It’s just too hot to work. As the day gets longer and brighter, your mind automatically starts wandering to thoughts of flip flops, beaches, and pina coladas. Meanwhile, there are dozens of tasks and projects that need your undistributed attention. Now, tell me – How can you possibly stay productive in such situations?
If you think that “finding inspiration” or “seeking motivation” will help, let me tell you one thing – it’s not that easy. What you really need is a practical solution to beat the heat and get work done. Luckily, I have got a few ideas that might help you have a well-spent summer in spite of all the heat and the lull.
Below, I’ve gathered the best tips and hacks to help you stay focused, motivated, and ready to roll, no matter what may be the season.
1. Use the Pomodoro Technique
Sitting in an empty office with nothing to do – this is the kind of situation that breeds procrastination. However, there are many tested techniques to stay productive and improve mental agility in such situations.
Ever heard about the Pomodoro Technique? Well, for those who haven’t, the Pomodoro Technique is a proven time management hack by the developer, entrepreneur, and author Francesco Cirillo. The idea behind this technique is very simple and inexpensive. The Pomodoro Technique suggests that you break your work hours into 25-minute intervals (called Pomodoro sessions) separated by short (5 minutes) breaks. Practicing this technique will help you work with the time they have—rather than against it.
2. Take meetings outside
Have you ever tried taking your team out in the office to take the daily stand-up or weekly update? I know it sounds a bit too much but doing this will provide a fresh context to your team meetings. There is even a study that indicates how a small change in scenery can spark creativity, productivity, and good health among people. In this sense, taking meetings out of the conference room or having walking meetings can really help to relieve you (and your team) from summertime office blues and get your creative juices flowing.
3. Stay busy doing the right thing
Having too much to do is stressful. Agreed. But spending your time doing the wrong (least important) stuff is a major de-motivator, particularly in summer when the offices are dead quiet. This problem presents a perfect opportunity for you to hone up your task management and task delegation skills. Prioritize your time and task in the day, and if it’s appropriate, start using a work management software. You’ve got plenty of options, including popular ones like ProofHub, ProWorkflow, Clarizen, and Celoxis. Just make sure that you’re doing urgent and important work, as opposed to just busy work.
4. Take strategic time off
We don’t get summer breaks in offices, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t take at least a day or two to get out and enjoy the heat. If you haven’t taken time off yet, do it now. Let’s put it this way – your vacation time is solely restful, the idea is to rejuvenate and recharge so that when you return you can make a smooth transition from “being stuck in the office” to “being productive”.
Staying productive during summer is sure a challenge. But they aren’t impossible to overcome. With the right tools and tactics, you can easily turn the summer slump into a happier and more productive season. Hopefully, I’ve given you a clear idea of how to get your summer off on the right foot. But if you’re looking for more help or have a few summer productivity tips of your own that you would like to share, add a comment below!