Ever find yourself jumping from one thing to another and then to another without even knowing how you got there in the first place?
I know I experience this when I’m context switching at work. I’ll be working on something, then I’ll check on an email that I was suppose to respond to earlier in the day but then on my way to my inbox somehow end up in a document a colleague had asked me to review a few days ago.
Before I know it, I’ve wasted time, missed things I wanted to accomplish for the day and end up with mental fatigue.
As I’ve become more aware of when I’m in situations like this, I’ve learned to reach for resets.
A reset is something that takes me out of the path of endless disarray.
For me, this means I’ll take a few minutes to do some push-ups or stretch, go get a drink of water or go for a walk outside. I’ve also tried picking up a book or watching a short video clip of something enjoyable on YouTube as a reset, but the best reset for me has been to physically remove myself and away from the source of frustration.
The physical act of walking away allows my mind to reset and refocus. I’m able to return to work with a calmer mind and get back on the path from which I fell off.
Do you have resets that you use when you end up in a disarray at work?