{"id":54616,"date":"2022-04-18T09:58:23","date_gmt":"2022-04-18T16:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2022\/04\/beware-of-time-confetti\/"},"modified":"2022-04-18T09:58:23","modified_gmt":"2022-04-18T16:58:23","slug":"beware-of-time-confetti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/beware-of-time-confetti\/","title":{"rendered":"Beware of Time Confetti"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"time<\/h3>\n

\u201cFRESH IDEAS FROM THE BLACKLIGHT\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
SBC\u2019s Weekly Newsletter for Professionals<\/h5>\n

Today we\u2019re bringing you a PSA about a pervasive problem plaguing us all. More than ever before, we\u2019re suffering from the ill effects of time confetti<\/em><\/strong> on our hard-earned moments of leisure. While it sounds like a party, author <\/span>Brigid Schulte<\/span><\/a>, who coined the term, described time confetti as trying to do \u201cEverything. All at once. All the time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It also happens when the blocks of free time we need to recharge get interrupted by a relentless influx of notifications. We\u2019ve witnessed the creep of time confetti since the beginning of the smartphone era. But the pandemic has intensified the crisis as divisions between work and home life become blurred.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe adopt mobile technologies to gain autonomy over when and how long we work,\u201d says\u00a0<\/span>Ashley Whillans<\/span><\/a>, a behavioral scientist and assistant professor of negotiations at Harvard Business School. \u201cYet, ironically, we end up working all the time.\u201d Whillans\u2019 latest book is called\u00a0<\/span>Time Smart<\/span><\/a>, and she\u2019s on a mission to help us become aware of when time confetti happens so we can get better at avoiding it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Observe Time Confetti in Action<\/h2>\n

Here is how Whillans illustrates the concept of time confetti. Imagine that you have one hour to relax each day. Yet during that window, you receive four email notifications, a handful of text or Slack alerts, and one calendar alarm. Individually, these interruptions may not require a lengthy response. But they do snatch away your attention for several minutes when added up. And since they likely came scattered throughout those 60 minutes, Whillans points out that your \u201chour\u201d to recharge has now become several smaller chunks that are only five or six minutes long.<\/p>\n

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Each bit alone seems not very bad. Collectively, though, all that confetti adds up to something more pernicious than you might expect.<\/em> \u2014Ashley Whillans<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

At the end of the hour, you can\u2019t help but feel cheated out of a proper mental break. \u201cThis situation taxes us cognitively,\u201d Whillans explains in\u00a0<\/span>this piece<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0<\/span>Behavioral Scientist<\/span><\/em>. Plus, it \u201cfragments our leisure time in a way that makes it hard to use this time for something that will relieve stress or make us happy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Take Back Control of Your Free Time<\/h3>\n

When our time \u201coff\u201d is fractured into several unenjoyable little bits, we feel stressed out and time-poor. If you\u2019re ready to stop time confetti from eroding your free time, try these next steps.<\/span><\/p>\n

Become intentional with your breaks<\/h4>\n

Like most of us, you\u2019re probably scrolling through Twitter, Insta, or Tik Tok whenever you have downtime. Instead, opt for a proper pause that allows you to regroup and refresh (a break to play Wordle is allowed). Go for a walk around the block, have a healthy snack, listen to a podcast, or read a book. Slowing down to notice your surroundings will help you feel connected to the present.<\/span><\/p>\n

Set boundaries<\/h4>\n

\u00a0Since communication interruptions are a common culprit of time confetti, setting boundaries can limit their intrusion. For instance, you could resolve to check email only at set moments each day. If you just checked your inbox at 9 a.m., noon, and 4 p.m., imagine how much time you would save.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nir Eyal, Stanford MBA and author of\u00a0<\/span>Indistractible<\/span><\/a>, has a simple solution for anyone struggling to avoid the siren\u2019s call of app notifications, especially those from group chats. Instead of responding as messages come through,\u00a0<\/span>schedule a block of time<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to catch up on the conversation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Likewise, you can create white space in your calendar each week for deep thinking or focused work. Make sure to stick to it, and that other people also respect that sacred time commitment. It\u2019s okay not to be available 24\/7.<\/span><\/p>\n

Or…just put away your phone<\/h4>\n

Studies show that the mere presence of a phone nearby distracts us, something known as the\u00a0<\/span>phone proximity effect<\/span><\/a>. If you want to ensure that your leisure time remains interruption-free, get as far away from your phone as possible. You can find heaps of inspiration in Tiffany Shlain\u2019s weekly <\/span>tech Shabbat<\/span><\/a>. She says going completely unplugged for one day a week is like hitting the reset button for your mind, body, and heart.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe all have the power to overcome the time traps we have fallen victim to,\u201d Whillans says. By becoming more conscious about potential time confetti, we can increase our happiness and enjoy those leisure moments in ways that genuinely recharge us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Huzzah! You made it to the end of the post!<\/em><\/h4>\n

This primer on time confetti appeared initially<\/em>\u00a0on\u00a0the Blacklight<\/a>, our weekly newsletter for professionals. At\u00a0<\/em>the Blacklight, we\u00a0aim to illuminate<\/a>\u00a0with every dispatch that lands in your inbox.\u00a0<\/em>If you\u2019re thirsty for guidance to help you slay it at work or as a student and move your goalposts closer,\u00a0sign up<\/a>\u00a0today!<\/em><\/p>\n

The post Beware of Time Confetti<\/a> appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cFRESH IDEAS FROM THE BLACKLIGHT\u201d SBC\u2019s Weekly Newsletter for Professionals Today we\u2019re bringing you a PSA about a pervasive problem plaguing us all. More than ever before, we\u2019re suffering from…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":122,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,749,775,243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-stacy-blackman","category-admission-consultants","category-blog","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t\n