Staying productive when you have an endless list of things to get done can be a challenge when you have even more distractions in your head. We’ve all been there, especially after Monday hits and you can’t stop thinking about hometown dates on The Bachelor. I mean seriously, “WHO will be taking home that final rose??” Do you find yourself constantly trying to get things done but you end up with 50 tabs open on your computer and skimming a Buzzfeed quiz wondering what kind of pasta lover you are? Yes, these thoughts are unproductive when you’re trying to get sh*t done, so I’ve decided to come up with a few new tips and tricks to help you effectively check off that list before your mind starts wandering.
Staying organized from morning to night:
- Allow yourself to hit the snooze button once or twice before getting up so you can mentally prepare for your day.
- After the second or third snooze, get your butt OUT OF BED!
- Stretch and make your bed – if you make your bed every morning, I guarantee you will feel much better about yourself. Achieving something small like that helps you feel better about yourself.
4. Ask your Amazon Alexa for the flash briefing while you make your bed. If you don’t know what “flash briefing” on your Alexa is yet, then I suggest going to your settings on Alexa and checking off all the news outlets (i.e. The Skimm, CNN, Fox News) that you want her to skim over while getting dressed for your day.5. If you missed your early morning yoga or spin class, try to do a few sit ups, push ups, or yoga wheels on your stairs before hopping into the shower. Some early morning physical activity will heighten your productivity and boost your creative flow.
6. Make a delicious, high fiber oatmeal breakfast that includes almonds, apples, bananas, cinnamon sugar, peanut or almond butter, almond milk and a dash of salt stretch. I usually like melting in some bits of a Reese’s cup for added delicious-ness.
7. This meal should have you super energized til at least 11am or lunchtime. It’s my favorite go to and so easy to make. I like to get creative with it and changing up the ingredients. So much better than your bacon, egg and cheese on an everything bagel (unless you’re feeling a little under the weather after a night of drinking wine with your girlfriends the night before). The oatmeal will make you more productive though
8. Make a list at work of the top three things you need to get done first. Is your desk clean? Are pencils and pens everywhere? Make sure to keep your desk as clean as possible because less clutter, the more productive you’ll be. IT’S SCIENCE.
9. Strike up a conversation with someone at lunch to reduce anxiety and stress and boost your creativity levels. Brief non-work related conversations can boost your creativity so you will be more productive later on in the afternoon. If you constantly are thinking work, work, work then there is no room for creativity.
10. Are you social media obsessed like the majority of the world? Discover one of my favorite apps called Planoly. You can add photos you want to post to Planoly to see what it looks like in the grid before posting. It also allows you to schedule your Instagram posts – a win win.
11. Another way to keep your photos looking glorious in your feed is by using another favorite app of mine, OVER. It helps me a lot because I manage several social media accounts for clients. The Over app allows you to use any photo from your camera library or the web and then design it for a newsletter, Instagram post, Facebook banner, etc. It’s awesome.
12. After work, try to de-stress by watching tv, hitting the gym or calling a friend. These practices are proven to be the best way of unwinding after a tiresome workday. You are supposed to reward yourself with a little downtime by completely shutting off for a bit.
13. Make a list of the things you want to accomplish for the next day before hitting the hay. This is a good way to keep your brain active before going to sleep so you are constantly sharpening your brain skills.
Hopefully some of these tricks and tips help you. I find that keeping a journal next to my bed is a helpful way to let out some creativity and word vomit before going to bed. If you go to sleep and have a mountain of words drifting through your head, start writing in a journal. Trust me, it helps.
x,G
Originally published at inner-bloom.com