How to stop sabotaging your productivity

No matter how hard you try to be better at what you do, it seems like something is blocking you from reaching your goals.

You consistently plug away at projects, but the to-do list is neverending. You may spend several long hours working, but it still feels like you’re getting nowhere.

“Work smarter, not harder” rings true here, because productivity doesn’t necessarily equate to time spent on tasks. Here’s a look at a few circumstances which could be leading you to self-sabotage your productivity and how to overcome them:

You’re Working Too Much

The workforce is facing a new trend threatening productivity. Americans are suffering from a “work martyr complex,” according to responses from a 2014 studyby the U.S. Travel Association released in August. Forty percent respondents are forfeiting their vacation time due to a high workload or fear of being seen as replaceable.

Don’t fall into this trap. Use your vacation time. Take regular breaks. Make time for relaxing activities like your job depends on it, because it does.

When you aren’t happy or healthy, you can’t produce the quality work you would be able to in a better mindset. Take care of yourself first so you are in a position to take care of everything else.

You Let Bad Occurrences Ruin Your Day

It’s 10 a.m. on a Monday. So far, things have been running smoothly, until you get a call from your nightmare client. They’re unhappy with your proposal and you’re going to need to re-do a week’s worth of work.

Without the right attitude, this sort of negative instance can ruin your productivity for the day through the negative emotions you experience.

Mistakes happen. Conflicts arise. Sometimes, there’s nothing you can do to prevent them. But you can better manage these negative occurrences by not letting them ruin your day or sabotage your workflow. Dwelling on these events only disrupts your completion of future tasks.

When something bad happens, take time to clear yourself of negative emotions you experience. Step away for a few minutes, take a walk outside, or practicemindfulness. Determine a rational takeaway to learn from so you can prevent the situation from repeating, and move on.

You’re Killing Your Success With Self-deprecating Thoughts

Your thoughts can affect your actions more than you realize. Our minds our powerful, and one of the easiest way to self-sabotage your productivity is to panic or think “doomed” thoughts. Stress and negativity block idea flow.

Shawn Achor, author of the new book, The Happiness Advantage, explains the impact a positive mindset can have.

“If we could get someone to change their mindset around stress to see it as a challenge instead of as a threat, they had 23 percent fewer stress-related symptoms like headaches, backaches, and fatigue,” Achor said.

Stress may be inevitable, though its effects on us are not. Achor encourages readers to see stress as “enhancing instead of as a threat or something that takes us away our energy.”

Change your thought patterns from negative self-deprecating self-talk to more positive thoughts. Stop comparing yourself to others and realize you are on an individual journey. Struggles only make us stronger, so the next time you are met with a challenge, embrace it, knowing the outcome will only result in a more well-rounded version of you.

If you aren’t careful, it’s easy to engage in self-sabotaging practices without realizing it. Don’t let a negative client or customer ruin your day. Practice positive self-talk and mindfulness to keep those negative thoughts under control. You’ll notice you have a better grasp on regulating your emotions, which will improve your productivity.

This article is published in collaboration with LinkedIn. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: Ilya Pozin is an entrepreneur, writer and investor. He is the founder of Pluto.TV, Open Me, and Ciplex.

Image: A stockbroker looks at stock index numbers on his computer. REUTERS/Punit Paranjpe.