Productivity – The Zeigarnik effect and how to boost productivity

I’ve been thinking about that topic a lot and have seen many good posts and articles about it. It’s so an interesting theme. The productivity methods can be applied to learning and remote working and overall working of course.

Recently I read an article about the Zeigarnik effect and its effects on productivity. One good article can be found:

https://lnkd.in/gSvDdPPg

The Zeigarnik effect is a psychological phenomenon that suggests that people tend to remember things they haven’t finished because it creates a sense of unease or tension in their minds. When a task is left incomplete, this tension and the memory of the unfinished task can stay in a person’s mind. This tension goes away when the task is finished, and then the brain can forget about it. In simple terms, it means we often remember unfinished tasks more than completed ones because they bother us until we finish them.

We may use the 𝐙𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐤 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 in a variety of ways once we learn how it works:

❶ Start somewhere… anywhere. Simply begin someplace. Set aside 20 to 30 minutes of your time and dive right in. You don’t have to start with the most difficult part; start with something simpler.

❷ Schedule tactical breaks to improve information recall. We can improve our ability to recall information by taking breaks while working on something.

❸ Set achievable goals. If you’re someone who tends to take on too many tasks at once and gets stressed, it’s important to realize that when you leave things unfinished, you often have thoughts that keep bothering you. This means that every new task you start is like an interruption of what you were working on before.

❹ End the day with a to-do list. The Zeigarnik effect may be more of a subconscious command to form a plan than an alarm that keeps chirping until a task is finished. Once you’ve got this strategy in place, your subconscious mind can stop bothering your conscious mind, letting it take a break until you’ve finished your work as you intended.

A couple of other 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕕𝕦𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕥𝕚𝕡𝕤 which can be applied to learning and remote work setting are:

💡 Learn new techniques like Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule), Pomodoro, Eisenhower Matrix, Parkinson’s Law, Time Blocking Method, Getting Things Done (GTD) Method, Rapid Planning Method (RPM), Pickle Jar Theory, Eat That Frog Technique. See more: https://lnkd.in/gfuG7_tC
💡 Create a comfortable workspace. Landscape and views from the window.
💡 Start your day with a reflection.
💡 Stick to your schedule.
💡 Stay organized.
💡 Keep your priorities in check.
💡 Commit to smaller, but intense work intervals. Track your time.
💡 Manage notifications and distractions.
💡 Learn and work on your most productive hours.
💡 Gamify the process.
💡 Take those breaks outside.
💡 Take care of your health.

What would be your best experiences in this one?

Check also my material section about productivity.