stuff. Writing them out helps you feel that you have control over them, and you no longer have them rattling around in the back of your head. Leave the list alone, it's not a to-do list. You'll focus more easily. - Related: if that kind of works for you. Consider starting your day by writing a page or two in a journal, just about whatever's in your head. Once you empty that out and all the feelings around that stuff, it will be easier to get down to business and enter a flow state. - Taking breaks is really important and taking frequent breaks when it feels natural works well, at least for me. Take vacation regularly. - Get plenty of high-quality sleep. This is a big one. Once you start paying attention to it, you notice really quickly what a big impact sleep has on your mood, happiness, and output the following day. - Use noise-cancelling headphones and playlists made for focus. And remember to be kind to yourself. In general, we focus on the things that bother us about ourselves when we compare ourselves to others. We don't pay attention to the positives. So you probably aren't seeing the sides of your work that make you excellent or how you contribute in ways other people can't. |