Netflix is an amazing black hole of content. Once you enter its orbit, it draws you in and it can be impossible to escape. In the blink of an eye, you end up watching an entire season of House of Cards or finishing three movies in a row. It happens to the best of us, and apparently it’s pretty normal. According to Netflix, 61% of their subscribers are binge viewers that consume content in hungry batches.

The end result can leave you feeling like you wasted away an entire day, even if it was fun. We have some good news: there is a silver lining. Here are some productivity hacks you can translate from your Netflix binge to your workday.

“You just gotta go with the flow.”

Aziz Ansari gave that bit of advice based on how he binge watches Netflix and it applies nicely to work productivity. When you’re in the zone, in that binge-consumption mode, you get a physical focus and mental concentration. Nothing can distract you. Brief pauses for food, water, and bathroom breaks are the only minor interruptions to your Netflix flow.

Get in this same nothing-else-matters moment at work. You’ll not only get more done, you’ll likely produce higher quality results. Embracing focus and enjoying the task at hand can bring out the best creativity and problem solving you have to offer. This feeling is especially useful if you’re in a crunch and facing a deadline.

So embrace that Netflix binge feeling when you need that extra oomph at work. Find out what gets you in the zone, whether it’s the right music, silence, or seating, and get out of your unproductive funk -- just go with the flow.

The dual-screen experience

This one comes from one of our co-founders, who asked to remain unnamed. He loves to binge on food documentaries and guilty pleasures, like Gossip Girl. He never pays full attention to the riveting plots at hand, though, and always has a project, piece of reading, or email on his second monitor.

Like that mysterious co-founder of ours, there are those out there that can use Netflix as background noise instead of music and find the constant buzz a suitable way to stay focused on one task. These are the types of web surfers that would otherwise seek out distractions when they want to otherwise stay productive.

If you’re that type of person, find the right low-intensity show to pair with your work. This isn’t an acceptable solution in every workplace, so use podcasts instead in offices that might give you a dirty look for having Kitchen Nightmares playing during work hours.

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One story at a time

Whether you’re the type that watches one episode a night or ten in a weekend, you know it’s best to get caught up on all available seasons of a show at once. You get more involved in the plot, connect further with each character, and get to chat with others when you finally finish.

Take a similar approach to projects and tasks at work. People often find problems staying productive or driving results when they’re juggling more than a few responsibilities. If you can, stick to just one “story” at a time. You’ll find yourself achieving more, feeling less busy, and you’ll probably do a better job, too.

Just one more episode!

Finally, the signature trait of a Netflix binger is the one more -- maybe two -- you go for when you thought you’d be wrapping up and moving on with your day. Take that same push at the edges of your tasks or performance at work and you’ll wind up pushing the boundaries of your career. All it takes is marginal effort every day or with every project to impress your peers and managers.

A Netflix binge doesn’t have to leave you with a guilty feeling. Even better, follow the above to apply some of the binge watching hacks to your office productivity. So the next time you find yourself in the middle of the third season of Doctor Who on your first day of watching the show, think about that efficiency and effort and how you can use it to give your career and productivity an impressive boost.

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