Regardless of if it’s a job you’re new to or a job you’ve worked at for 40+ years, there are some days where you just can’t get through that daunting to-do lists. The tasks that typically take minutes feel like they take days, and you find yourself stuck in this unproductive downward spiral until the workday is over— when you sit and ask yourself: what did I even do today?
To get over that slump and to ensure you make the most out of your day, I constructed a list of a few easy, simple and effective things I do to make sure at the end of the day I leave feeling relaxed, accomplished and ready for the next day.
Consume less caffeine.
I know, I know. “How am I supposed to be more productive without caffeine?
Caffeine, as I’m sure you know, has a lot of negative side effects. I realized that my two cups of coffee every morning weren’t helping my productivity, rather stalling it, as I was reaping the negative side effects of being jittery, having anxiety and then having a crash later. And, it was hard to focus on my writing, or really anything, when it was hard to sit still.
Still need a good caffeine fix? Lookup Four Sigmatics Mushroom Coffee. It’s an instant coffee, and as a coffee snob I figured I’d hate it. I absolutely love it. Their products naturally enhance whatever you may be struggling with that day: productivity, relaxation, focus, energy, etc. And, it tastes amazing, and has helped me with my journey to become more healthy, mindful and productive.
Create your to-do list the day before.
20-minutes or so before your shift is over for the day, create tomorrow’s to-do list. Your mind has been working all morning and all of your tasks are fresh on your mind — so translate those thoughts to paper so you can come in the next day knowing exactly where to start.
Getting that motivation in the morning is hard, so having a list planned out of exactly what you need to do for the day without having to think about it helps so much. Try to highlight your top three tasks of the day and get them done first. Also include appointments and other obligations so you ensure you have no surprises that upcoming day.
Keep a clean space.
With stacks of papers and books and mail on your desk, it’s easy to lose focus during the day. Clean up everyday before leaving so you come back to a clean, organized desk or office in the morning. This helps you stay attentive to the tasks at hand instead of letting your mind wander in a million different directions of all of the other things going on in your space.
This goes for your email, too. If you have read an email and replied, delete it. Delete all your emails except ones that are awaiting a response of any type, which will leave you less overwhelmed when checking your inbox throughout the day to find things.
Plants, candles and dim lighting are other proven things that help create a relaxing space. See if you can incorporate some into your area.
