Booking THERAPY INTENSIVES FOR May and June!

Slow Productivity

All, Self-Care

by Tori Roalef
February 7, 2023

One of the first skills we learn in order to be productive is time management. We block out set times to do set tasks and schedule all of our time down to the minute, even for the bathroom break.

Managing our growing list of tasks meant we had to manage our time if we wanted to get anything done. But, while time management is important, let's look at another way to approach our productivity: energy management.

The Idea of the Week

“If you’re trying to be more productive, don’t analyze how you spend your time.
Pay attention to what consumes your attention [or energy].“
-quote by Adam Grant, New York Times article;
addendum by Rowena Tsai

The energy we are referring to is not “caffeine energy.” Instead, energy is your ability to be present, grounded, and focused. So, what is the difference between time management and energy management? What is an energy audit? How can we energy audit so that we can be more productive? Rowena Tsai answers these questions in this 13-minute video.

Everything Rowena Tsai knew about productivity was wrong, and she’ll share why it was wrong and what her vision of productivity looks like moving forward in a 24-minute video.

She also offers 3 questions to ponder as we move forward with our productivity journey:

What does slow productivity mean to me? What does it look like?
Why do I want to bring slow productivity into my life?
What is most important to me?

Completing tasks, homework, and projects and being productive in general can be difficult for some people more than others. In this 13-minute video, Jessica from How to ADHD learns new activities and strategies to get tasks done.

Practice of the Week

In Rowena’s video listed above, she also shares 6 tips to get started with slow productivity:

Calendar blocking. First block time for your non-negotiables (this is what is most essential or important to you), then block your play time, then block your work time.
Minimize distractions
Find the productivity apps that you love.
Find your routine
Embrace stillness
Value deep rest

We’ve talked about building systems before, in the context of goal-setting. This time, let’s look at Building a System for Productivity. In this 18-minute video, Ali Abdaal shares why you should have a productivity system (it frees up brain space!), the 3 levels of building a productivity system, and tips and tools for your system.

What does slow productivity mean to you? Let us know on our Instagram or Facebook page!