I am sure you’re saying, “What nonsense Hatim, how do you know if my manager is not going to be an ass today?”. I’m not sure about your manager, but I do have a few tricks that you can use to make your day as good as possible.

So, let’s take a look at them, shall we? (Disclaimer: These may be things that you’ve heard again and again, but trust me, they do work.)

 • Single-Tasking: Focus on one thing at once. Multi-tasking is a myth.

We’re not smartphones, we’re human beings, so let’s behave like one. Stop scrolling TikTok while writing emails, you’re not a robot. Our brains are wired to focus on one thing at a time. 

So keep your phone away, shut down all the notifications, don’t gossip with that coworker while you’re on mute on a Zoom call and just focus on the task at hand. You’re going to finish your task list much faster than you anticipate, and thank me later. 

 • Planning Deliberate Downtime: Take care of yourself.

Here comes the time for you to scroll, gossip and take that smoke break. I use the Pomodoro Technique, where I work 25 minutes with focus and take a 5-minute break after that. This one cycle is called a Pomodoro. After every 3 pomodoros, I take a longer 15-minute break and restart the cycle again. 

This helps you in doing focused work in bursts and also keeps you motivated for breaks. 

 • Resolving Tensions: The social problems are gonna take a toll on you.

We’re not talking about escalations only in a professional setting. It means resolving tensions in all areas of life, be it your relationship with your parents, spouse/partner, manager or your colleagues.

You would’ve noticed that when you have an argument or some discussion with somebody, it bothers you, it distracts your mind, and you keep thinking about it all day, every day. 

So, how do we solve this? Divide the problem into 2 categories: 1. Controllables and 2. U controllables. 

Ask yourself, can you do something about the current problem? If yes, what? If you can’t find the answer instantly, take help, but don’t leave it for another day because the problem is not going to leave your mind. Once you find the answer, just take the action; it can be you saying sorry to somebody, confronting somebody, or blocking someone out of your life for good. Just do it (no, I am not sponsoring Nike). 

If no, then just leave it, because worrying about it isn’t going to change anything, forget it and look forward to other important stuff in life. 

This simple exercise is going to change the way you look at problems and also free up mental space for you to focus on completing important things that need your attention.

 • Reboot your energy

But we just spoke about having some downtime, right? Ohh yes, babe, we did. But when I say reboot, I mean reboot. Just like your cute little iPhone. 

You switch off and switch on. Yes, I am talking about sleep. The usual 7-8 hrs fluff. Just try successfully sleeping for 8 hrs everyday for 3 months, you can curse me in the comments later if it doesn’t help you feel better. Pro tip: Have dinner before sunset, and you’re going to feel even more energetic the next day.

Summary:

If you want to have a good day…

• Focus on the task at hand without getting distracted.
• Take breaks
• Do something about your problems. If you can solve it, do it immediately; if you can’t, stop thinking about it.
• Sleep 7-8 hrs daily, because you’re not a robot.