The Ukrainian tech sector, being a thriving field, has been aiming to become the greatest tech hub in Europe. The war started and put our tech progress at risk immediately. Russia’s invasion on the 24th of February 2022 was a crucial turning point for every Ukrainian, and the IT sector isn’t an exception. 

The war has been influencing every citizen of our country. Many of us are facing a decrease in productivity these days. Ukrainians who aren’t used to checking their news feeds wisely are nowadays absorbed by refreshing websites for war updates too frequently. We get overwhelmed and confused every time there’s an airstrike alert in our messenger. It’s difficult to concentrate on work, but we must continue doing something important, something that can keep us afloat in order to win the most important battle — the battle in our heads.

If each of us contributes to our own military front, we will surely win. Every day performing our working responsibilities we get closer to our victory. That’s why we’ve gathered 4 tips that the Infinity Technologies team uses to stay focused and work productively. Check them out, fingers crossed, these tips can be useful for you.

Tips to Save Productivity During the War

Stay Informed, but in Moderation

It’s impossible not to follow the news, but being constantly glued to news websites destroys work performance. In this case, some limitation on the time spent searching for news can help. It is better for productivity and mental health to choose a particular limited time for reading or listening to the news — for example, only in the evening. It is also important to choose truthful news posts in order to avoid fakes. We read news from BBC, Reuters, and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

And at work, all the news resources should be turned off. Smartphone settings allow muting messengers and notifications in the chosen time automatically.

Practise Actions Until They Become a Second Nature

Automated actions are simpler and faster to perform, as there is no need to think a lot about how to do anything. They are also less emotionally involving. The following methods can help to automate more processes at work:

• Follow an agile development methodology.
• Optimize your code to its maximum simplicity.
• Try to make your code as simple as possible so that another developer can understand it.
• Be as familiar as possible with the language you are working in and the libraries you are using. 
• If you don’t know where to start, start with the part you understand the best.
• Do not ignore mistakes, each of them carries a meaning.
• Automate testing and development from testing.

Have a Short Review at the End of the Day

Summing up all the accomplishments at the end of the working day helps to analyze the unfinished tasks. It is important to determine why some tasks are unfinished: was it a lack of time or inability to cope with them. Besides, it is also important to check if the following tasks are fully clear or if there is a need for some additional explanation and analysis. It helps to prepare for the next daily meeting and spend it more efficiently. Discussing the difficulties you faced and the following tasks is important to avoid potential troubles and ensure a smooth working process.

If you know what to do in the morning, it will definitely help you to work productively during the day without energy-expensive decision making.

Take High-Quality Breaks and Rest Well

During the war, Ukrainians do as much as they can to contribute to our victory. For software developers, the “battlefield” is their work that supports our economy. But continuous coding causes exhaustion. To stay productive, it is important to take high-quality breaks and let your brain relax from work. Finally, the best rest for the brain is doing nothing. A couple of minutes of staring out of the window is a great way to unload the brain and restore productivity. 

Also, it is important to sleep well at least 7 hours a day, spend more time outside and breathe some fresh air. It is easier to fall asleep and rest well if you stop using screens for at least one hour before your bedtime and read a paper book or play chess instead. Repeated at least for a week, these tips definitely work.

Fighting for the Future

Ukrainians are a powerful nation. Tech specialists are educated people with a global outlook who are already fighting for our future, donating a lot of money to our army, and supporting the Ukrainian economy. Highly-motivated developers who work efficiently and productively contribute to our victory. Finally, being productive adds to the feeling of satisfaction with your work.

We hope that our pieces of advice will be useful to you in times you are doubting or tired. Remember, that light always conquers darkness and there will be light at the end of this tunnel.