How To Refocus In-between Meetings
How do you maintain your focus when your workday is broken up by meetings that are equally important, but sap productivity?
We’ve all been there, you are in the flow and getting things done, then, you are hit up with a barrage of interruptions, jumping from one meeting into the next, with barely enough time to focus on your day’s work. Meetings are the ultimate form of work distractors, they require us to engage deeply on ideas that are often unrelated to the work we are trying to do that day.
How do you maintain your focus when your workday is broken up by meetings that are equally important, but sap productivity? Regardless of how successful the meeting was, the moment immediately after a long meeting is nearly always a struggle, and more so if you have to move to the next one.
When we return from a meeting, it’s common to feel listless and unfocused, and end up engaging in mindless tasks as we try to figure out what to do next. Here are 3 ways you can regain your focus between meetings:
1. Plan for transitioning periods: The key to refocusing between meetings is to plan for those gaps in your day. Spend a few minutes before you start your workday to know exactly what you’ll do during that time. Create an event on your calendar titled with the task you want to work on at the time, e.g., “Check emails," this way, when you return from your meeting, you know exactly what you should be doing next.
2. Take a break: Where possible, schedule meetings close to when you have a break in your day and do something not related to work, e.g. eat lunch, go for a walk, etc. It’s a lot easier to refocus after a break.
3. Work the Action items: Planning for the periods in between your meetings is the best way to refocus, however, some meetings can be urgent and impromptu, which have not been factored into your workday. In such cases, work on the action item, particularly the low-mental overhead such as filling out a piece of paperwork, sending an email, etc. Although they may not be due immediately, they are part of where your brain is currently thinking, so requires less mental energy.
In what ways are you able to refocus after or in between meetings? Start the conversation by sharing this article.
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