Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Getting Things Done

There’s a lot of advice out there on how to increase your productivity, but unless you’re doing the doing, you’ll see little change.

That’s why establishing routines and using apps is so important. They get you into a ‘productivity flow’ that helps you work smarter, get things done and enjoy more freedom in your personal life.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Why Multitasking Is Not Good For Productivity

In the past, multitasking was thought to be effective for productivity, but recent research indicates that heavy multitaskers can expect as much as a 40% drop in their productivity.

Unfortunately, our brains aren’t designed to do several tasks at once. Even if you feel like you’re being productive by juggling a few things, your brain is in effect jumping from one task to the other, and none of them is getting your full attention.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

The Importance of Saying No

This very effective productivity tip sounds relatively simple to implement, however, is often the most challenging for many – knowing how to say no.

Most of us are wired to be empathetic and caring towards others, so the idea of disappointing someone can be upsetting or guilt-inducing. Of course, there's also a fear of confrontation, especially in the work environment. While saying yes can feel like you're in control of your life and what you have on your plate, it can easily create a situation where you're no longer in control and under pressure.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Time Management Techniques

When you've got a hectic lifestyle, the importance of effective time management becomes even more relevant. Time can't be bought or borrowed – there are only 24 hours in every day - that's why you want to make sure that you're spending your valuable time on the right things.

It may feel counterintuitive to spend time on implementing techniques that could save you time, but as with any productivity tips, you need to set up a system to implement first.

Remember that not every technique will work for you. The key is to find the ones that are suitable for your particular lifestyle, wants and needs to help you to create a fulfilling life eventually.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Benefits of Journalling for Productivity

If you're looking for a convenient and straightforward way to increase your productivity, consider regular journaling. All you need is a pen, paper and an open mind to the benefits of this form of active learning.

Research has shown that reflective writing works particularly well for those in busy and high-stress jobs like medical professionals, as it enhances the brain's ability to process, retain and retrieve information. By allowing the brain to reflect and evaluate this way, it strengthens vital neural pathways that result in improved decision making and critical thinking.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

The Benefits of Sleep on Productivity

Google search tells us that almost 5 million people struggle with sleep issues every month. It seems that for some, this non-negotiable requirement of our daily lives is a little tricky to, well, bed down.

Unfortunately due to our busy lives, getting a good night’s rest in the 21st century isn’t as easy as it should be. Insomnia, sleep apnoea, restless leg syndrome, snoring, indigestion and stress are present in many people’s lives.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Task Batching to Increase Productivity

Batching is when you allocate times to separate (but similar) tasks. This help with increasing concentration and decreasing distractions. This way, you will also increase your productivity and stop wasting time on unnecessary things.

Did you know that every time someone distracts you, you lose 10 to 15 minutes to get back into the focus mode? That's a massive amount of wasted time if you get distracted regularly.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

File Storage App for Busy People on The Go

Most doctors have a hectic lifestyle and are always on the go. Sometimes we see patients in one office, but often we use numerous offices.

Very few of us work out of the same office all the time. Even in this case, though, I believe we need to have cloud-based storage, which makes our busy jobs easier and completing tasks more efficient.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Productivity Tip: Exercise to Feel Productive

Exercise can make you more productive. It depends on what type of activity you do, but those that you enjoy the most will not just make you productive but happy as well.

I enjoy cardio and activities like playing tennis, biking or doing a little bit of HIIT type of exercise, which all benefit my productivity levels hugely. At times HIIT exercise can make me tired, so I don't do it as often as others.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Doctors and Improving Their Productivity

Most doctors already consider themselves productive, but is there a way to improve productivity even further?

Things like to-do lists, making sure every minute of a long working day is used efficiently is already happening for most of us, doctors.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Working From Home Tips

If you don’t usually work from home and have an established routine of going to work elsewhere, you may find the change of suddenly working from home a little challenging with distractions present in our home life.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

What I’m Doing During COVID-19 Pandemic

I'm currently working a little bit less because I mostly work in private hospitals. I work in public one day a week and am continuing that right now where I see my patients online. I’ve also offered my help to public hospitals and will be on call should they need me during this challenging time.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Covid-19 and New Zealand Lockdown

The past few days have been very weird and stressful for New Zealand. We didn't know what to expect when the lockdown for the whole country was announced and now we are in a full lockdown mode.

Us doctors and hospitals have been preparing for this though. We have been planning what we will do and won’t do, what level of healthcare we will provide for what levels of COVID-19 contagion.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Meditation and Gratitude

There have been numerous studies on meditation and how effective it is for people. It is known that people who meditate daily experience reduction in their stress and anxiety levels.

It also enhances a person's self-awareness, where they start understanding their thought processes deeper, and what happens in their mind.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

How to Spend Less Time on Emails

I will talk about email and how we (especially doctors) can save time. Doctors don’t usually spend that much time on an email unless they have a managing position where it’s needed.

For most of us, we spend 2-4 hours per week, and it happens in the evening, on the weekends or even late at night.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Should Surgeons’ Work Hours Be Capped Like Pilots’?

The burnout rates among doctors in New Zealand, the USA and Australia are increasing.

In New Zealand, it’s highest among female consultants in their first five years of practice. The burnout rate in this group is over 50%.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Productivity

Productivity is not an ability to do more tasks in a day; it is performing tasks that will enable you to achieve the goals you have set for yourself.

How do you know that you are achieving the right things? First, you need to identify your goals.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Exercise, Nutrition and Sleep (Part 2)

I think this is my most important message to doctors. We all need more sleep and rest that we usually get. The target should be around 8 hours of sleep per day. Some elite athletes sleep 12 hours per day.

I think that there are two reasons why most doctors are sleep deprived.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

Exercise, Nutrition and Sleep (Part 1)

Elite sportsmen and women take excellent care of their bodies in three key areas: exercise, nutrition and rest. I believe that doctors should do the same.

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Aleksandra Popadich Aleksandra Popadich

My Medical and Personal Goals

I decided to do private only as this gave me more freedom and happiness. I loved working with people in a public hospital who do a fantastic job for their patients. However, I didn’t enjoy the politics, red tape and unwillingness to change and improve for patients’ safety. It made me feel miserable and unhappy.

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