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Erin, welcome to unlearning work, where we empower you to redesign your job by rethinking work habits, behaviors and strategies. I'm your host. Erin Merideth, a work behavior enthusiast and leadership strategist, join me as I explore various work related topics and provide practical insights and real life examples. We'll examine the nature of work from the ground up, and deliver bite sized episodes with actionable advice twice a month.
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Hello and welcome to unlearning work, the Podcast where we explore strategies to transform our work lives and unlock our full potential. I'm your host, Erin Merideth, and today we're diving deep into a subject that impacts every professional breaking old habits at work, whether you're facing procrastination, getting bogged down by constant multitasking, or struggling to delegate effectively, our habits shape our daily routines, and they can either propel us forward or hold us back. In this episode, we'll unpack the common habits that many of us fall into, explore why they form in the first place, and discuss the profound impact that changing these habits can have on our productivity, mental health, career advancement, and even our relationships at work.
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Let's start by considering how habits form. They're the very backbone of our professional lives. Every day we engage in a series of behaviors, some beneficial Others, not so much. Habits are automatic responses to the cues in our environment, that morning rush of emails, the layout of our office or even looming deadlines can trigger behaviors that we might not even notice. For instance, a punctual starts the day is a habit that can set a positive tone, while an ingrained tendency toward procrastination can sabotage our performance without us even realizing it. Think about it, even our best intentions can be derailed by habits we've developed over the years. Today, I'll be sharing some common examples to illustrate just how impactful these habits can be. What are some real world examples of these counterproductive habits? Let's look at a few. First, there's procrastination. Many professionals delay important tasks, whether it's starting a challenging project or having a critical conversation. Imagine an employee who spends hours organizing their desk or repeatedly checking emails instead of diving into a demanding report. Over time, these delays add up leading to stress and missed deadlines. This habit is often fueled by a fear of failure or an unhealthy desire for perfection. Has this happened to you when you've been tasked with creating something new, or been given a project, instead of starting on the project, you find yourself reordering your files or perfecting minor details, ultimately delaying the entire project. And then this procrastination not only puts you under immense pressure, pressure as deadlines approach, but also it affects the team's workflow.
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Now think about constant multitasking, that modern myth that that's an amazing thing to do in our fast paced work environment. We're often praised for juggling multiple tasks at once, but research consistently shows that switching between tasks actually reduces productivity and increases error. Have you ever tried to handle multiple projects at the same time where you're responding to emails, attending back to back meetings and monitoring ongoing tasks simultaneously. One moment you're drafting a project proposal, the next on call, but another project, this constant switching leaves you feeling scattered, resulting in shallow work and increased burnout over time.
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Another common habit is the avoidance of difficult conversations. A team leader, for example, might hesitate to address underperformance due to a fear of conflict over time, this avoidance creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and frustration among team members, ultimately hampering the overall effectiveness of the team. Consider a manager, a team leader who struggles to address this underperformance. So instead of having a direct, constructive conversation with an employee who's been missing deadlines, they opt for passive, aggressive emails or just avoid the topic altogether, hoping the issue will resolve itself over time. This avoidance creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and frustration among team members, ultimately undermining the trust and collaboration within the team,
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another counter protective work habit can be over reliance on email communication. While email is a vital tool, using it as the sole method of communication can lead to delays, miscommunication and even isolation from colleagues. Instead of engaging directly with people, we sometimes let the digital barrier prevent more effective collaboration and problem solving. Some employees depend so heavily on email as their primary mode of communication, they almost use it for everything, even for urgent matters. Imagine that urgent matter email coming in and getting lost in this flood of incoming emails, which can lead to delays in decision making and even.
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In a sense of disconnect with others. So as a result, issues could be resolved quickly through a face to face conversation, a phone call, and instead, it drags on impacting overall team efficiency. Through these examples, you can see that habits go beyond more inconvenience, they directly affect productivity, team morale and our personal well being. In the next segment, we'll explore why these habits form and what underlying factors contribute to them. Now you might be asking, why do these habits form in the first place? So understanding the root causes is a critical first step in overcoming them. Often, habits form as a way to cope with stress or uncertainty. There are automatic responses designed to give us a sense of control, even if that control is only perceived, there are several factors that contribute to the formation of those habits. The first one is environmental cues, the physical and digital environments in which we work. It's the layout of the office, the timing of the meetings, the constant ping of notifications. All of those can reinforce certain behaviors. Consider an employee who works in an open plan office. Their desk is cluttered with sticky notes, and the computer constantly pings with email notifications over time, these cues have conditioned this person to check their messages repeatedly, even when they have a critical task at hand, the design of the workspace, along with the constant digital interruptions, reinforces the habit of distraction. Another reason why these habits form is because of psychological comfort. Those familiar habits, even if they're unproductive, provide a sense of security. Changing them means stepping into the unknown, and that can be intimidating. So take, for example, an employee that has a habit of rereading and double checking every email before sending it. Well, this while this meticulous process slows this person down, it gives them comfort by minimizing the fear of making mistakes, and this ritual of over checking has become a safety net, making the idea of change feel risky. Another reason is our past successes. Sometimes behaviors that once served us well can become outdated. So if you once thrived on working late nights, you may find this habit now disrupts a healthy work life balance. Sometimes a habit sticks around because it's once delivered positive results, even if it's no longer effective. Consider an employee who used to thrive in a startup environment where long late night work sessions often led to breakthrough ideas. Now in the new corporate role, they're in the same habit of working late into the night disrupts the work life balance and hampers overall productivity, even though the context has changed, the habit remains because it once felt like a recipe for success. And finally, there's peer influence. The behaviors of colleagues and supervisors can have a powerful impact. If your manager procrastinates or micromanages, it's likely that these practices will be mirrored within your team. The behavior of colleagues and supervisors sets the tone for what's acceptable in the workplace. For example, if you have a leader who routinely avoids direct face to face discussions about performance issues, and they send follow up emails instead, the employee getting those emails will start doing the same, believing it is the norm. So that influence of the manager's behavior reinforce the hurt, like this employee's tendency to shy away from difficult conversations, even when addressing issues directly, might lead to better outcomes. So by understanding these underlying factors, we can better address the why behind our habits and start to dismantle them for them inside out.
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Let's now talk about the importance of the why that we would like to break old habits, it just isn't about improving productivity. It's about enhancing every aspect of our professional life. When we remove unproductive habits, we unlock several key benefits, the first one being enhanced productivity. We eliminate inefficiencies, we free up time and mental energy, more strategic in those value added tasks. What is the impact of breaking these old habits? Breaking them isn't just about improving productivity, it's about enhancing every aspect of our professional lives. When we remove unproductive habits, we unlock several key benefits. What is the impact of breaking old habits? It isn't just about improving productivity, it's about enhancing every aspect of our professional lives. When we remove unproductive habits, we unlock several key benefits. One of those is enhanced productivity. By eliminating inefficiencies, we free up time and mental energy for more strategic value added tasks. If you've procrastinated before, when you've gotten your work and you get distracted with minor tasks. Once you recognize this habit, you can start implementing focused work sessions. You can be start blocking your time completing pro proposals or your work well ahead of deadlines. This extra time will allow you to dive deeper into creative strategy or other work stuff that is more value.
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Added and strategic. So we can imagine a workplace where not constantly battling stress and distractions, but instead are empowered to focus on what really matters. That's the transformative potential of breaking old habits at work. Another improvement is our mental health, reducing the stress and anxiety that come from counterproductive behaviors leads to a more positive, balanced work environment. So imagine you're being overwhelmed by constant multitasking. This habit of switching between tasks not only reduce your effectiveness, but also heightens your stress levels. So if you learn to focus on one task at a time and incorporate short breaks into your day, you can notice a significant drop in your stress. You can feel calmer, more focused, and found that this overall mood and job satisfaction satisfaction can be improved. Another benefit is career advancement. Embracing New positive habits can open doors to leadership opportunities and innovative projects. So think about a manager who was often avoiding having difficult conversations with their team about performance issues, and they started addressing these challenges directly, using clear, constructive feedback, they not only build stronger test trust with their team, but it also demonstrates their leadership capabilities to others. So as a result, this is how this person was recognized by senior management. This is where the opportunities started to come and the new offers for new roles where they could drive strategic initiatives. Finally, you can improve your relationships, whether it's with colleagues or clients. Improved communication and collaboration paved the way for stronger, more effective relationships. So if you relied heavily on email for all your communication, and that habit often led to misunderstandings and a feeling of disconnect with your colleagues. By shifting towards more face to face interactions and direct conversation, you can build a more collaborative team environment. This new approach not only improves the clarity of communication, but also fosters a sense of camaraderie that enhances overall team performance.
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And each of these examples illustrates how breaking old habits doesn't just address immediate inefficiencies, it creates a ripple effect that enhances productivity, mental well being, career growth and workplace relationships and recognizing and acting on these benefits can be incredibly motivating as you work towards lasting change in your professional life. Changing ingrained habits isn't easy, but it's entirely possible with a thoughtful, step by step approach. In future episodes, we'll break down the specific strategies you can use to transform your internal narrative and create a more productive, fulfilling work environment. For now, I want you to consider the journey head as a process of continuous improvement, and remember our habits are not fixed. They're learned behaviors, patterns that we can change with awareness, deliberate effort and the right strategies. And the journey toward breaking old habits starts with understanding why they exist, then they move on to setting clear, achievable goals, developing new routines, and finally, integrating these changes into your daily life. And I want to emphasize that breaking old habits is not a one time event, it's an ongoing process of self reflection, adjustment and growth. Each small step you take to replace an unproductive behavior with a more positive choice is a victory in itself. I encourage you to take a moment after this episode to reflect on your own work habits. What changes would you like to see in your daily routine? Write them down and start thinking about the steps you can take to create a more effective, fulfilling work environment. Thank you for joining me on unlearning work, and I hope this episode has inspired you to look critically at your habits and consider the lasting benefits of making positive change. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, follow and share the podcast to help us reach more professionals like you, and if you're ready take this conversation further, we invite you to join the unlearning work community. There you can share your experiences, gain valuable insights and continue, continue your path toward a more productive, fulfilling work life. For more information, visit unlearningwork.com and let's unlearn the old ways together and build a better future one habit at a time. You
