By : Mr. Haniff bin Abdullah Hashim _^K.B.;P.A. 

Many people often stay late at the office due to work commitments. However, upon review, not much work is actually completed. On the other hand, colleagues seem to work casually, but when their performance is observed, it is outstanding. When this happens, many tend to blame themselves, thinking they are useless, not smart enough, or inefficient. Some even blame the environment, feeling overwhelmed with too many tasks. With the passage of time and advancements in technology, work patterns and styles have changed. Nowadays, the term Deep Work is frequently discussed by many as the most effective method to determine productivity, whether for students or employees.

Deep Work, in short, refers to when an individual is fully focused on a task and completes it with high quality. With the advancement of technology and communication tools, work should ideally become easier. However, the opposite is happening. The presence of social media has made it easier for individuals to lose focus. To make matters worse, some people spend time scrolling through social media instead of focusing on the tasks assigned to them. Hence, Deep Work is a concept aimed at helping people refocus on the tasks they need to complete.

The mind is like a muscle. If it is not trained, it will weaken and shrink. Therefore, train your mind to focus solely on work at a particular time, without thinking about other things. Set aside trivial tasks like replying to emails, responding to WhatsApp messages, planning the weekend, or anything personal. Instead, focus, for example, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., exclusively on tasks that require high focus, such as writing reports, composing papers, planning programs, and so on. Ideally, high-intensity tasks (which require high mental effort and focus) should be done at the beginning of the workday. Less demanding tasks, like replying to emails or having casual chats with coworkers, can be done later.

Choose one social media platform that is most helpful and effective. Limit your screen time to specific hours. Check WhatsApp for 20-30 minutes only to stay updated, and respond only to important issues. If there is no need to open Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram during work, avoid doing so.

Identify routines that consume a lot of time, such as deciding where to buy breakfast and what to have. If necessary, choose just one place to go for a week, then switch to a different place the next week.

For example, an office worker working a 9-hour shift. They arrive at 8:30 a.m. and leave at 5:00 p.m. The first 30 minutes are used for planning the day's tasks. Write down all the tasks that need to be completed. The next three hours should be focused on tasks requiring high concentration. This is when the Deep Work method is very appropriate. These three hours are divided into two phases: the first phase is 1 hour and 20 minutes, followed by a 10-minute break, then another 1 hour and 20 minutes. To ensure you are not distracted, keep your phone away, log out of WhatsApp on your computer, and only have one or two relevant browsers open for reference. If you lose focus, use a breathing technique. Never attempt to open social media, as it is very easy to get lost in it for a long time.

Date of Input: 28/01/2025 | Updated: 28/01/2025 | ayna