How to mix various kinds of tasks for maximum productivity?

April 16, 2015 8:11 AM

My workday is made up of many kinds of tasks—studying, writing, coding, problem-solving, Photoshop, and drudge work. I notice that I can write effectively for only about three hours a day. Same with studying. But if I mix up the tasks, I can work longer. Do you know of any studies that have been done to find the optimal mix for maximum productivity?
posted by markcmyers to Grab Bag (2 answers total)

Best answer: I don't know about the tasks themselves, but I recently read an article that referenced a study about breaking up your time more generally into blocks of 52 and 17. Work for 52; get up and walk around and do something else for 17.

Oh and look at cute pictures of cats. That's also scientifically shown to boost productivity.

This might be so individual that your best bet may be to install a productivity software and track your own productivity so you can figure out what patterns work best for you.
posted by sockermom at 8:42 AM on April 16, 2015 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I just read a book about this! You should read Make It Stick - it talks about the ideal way of learning, but I think it applies here too. They highly recommend interleaving tasks so that you give your brain "forgetting time" before coming back to it. It also allows your subconscious to continue turning over the task/issue so that you can come back to it with potential new solutions.
posted by guster4lovers at 10:00 AM on April 16, 2015 [1 favorite]