Imagine this: you find yourself at 10:59 p.m. when your inbox wails like an unsatisfied child, and deadlines continue to elude you. Welcome to the eleventh hour, which presents itself as a magical period when panic runs against productivity. We should abandon the practice of regarding late-night rushes as points of pride so we can challenge how we view time. Throwing away the unblemished crown of hustle should lead us toward creating a balanced professional routine that keeps us from resembling robotically energized creatures. People nowadays deal with work pressure like running on a hamster wheel that has internet access. Everyone strains to move quickly as they try to reach zero incoming emails, but their personal lives stay neglected in the background. People use the eleventh hour as their standard work approach despite not liking it because our society has declared it essential for success.
The Dilemma of Approaches
Our excessive management of short time intervals stands as the actual enemy because we strive to extract every last millisecond from our days. Many of us have received the modern-day productivity message, which contains bullet journals as well as Pomodoro timers alongside guilt-inducing focus apps. These solutions provide Band-Aid benefits for severe leg injuries.
The Feasible Solution
The process of recouping your stolen hours requires exactly the same effort as recovering a precious pet. Your first step should be creating well-defined boundaries rather than the thin paper towel approach. You need to speak plainly to your superior that you will never join Zoom calls at night unless they want to hear you ask for a performance bonus. Make a concrete block of time during evening hours to follow your favorite TV show or practice air guitar skills.
Procrastination, The Long-Lost Cousin of Eleventh Hour
Everyone has experienced the situation where social media exploration replaces important document completion work. Procrastination appears as a brain request for rest from relentless work pressure instead of mere laziness. Instead of self-criticism, take advantage of the situation with tactical moves. During work session,s set your timer for 25 minutes while allowing yourself 10 minutes of social media breaks as a way to control procrastination. Using this method to motivate your brain functions similarly to treating yourself with your favorite sweets, and it actually proves successful. Researchers reveal that alternating short work periods with breaks makes you more productive as well as protects you from building stress.
The Way Forward
Society forces people to think that being nonproductive at work or not ascending career heights equates to being a lazy complainer who stays on the couch. Preparing homemade food for one hour without store-bought ingredients constitutes productive activity. Attending a smartphone-free walk counts as a productive activity. Full scientific support backs the productivity value of napping because it shows both memory enhancement and creativity increase from naps. When others inquire about your weekend activities, explain that you achieved mastery in the art of complete rest, and their reaction will be noticeable.
So, we as human beings deserve better than spending our time crunched up day after day. Take your calendar and make room for personal time, so bid farewell to finishing everything at the last minute.
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Writer,
Mahabub Alam Patwary
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE