Slacking Off at Work

I loved these tips from Career Builder about “slacking off” at work.  What they’re really talking about is not goofing off but ways to manage your work life in a more sane way. 

For example, their point about “email can wait” is definitely true.  I’ve been working on that one myself.  I tend to keep my email open throughout the day, and then immediately jump on it as soon as it comes in.  Instead, I should answer emails one or two times a day.  Keeping my email program closed will help me from jumping from whatever I’m working on to my email (and back and forth) and thus keep me more productive.

I also liked this point:  “don’t multitask.”  I know, it just seems wrong when you first hear it, doesn’t it?  But it’s true.  I’ve found this enormously helpful now that I’m a freelancer.  I have many projects and if I don’t focus on one and get it done before jumping to the next, I find myself feeling overwhelmed by my workload. 

The point I had a hard time with was the last one:  “schedule some me time.”  Have you ever done this?  I’ve never actually scheduled time “for myself” and to be honest, I’m not sure I’d know what to do with the time if I did.  To me, feeling more at ease about workload versus how much time I’m devoting to my family is enough.  Although I do believe we all need time to ourselves occasionally. 

What’s your tip about “slacking off at work”?  Have you found a saving grace in your work day?