A friend once told me, "I'm not working a lot right now, yet I'm

getting so much done! It's a mystery." Or is it? Productivity and

burnout are quite the topic these days. What follows are some pieces

of advice on how to be more productive. They may not be what you

expect, though.



DEFINE WHAT STRESSES YOU OUT



If productivity is Superman, stress is kryptonite. There's no need to

talk about its negative effects on health, but here's an indirect way

it affects productivity: insomnia. Miss one good night's sleep, and

watch yourself the next day drinking too many cups of coffee while not

getting anything done correctly. Repeat the pattern for weeks or

months in a row and watch yourself losing your mind.



Sit down and think hard. Analyse what's going on and how you can

change your attitude toward a stressful situation. Can you make

anything better? Tackle everything you possibly can, learn to accept

what you can't and move on. What helps here is thinking about a

positive goal: be happier or ...