So much of our work these days is littered with mistakes. In healthcare, mistakes can mean lives. And, in any industry, constant multi-tasking paves the road to burnout and exhaustion. Research shows most of us can’t multitask anyway; we end up sacrificing one task for the other.
Here are some things I do to protect my brain at work:
🧠Do most of my deep work between 8 and 11am, after coffee, before lunch (this is the sweet spot for me)
🧠Request colleagues not text or call my personal cell unless an emergency (creating clear boundaries between work and life helps me stay in work mode when I’m in work mode, and in home mode when I’m at home. Otherwise, I am constantly shifting back and forth, which is very taxing on the brain)
🧠I do not have a wearable.
🧠My personal cell is always on silent when I am at work. I have a few contacts who can “break through” and their calls will ring. Otherwise, I don’t hear any noise from my phone, ever. I also turned off all app notifications years ago so nothing pings me. During specific times, I may turn on email notifications for my work email.
🧠A strict Do Not Disturb mode on my phone from 10pm-5am. I do not break this.
🧠I take a mental health walk (ideally outside) every day at work. No devices allowed!
🧠Schedule periods of deep work time (1-2 hours for spreadsheets, schedules, reviewing policies, etc.)
🧠Close my office door, turn on lyric-less “deep think” music on Spotify
I find I have so much more energy, and am able to come home at the end of the day without my battery at zero. What do you do?
