I love the not-to-do list Anne-Laure Le Cunff shared on the Ness Labs website recently. I’ve copied the first three of the ten below, but do take a look at the rest:
- Do not constantly check your emails. Instead, batch your email-checking time in one or two slots during the day. Some people also add an auto-responder to let senders know they may not get an immediate response.
- Do not eat lunch at your desk. Taking breaks is essential for your mental and physical health. Lunchtime is an opportunity to leave your desk, go for a walk, and catch up with colleagues. In addition, properly focusing on your food will help you avoid eating too quickly.
- Do not attend useless meetings. We are all too familiar with “that meeting that could have been an email.” Encourage asynchronous communication within your team, and never agree to meetings that don’t have a clear agenda.
When I think of habits, I tend to focus more on the habits I want to build rather than those I could do to break. So this was a helpful nudge to think about some behaviours that I’ve established over the years that I’d be better off doing without!
Speaking of not eating my lunch at my desk, I have managed to break that habit by – inspired by the Friends reunion episode – watching an episode of Friends most lunchtimes. It might not be as healthy as a walk, but it gets me away from my desk, and my mind gets a complete break from work. And who doesn’t benefit from a few hearty laughs too?!