Nobody has ever said, “I’d like to be less productive. We are supposed to always be “on” in today’s hyperconnected and information-obsessed world because everyone else is. And occasionally it truly exhausts us.

The good news is, all those productivity strategies that sometimes make us feel like failures when we can’t manage them (getting up two hours earlier, setting daily goals, etc), aren’t always the most efficient.

It seems that being “on” all the time may not be necessary for you to perform at your best. Here are some activities that we believe we should be performing to increase our productivity but which are unnecessary. By dispelling these productivity myths. you’re about to become more productive without even attempting it.

KEEP TO-DO LISTS

A long to-do list means we’ve got a lot to do, it doesn’t mean we do a lot.

Unconsciously it changes from a to-do list into a “what you haven’t done list” and creates more stress and anxiety.

A ‘done list’ on the other side, is a list of things you have completed. Your brain forms new, empowering associations and connections as a result, enhancing your sense of self-worth.

Get a good diary and write down your successes in it at the same time every day, and it will develop into a positive journal that inspires you.

SCHEDULE IDEAS MEETINGS

The first rule of having good ideas: Don’t try to have good ideas.

Before you’ve written anything down, you begin to judge them when you’re under pressure to come up with a “great” idea.

Try allowing yourself 10 minutes to generate 10 ideas for whatever project you’re working on. It’s not crucial whether or not these concepts are good. To come up with 10 concepts is your only objective.

You could be shocked to discover a couple truly good ideas among your list of ten ideas. This is due to the fact that writing things down unrestrictedly enables you to reach your subconscious and avoid using your critical, aware thinking.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP

When faced with a creative problem, your finest work comes from when you’re not feeling your best.

When you’re weary, your brain finds it harder to concentrate and block out distractions. You’ll be more likely to make new connections and generate original ideas because your thoughts will wander more.

Set your alarm for 30 minutes before you need to get up. Sleepiness can cause your mind to wander and cause your subconscious ideas to surface.

BE A GOOD LISTENER

When you have a problem, you’ve been stuck on for a while, you don’t need to hear what other people think; you need to talk to a rubber duck.

Keep the duck besides your desk and talk to it if you are having a problem.

Your brain mentally organises all the information, simplifies the problem, and uses more areas of the brain when you state the problem aloud. And unlike a person, the duck won’t yawn, interrupt, or claim he has other things to do at the moment.

Focus on success rather than imagining that a project you’re working on is going to be a success, try imagining it’s going to be a complete failure.

The pre-mortem managerial plan is designed with such in mind; it actively pushes you to be as negative as you can in order to spot threats to your success as soon as possible.

Everyone discusses failing quickly. But why not learn before you make any mistakes, as opposed to learning from your failures.

DITCH THE SCREENS

What you do during breaks is just as crucial to your productivity as what you do while working.

The last thing you should do after getting up to stretch and getting a cup of coffee is to settle down at your computer and read the headlines. What you ought to be doing is laughing out loud while viewing videos of grumpy cats or whatever makes you laugh.

Positive emotions broaden our mental boundaries, whilst negative emotions (and let’s face it, the news is rarely happy) limit them.

EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN

When discussing brain training exercises, people frequently think of Sudoku and other brainteasers.

But the key to a sharper mind is actually piano keys!! You’re giving your brain one of the best exercises it can have every time you play an instrument.

It activates several distinct brain regions and forges new neural connections. Additionally, research has shown that professional musicians’ brains have more grey matter than non-musicians’ brains do.

DE-CLUTTER

There appears to be a de-cluttering craze right now. But messy is the way to go if you want to solve issues.

Steve Jobs, Einstein, Mark Twain, Alexander Fleming, Mark Zuckerberg and Alan Turing are all known to have had messy desks.

Because of how susceptible our brains are, the subliminal cues of disorder in a messy area might cause us to think in a “messy” manner. When striving to generate original and surprising ideas, this disorganised way of thinking is perfect.

ALWAYS FOLLOW THROUGH

Don’t conclude an idea or a paragraph if you’re writing something that will take more than a day. Leave a jagged, sharp edge, then quit speaking.

Firstly, by stopping when you know what you want to write next, it makes it a lot easier to start again the next day.

However, what matters most is that you’re using your brain and connecting it to the task. Because the brain dislikes incomplete tasks, halting in the middle of a sentence keeps it focused on the issue.

As Ernest Hemingway said, “When you are going good, stop writing.”

BE SINCERE

Sarcasm really activates more of the brain than any other type of wit, far from being the lowest.

Telling someone “Don’t work too hard” when they are clearly resting, puts the receiver’s brain into abstract thinking mode, which increases creativity.

Research has shown that in fact, both being sarcastic and being on the receiving end, more than doubled participants abilities to solve problems creatively.