Have you recently felt that you are not doing anything worth it? Like you’ve wasted the whole day spacing out?
Well, I have.
I can still remember myself rushing and doing my responsibilities before the pandemic became serious. It was very tiring, but it gave me a sense of excitement since I’m doing something productive. Being the workaholic student that I am, I always had something to do and it is tough for me to stay still and I would rather do something to keep myself active.
Being productive is a good way to revitalize ourselves especially now that health is our top priority. But sometimes it is hard to keep ourselves active, especially when your soft and comfy mattress is pulling you, your pending watchlist calling you to another all-nighter finishing another season and your constant cravings whispering like it’s the best thing that you’ve ever heard.
Given these situations, it is hard to keep ourselves productive. My daily routine will sometimes change but I always stick to these eight things on keeping myself in the zone: (Tips on how to be productive)
Wake up at your own time.
Waking up in the morning is a rough start especially for night owls (like me) since we tend to have lesser energy in the mornings. This is because our sleep cycle has been disrupted when the pandemic started. Our body needs time to prepare for the day ahead. It is indeed important to have enough sleep, but not forcing yourself to wake up early in the morning if your body still can’t. Wake up when you feel like you are ready to kick start your day and gradually fix your body clock, so that for the following mornings it will be easier for you to start off your day right.
Have a healthy and wholesome meal.
It is important to have a meal before starting the day. Don’t skip meals! Our body needs essential nutrients like carbohydrates to convert food that we consume into energy that we need in our daily activities, especially the physically rigorous ones.
Fuel yourself with POSITIVITY.
If a healthy meal is fuel for the body, then, absorbing positivity is fuel for the mind. You can do it by meditating, morning yoga, reading daily reflections, morning prayers, or listening to good music while you sip on your favorite coffee or tea – anything that gives you positivity and motivation will boost your energy to be productive.
Make your Golden list.
Sometimes we have the urge to do something, but we don’t know where to start. That is why making a list helps us. You can consider your Golden List as your Quarantine Bucket List. Make a list of the things you wanted to do that you were unable to because of certain circumstances. You can enhance your skills that you have long forgotten, or discover new hobbies. We live in a Neo-world where ideas are endless and accessible in different platforms, so explore and try different activities while you still can. The Golden List will help you organize your thoughts and track your activities so that way you would know if you have improved yourself or not.
Do things that you wanted to do first.
Most activities take time, and some are impossible to do given the situation or the availability of our resources. Don’t overwork yourself and do it one activity after another. Take your time to absorb every information. Productivity has no time limits.
Cut off distractions.
There are times that we tend to complain or easily give up because we let ourselves get distracted. Focusing gives us a sense of success when we accomplish a certain task with sincerity. It makes us feel that we are close to our goal and that we are making progress.
Share the experience with someone.
Two (or More) heads are better than one. Sometimes having a companion motivates you to get the work done. It makes the activity easier and enjoyable when you have someone to share the same experience – it can be your supportive family members, your lively friends, or even your unbothered cat who will sit in front of you while you sweat out to another dance move.
Pause for a while.
Take a rest. We get burnt out sometimes and that is normal. Self-care is a time for you to heal and grow. Pausing for a while helps you collect yourself and analyze your improvements – and when you re-energize yourself, just jump back to where you left off. Besides, it is better to pause than to completely stop. While pausing, pat yourself for doing a great job and for not giving up! You deserve it!
There are no instant results to productivity; it is a continuous trial and error process of growing, learning and nurturing one’s self. Don’t be disappointed in yourself because you feel like you’ve done nothing. Little progress is still progress and no matter how small that is, you are still at the right track towards a better and healthier you.
Don’t pressure yourself because others have done and improved more than you do. You grow at your own pace. Remember, it took God six days before He created His greatest masterpiece. Learn to love yourself more especially that our health matters the most now. Our body and mind are sacred, it is a temple of God and His greatest gift to the world. Taking care of oneself and nurturing our God-given gifts are ways for us to thank Him for giving us our life today.
Let’s not allow this pandemic to hinder our growth. We may fail but the key is to stand up.
I realized that the stairs to a “better you” take a lot of time, effort, determination and a whole lot of faith, and progress will only start when we have the courage to take that first step.
