POV: you are on the internet watching a video of a snake fighting a lion and you're not entirely sure why, despite logging onto your computer to complete a rather more pressing task... that's it. That's the meme. And we've all been there. In spite of its more productive uses, the internet is a facility offering innumerable forms of entertainment, which makes it easy to get distracted when surfing the web. Fortunately, this article advises how to make your online browsing more productive.
Turn off notifications
Notifications are so good at taking our attention of what we're supposed to be doing. Seeing a banner pop up makes the notification feel urgent, but in reality, they are almost never important. Yet they are so good at side-tracking us when we're in the swing of things. According to this study from the University of California-Irvine, work that is fragmented through minor distractions is less productive, suggesting it takes on average 20 minutes or more to regain workflow after dealing with an email. Turning notifications off (on your computer as well as your phone) except for the most important apps lets your mind concentrate on the task at hand.
Avoid multitasking
Many of us like to think of ourselves as good multitaskers, but as this APA summary reveals, working on too many things at once has a negative impact on productivity. The time it takes for the brain to reorient itself according to the different goals and rules of a new task is a cost on efficiency rather than a time-saving tool. To use an extreme example, the time taken switching between tasks in the case of using one's phone whilst driving is enough to cause serious accidents. Whilst the effect on productivity is less acute, this switching time really does add up across the working day and week. The best way forward is to focus on one thing at a time.
Download the genei chrome extension
We have just released a google chrome extension for our AI-powered research assistant, and given the theme of the article, had no choice but to promote it. genei's summarisation feature improves reading times by up to 70%, helping you cut through text heavy work in less than half the time. What's more, 94% of our users say genei saves them time by finding information faster using our keyword extraction tool! This one helps you identify and locate the crucial information in your research. Last but not least, you can even ask our AI a question about the text, such as "what are the negative impacts of hormonal contraception?", who will find and deliver those answers to you! So if you truly want to make your online browsing more productive, give genei a try, today.
Take breaks!
A big reason we get distracted whilst working on our computers is because we are bored of our work - and need a break! How many times have you hit a wall in your work, and with a sigh, opened up something completely unrelated to mindlessly entertain yourself amidst an uninspiring work block? I know that I myself am a guilty culprit. But I find that if I schedule a break into my workday, the knowledge that I have already set aside time for that purpose helps me to stay on course with my present task. I am not advising that you spend your work breaks on your computer, but personally, taking time out improves my motivation and productivity in periods where I need to be in the zone.
By Max Barnett.
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You can read the full article here: https://www.genei.io/blog/how-to-make-your-online-browsing-more-productive
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