Sometimes it may feel like as hard as you try, productivity is just not within your grasp. I’ve been there. I am the master at sitting at a desk doing nothing for an entire afternoon, stressing about all the things I need to do. I really struggled with just getting started. I have since learned some helpful tricks I’m prepared to share with you so you too can also start doing more with your time, while being less stressed.
Before the list of helpful things to try, here is why I feel productivity is important to self-care.
Productivity is what allows you to get things done, hence allowing you to move on. In reference to self-care, if you feel like you aren’t accomplishing anything, whether that be a comprehensive task or something seemingly insignificant like organizing your desk, you are not going to feel good about yourself. When you are in a place where you are stressed about what you aren’t doing and have no idea how to get to where you want to be, you are likely to fall deeper into stress and anxiety and less likely to care for yourself in other aspects of your life.
Learn to be productive. Give your best.
Ready to start getting things done?
Here are some productivity hacks to help optimize your time.
- Name your alarm in the morning.
- I heard this trick from Rachel Ngom and I found it super helpful. For those of us with alarms on our phones or tablets, the first thing you see in the morning is “ALARM” accompanied by an aggressive beeping or a song we used to like but now signifies waking up to the real world. Instead of seeing “alarm” try changing the name to “You are going to rock today!” or some other cheesy motivational phrase. It may just be the extra push you need to get yourself out of bed sooner.
- Make your bed.
- My grandmother always told me your room always looks better if you make your bed. I am not suggesting you spend 20 minutes trying to master hospital corners but give it a solid minute worth of effort to pull up the sheets, comforter, and throw your pillows to one end of your bed.
- If it takes less than 2 minutes do it now.
- This is a great one. It is so easy to push things off and tell yourself you’ll do it later. I dropped my charger behind my bed, I’ll get it later. Oh, I should put these towels in the other room, but I can do it later. NO, YOU CAN’T! All these things pile up to leave you overwhelmed and stressed and no one needs that.
- Use a Pomodoro timer.
- I was going to say this is another favorite but I’m trying to avoid being repetitive even if it’s true! A Pomodoro timer is a strategy to maximize your energy and productivity. You work for 25 minutes then take a 5-minute break and repeat. After 4 rounds of this, you get a 15-minute break. Its easier to work harder knowing you get a break. This is the app I have for my phone
- Pick an exercise or stretch.
- Trust me, you will feel so much better if you move! Get outside and walk around, ride a bike, pick a stretching video, walk your dog.
- On a related note… Get outside!
- Get some vitamin D! Go people watch or sit in the grass. Taking this break can reset your brain, especially if you spend all day looking at a screen inside.
- Clean your room for 2 minutes.
- Set a timer and quickly clean and pick up as much as you can in 2 minutes. Every time I do this I end up cleaning more then I set the timer for. I just need to get started. If you want a challenge (this is only a challenge if you don’t already do this) try doing this every day, for increased amounts of time if you need it 😉 .
- Stop Multitasking.
- Guys, this doesn’t work!!! There may be a few exceptions but you could probably count them on one hand. It is to worth it. Devote your whole self to one activity and get it done. You will feel much better knocking out thing after thing, rather than finishing a fraction of 5 tasks.
- Pick a place.
- To the best of your ability, try to designate a place for each thing you do. For example, do your work somewhere other than your bed. If your brain only associates your bed with sleeping rather than sleeping, homework, bills, drawing, folding laundry, online shopping, etc. you will have a much easier time turning your brain “off” and sleeping, which is so So SO SOOO important!!!
- Eat healthy-ish.
- Drink water and don’t eat trash the entire day. Try intentionally making/eating one healthy meal a day. Set a goal of how much water you want to drink and do it!
I hope you found these tips helpful. Comment which one you wish you knew sooner or your own favorite hack!
Have an amazing, productive week!
With care, Rachel
