When you feel your best self, you’re able to maximize your productivity. Everyone has those days where you wake up wishing you could stay in bed watching shows on Netflix rather than getting up and going to work. However, most us don’t have the luxury of calling in a mental health day.
Here are 3 tips to help you get through those dreaded work days.
1. Focus on the most important tasks
It’s inevitable that unplanned emails, last minute reports, etc. will pop up during the day. However, go into your day noting the key tasks you need to accomplish and focus your energy on getting these done first thing in the day. When in doubt, if new items surface during the day, coordinate with your manager on which tasks need to be reprioritized and take precedence over your existing list. Map everything out on a list and stick to it. Once you’ve completed these, address the misc tasks that have come in and acknowledge that you might not be able to get to everything. Some items might need to be rolled over into the next day’s tasks.
2. Remind yourself to take breaks
You are not a robot. Only a machine can power through the entire day without stopping and even these will breakdown at some point. A break can, sometimes, be the absolute best thing to do for yourself after sitting at a desk, or staring at a screen, hours at a time. Make sure you are breaking to eat, catch some fresh air, or resting your eyes for your personal health’s sake. Taking a minute for yourself during the grind could be just what you need to gain a new perspective.
3. Write down a self-motivation tip on a post-it
Always ensure that you have something to look forward to at the end of your workday, even if it something as simple as an interesting Huffington Post article that you’ve been meaning to read or finally catching up on the most recent season of Veep. It really doesn’t matter how insignificant it is, as long as you have something to motivate you throughout the day. This self-love tip will significantly increase your chances of making it through even the most brutally taxing day.
Finding the willpower to get through the work is not always the easiest thing in the world. However, there is no need to stress because right now the most important thing you can do is focus on what is in your control. Concentrate on being productive. Giving yourself a mental boost by means of a compliment or coffee run is a small way to make a big change.
When in doubt, just know Netflix will be at home waiting for you.
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