News diet can boost your productivity

A woman holds her smart phone which displays the Google home page, in this picture illustration taken February 24, 2016. /REUTERS
A woman holds her smart phone which displays the Google home page, in this picture illustration taken February 24, 2016. /REUTERS

When you need to get something done in a hurry, it can seem daunting to find the time.

Where will you possibly find those extra hours?

One way to give yourself additional time is to go on a news diet.

Don’t just tune out the news – cut yourself off completely.

Turn off any news feeds on your computer.

Block news websites and stop notifications on your laptop and phone.

And delete your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn apps. Even try to avoid walking by newsstands on your way to work.

It’s amazing how many hours consuming news media can take up: If you spend two hours a day thinking about or looking at the news, this hiatus will give you back 14 hours per week to maximise your available time and sharpen your focus.

Of course, the news diet should be temporary.

We all need to stay informed about what’s going on, so only opt out of the news cycle for short periods of time while you’re trying to get something done.

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