Write an article based on this "Use a stopwatch while you work. Designate mornings or weekends as "me" time. Disconnect during break time."
In business, there's a concept known as "Parkinson's Law," which states that "work expands to fill the time allotted for it." In other words, if you leave the amount of time needed to complete a task open ended, you will almost always take more time to complete it than if you set strict time limits. Use a stopwatch or another type of timer to keep track of how long you work on each task. Set goals for yourself and turn this into a game; you'll work far more rapidly if you're attempting to beat the clock. Try to do unimportant tasks within ten minutes. Following this tip alone can often give you an extra 90 minutes a day. You'll be surprised how much time is wasted on unimportant tasks like writing emails! Working this way can help you develop a work "flow," something that behavioral psychologists have described as a feeling of accomplishment, productivity, and happiness. It might sound counterintuitive, but you can actually increase your productivity and work ability by carving out some break-time during your day and week. Spending the first few hours in the morning on something you care about -- playing with your kids, taking the dog for a walk, doing yoga, etc. This can help clear your mind and put you in a better mood for the rest of the day, which will help you stay focused and work faster. Research has shown that your mind reaches its peak performance rate 2-4 hours after you wake up, so designate your early pre-peak hours for something non-work related to avoid spinning your wheels and working inefficiently. Sometimes our minds can be at work even when we're not physically working, which can lead to burnout and an overall decrease in productivity and work quality. Set up separate personal and work/school email accounts and limit how often you check your work/school account over the weekend. Make a point to turn off your phone or computer while lounging at home or watching TV so that you're not tempted to check your work email. Try to be mindful and take some time to really switch off from your work worries, especially on the weekends, so that when you do get back to the grind on Monday you can be refreshed and ready to work faster and more efficiently.