Head Space

Calm productivity for academics

Tag: tasks

  • Task-batching to reduce mental fatigue

    Task-batching helps academics overcome the mental fatigue of constant context-switching. Instead of multitasking between emails, meetings, and lesson planning, group similar tasks together and tackle them in dedicated time blocks. This simple approach creates the mental space needed for meaningful academic work.

  • Oliver Burkeman: Four thousand weeks

    In Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burkeman reframes time management, focusing on our 4,000-week lifespan to challenge the relentless pursuit of productivity. Burkeman’s insights encourage readers to embrace limits, focus on meaningful work, and find satisfaction in life’s finite nature, offering a refreshing perspective for today’s overwhelmed professionals.

  • Day-theming

    Day-theming is the practice of dedicating each day of the week to a specific area of focus or responsibility. When combined with task-batching, it enables you to move projects forward in small, incremental steps, even when you’re under pressure.

  • Schedule your writing time

    Start your day by scheduling your writing time so that you make progress on the important, high-value work that is cognitively demanding.

  • Prioritising tasks with the Eisenhower matrix

    The Eisenhower matrix helps with prioritising tasks by helping to make decision about which tasks are important and which are urgent.