It’s 2018 and there are apps for almost everything, to make work faster, cleaner and prettier, these tools have shaped the way we live around work demands. Still, it’s necessary that you create a rhythm that allows you to provide and fulfil your duties, in the most productive and creative way.

This path to build a better rhythm is limited sometimes by false beliefs that have been gaining space in modern society such as; working almost to being burnout shows that you are worth hiring,  resting is a sign of weakness, it is necessary to be several steps ahead because it is never enough, that you should function towards fulfilling a goal no matter the price that the road has on your life.

Well, today you have the chance to face these wrong beliefs and rebel against them. With the help and support of science here are 10 commandments that, as you practice them, will allow you to be more creative and productive than ever before.

1. Take rest seriously

With the busy lifestyles that society is used to, you need to see and understand why rest is a priority, create a space for it in your schedule and maintain it! Otherwise, something will eventually come up, and the more you let any situation interfere with your rest, it will become a habit that later will be more difficult to change.

2. Focus

Start by scheduling your day around unbroken periods of focus in work. Creative people work in intense daily bursts of 4 to 5 hours, divided into blocks of 90 to 120 minutes with short breaks, then they call it a day. After this, in your calendar put a space every day to disconnect, clear your mind, take a walk and just breathe.

Still, if you can’t arrange your work schedule to lower the number of hours you need to complete your tasks, there are other strategies available. For example, leaving your hardest cognitively tasks for the morning, you might put off meetings until after lunch, or check email only a couple times a day.

3. Layer work and rest

Super creative people alternate periods of intensive work with periods of delivered rest. When concentrating on a difficult task, tempt your subconscious mind to work on it. By resting immediately after this, you can give your subconscious mind time to discover solutions that were eluding your conscious effort.

4. Get an early start

You probably have experienced the boost on productivity and creativity you get when starting to work early on your tasks. Now imagine making this a habit! A regular early morning routine pays off, maybe there are things that need to be attended early on your day, so make sure to take this time back on the afternoon and evenings.

These first three commandments: Focus, Layer work and rest and Get an early start, give a distinctive shape to your day. By recognizing that it doesn’t matter how you schedule your day, not every hour is the same; you can start to create your routine around the time you feel more creative, then have a proper rest to give your body and mind time to recover.

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5. Detach from work

Paying attention to the quality of your rest is important as well. Checking your email during dinner, or scheduling clients calls and meetings during your vacations gives you a lesser chance to detach and defeats the whole purpose of taking time for yourself.

Of course, you might feel like work is too urgent to detach. Nevertheless, think twice if what you are detaching from, actually, can help you to be more efficient when your time is intended to focus on your tasks and not when you’re at home with family or hanging out with friends.

6. Leave behind your devices

Regularly disconnecting from technology is necessary as well to detach your mind from your duties. Let go of your phone every now and then. There are several apps that can help you with this and give you more profound information on how to break bad habits and develop better ones. Among them are: thrive away app and calm app, each of them has different ways to help you connect with the most powerful source of energy: yourself.

Of course, Workep helps you free your mind from work and projects, trusting everything is organized no matter how big your team is. Take advantage of these tools so you can recharge more often by filling your life with quality time.

7. Take a week off every season

We are used to spending all of our vacation days at the same time, the impact on happiness and productivity is based on the belief of the longer you vacation the happier you feel, but this has taken a twist. Recent studies have shown that recovery hits a peak after 8 days and then stabilizes or declines afterwards.

The psychological lift that you get from vacations lasts around 2 months. Summarizing, taking vacations every 3 months is a great way to balance your work life and your mental health, as well as your happiness and productivity.

8. Practice deep play

Long-term productive and successful people have hobbies and activities that psychologically have the same rewards as their jobs but without the frustration and stress of real work. Deep play is important especially for people who have a lack of control over their schedule, work for long hours, and are prone to overdoing it. For them, Deep play is also valuable because it provides a more compelling alternative to work than just sitting at the beach.

9. Get plenty of exercise

The jocks vs nerds stereotype is outdated … lots of accomplished creative workers are highly active people. Actually, work office is highly demanding, you need to add movement to your life, so it helps your brain to be more productive and have a better performance.

Exercising also enhances your resilience, lower stress, and gives you a longer healthier life. Besides, it’s also been proven that it is a major relief for anxiety and depression.

Usually exercising motivates us when we start seeing results. Now, imagine combining it with a healthier diet, it’s a pathway to integral success! Not only because it is rewarding for the external praise. But also, because you experience first hand the boost in productivity and creativity that well being provides.

10.  Get even more sleep

This one is the simplest and hardest thing to accomplish in our busy lives. Sleep is thought of as loss time, where it is actually a time of higher mental activity, that gives time to our brain to consolidate memories and skills. In addition to clearing out toxins that are related to dementia later in life.

For this one, you need to commit to no one but yourself. Creating a balance in several aspects of your life, in which you need to allow yourself to be the priority. Stop comparing your work style with others, understand that your value as a person is innate and not attached to a result.

You are not lazy, in fact, you’re a very smart person that strategically can develop spaces where you can have joy, and that this joy impacts your productivity and creativity!

So, how do you feel about finding healthier ways to boost your productivity and creativity? If you think that you can start practicing any of these commandments today, DO IT! Hopefully, you will start seeing changes in your mood, in the way you respond to the waves of life, and find an out of the box side of you that the world needs so much. Also, you will find a new type of being Rich!