Episode 309
The benefits of deep work
And welcome to the travelling introvert. Today I'm going to talk about deep work. And the reason this has come up is because a lot of the time I talk about how introverts need time to recharge, and back to back meetings suck, and very rarely now do we have time for deep work because we are in back to back meetings. And so I want to talk about the real benefits of deep work and what that entails, because all the time that you're these days, we're getting distracted by notifications and email and social media. And as a result, the ability to focus on a single task for, and I'm going to say the word extended period of time, but these days, I know, anything over 20 minutes has become a rare skill. However, the practice of deep work, which is the ability to focus intensely on a single task for a significant period of time, is really, really important. Okay, you have increased focus. Focusing deeply on a task when you train your mind to concentrate on one thing for an extended period, you'll improve your ability to focus on other daily tasks in your life, not just the ones that you're actually thinking about that this is going to be deep work.
And what most people, most introverts find is there is enhanced productivity. If you get the time to do deep work and get to engage in deep work, it will significantly improve your productivity because focusing deeply on a task makes you more likely to complete it quickly and accurately. And it means you'll be able to accomplish everything faster, freeing up more time and brain space for other tasks or activities. Part of that means there'll be a better quality output. Deep work really allows for this, because when you just focus on working on that single task without distraction, very importantly, without distraction, you get into a flow state. And so giving that task that attention and time that it needs to be completed, means that your work will be of a higher quality. You'll come up with more ideas because you're just concentrating on that thing and giving it thought and time. And it will result in greater job satisfactionand even recognition from colleagues or superiors. But regardless of that, you will find your quality of work will be better because of having the time to have deep, uninterrupted, focused work. And because of this, you'll probably have improved job satisfaction.
When you can focus deeply on a task, you're more likely to experience a sense of accomplishment because you're not just confetting from one thing to another thing to another thing and bouncing around like a pinball. You will experience this sense of accomplishment because you focus deeply on one task and can completely go, Yes, this is done, which in turn leads to a more positive outlook on your life. And so therefore will lead to more positive job satisfaction. Even if you don't like the job, it's okay. Also, it helps reduce stress. Deep work reduces stress levels by eliminating those distractions and allows you to focus solely on a single task. Because being distracted is stressful, so as a result, you will reduce these feelings of overwhelm or being overworked, and therefore this will improve your overall wellbeingand help, possibly, prevent future burnout. Deep work also provides strengthened creativity in problem solving. It helps you develop your creativity and problem solving skills when you allow yourself to focus on a single task. You will fully immerse yourself in the problem or the task and explore various solutions and develop innovative ideas, resulting in more effective and creative problem solving.
And there is greater learning and retention. Deep work promotes better learning and retention of information. You give your full attention to the material where you are studying or the skills you are trying to develop, and that focused attention allows for more effective learning and retention as your brain can better process and consolidate the information. And of course, there's time management because you'll get better at prioritizing essential tasks and eliminating time wasting activities and increased resilience and heightened self awareness. Because you'll be accustomed to doing a single task and overcoming distractions, you'll be better able to handle unexpected obstacles. Deep work has numerous benefits that improve your work and personal life. So just think about how that might work for you and why it's so important for you to carve out that time. Thank you for listening. This is Janice at thecareerintrovert.Com, helping you build your brand and get hired. Have a great rest of your week.
Transcript
And welcome to the travelling introvert. Today I'm going to talk about deep work. And the reason this has come up is because a lot of the time I talk about how introverts need time to recharge, and back to back meetings suck, and very rarely now do we have time for deep work because we are in back to back meetings. And so I want to talk about the real benefits of deep work and what that entails, because all the time that you're these days, we're getting distracted by notifications and email and social media. And as a result, the ability to focus on a single task for, and I'm going to say the word extended period of time, but these days, I know, anything over 20 minutes has become a rare skill. However, the practice of deep work, which is the ability to focus intensely on a single task for a significant period of time, is really, really important. Okay, you have increased focus. Focusing deeply on a task when you train your mind to concentrate on one thing for an extended period, you'll improve your ability to focus on other daily tasks in your life, not just the ones that you're actually thinking about that this is going to be deep work.
And what most people, most introverts find is there is enhanced productivity. If you get the time to do deep work and get to engage in deep work, it will significantly improve your productivity because focusing deeply on a task makes you more likely to complete it quickly and accurately. And it means you'll be able to accomplish everything faster, freeing up more time and brain space for other tasks or activities. Part of that means there'll be a better quality output. Deep work really allows for this, because when you just focus on working on that single task without distraction, very importantly, without distraction, you get into a flow state. And so giving that task that attention and time that it needs to be completed, means that your work will be of a higher quality. You'll come up with more ideas because you're just concentrating on that thing and giving it thought and time. And it will result in greater job satisfactionand even recognition from colleagues or superiors. But regardless of that, you will find your quality of work will be better because of having the time to have deep, uninterrupted, focused work. And because of this, you'll probably have improved job satisfaction.
When you can focus deeply on a task, you're more likely to experience a sense of accomplishment because you're not just confetting from one thing to another thing to another thing and bouncing around like a pinball. You will experience this sense of accomplishment because you focus deeply on one task and can completely go, Yes, this is done, which in turn leads to a more positive outlook on your life. And so therefore will lead to more positive job satisfaction. Even if you don't like the job, it's okay. Also, it helps reduce stress. Deep work reduces stress levels by eliminating those distractions and allows you to focus solely on a single task. Because being distracted is stressful, so as a result, you will reduce these feelings of overwhelm or being overworked, and therefore this will improve your overall wellbeingand help, possibly, prevent future burnout. Deep work also provides strengthened creativity in problem solving. It helps you develop your creativity and problem solving skills when you allow yourself to focus on a single task. You will fully immerse yourself in the problem or the task and explore various solutions and develop innovative ideas, resulting in more effective and creative problem solving.
And there is greater learning and retention. Deep work promotes better learning and retention of information. You give your full attention to the material where you are studying or the skills you are trying to develop, and that focused attention allows for more effective learning and retention as your brain can better process and consolidate the information. And of course, there's time management because you'll get better at prioritizing essential tasks and eliminating time wasting activities and increased resilience and heightened self awareness. Because you'll be accustomed to doing a single task and overcoming distractions, you'll be better able to handle unexpected obstacles. Deep work has numerous benefits that improve your work and personal life. So just think about how that might work for you and why it's so important for you to carve out that time. Thank you for listening. This is Janice at the career introvert. Com, helping you build your brand and get hired. Have a great rest of your week.
