I Don't Feel Like Myself, But I Need to be Productive
Have you felt this before? Maybe this is something you said 1 month ago, 3 days ago or what you're going through right now. I've been there, we've all been there. And given the current pandemic, we’re in right now, this feeling might occur more than often. You need to know that this is totally okay.
In fact, there have been numerous periods in my life where this was a consistent feeling that lasts over a span of a few days or weeks. Yes, your lack of productivity could be directly linked to depression or another mental illness. But regardless, this is something everyone goes through because we're human. I know you're thinking "well, obviously we're human, Tash" but do we really acknowledge this and act on it?
It's great to acknowledge this feeling but now let’s act on it! I'm going to give you 5 simple and inexpensive tips to do to be more productive. You’re not alone in the fight to overcome mood swings and achieve your goals. Let’s start by focusing on things we can do right now to seize the day.
1. Positive Affirmations
“Girl, you are everything. You're worthy. You're capable. You've got this.” A few simple ways to affirm yourself in a positive way. Be kind to yourself. If you already feel like shit, you need to pour positivity back into yourself to outweigh the more negative feelings. This should always be number one on your list of making yourself feel better.
If you're crazy like me and love to talk to yourself, literally say these affirmations to yourself out loud. Say it like you're talking to your little sister or a younger version of yourself. You inherently know you're going to get through it because you always do. But you need to start believing it. The tone in which you speak and words that you say to yourself will dictate how your mood changes.
“Girl, you are everything. You’re worthy. You’re capable. You’ve got this.”
Sometimes our unproductiveness started as just waking up with a lot on our mind or not getting enough sleep and we've allowed the negative thoughts to trickle down into our actions.
It's okay to feel down some days and it's natural to not be operating at 100% productivity all the time. But when you don't have the luxury to sit around and waste time, you've got to start by telling yourself positive things uplift yourself and get productive.
If you can't think of any, turn to motivational podcasts and videos, social media posts, scriptures from the Bible or your religious book, or anything that promotes positivity.
2. Make a To-Do List
This might be common knowledge for some but a lot of us still don't realize the power of writing things down. "I have like a million things to do" is never-ever actually a million things to do. Barely even 50 things if we’re being honest. Maybe over a span of a week, you need to complete many tasks but let's focus on one day! We can only take one day at a time. Make a new to-do list every day.
There's two ways I prefer to write down my to-do lists:
My preferred way is to write down a list of all the things I need to do and categorize them. So, if you run a blog or leading a project, write the project name and list underneath step-by-step what needs to be done. Under each project name, you may have 3 major tasks that require another 3 minor tasks under each major task - either way I might write it down if it's worth noting. I will even put down that I need to have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack times because it's easy to forget to eat when you're crazy busy.
Next, I go through and highlight 3 things that are a MUST. Only highlight things that are urgent and must be done today - no exceptions. There are some things we WANT to be done today but does it have to be done right away? Only you can make this decision. So, if you have two papers due this week, one tomorrow and the other in 3 days, you can just focus on the closest deadline; The next paper can be ranked lower or even added and highlighted to your to-do list for tomorrow! Prioritization, ladies!
Last, put a small asterisk or star beside 3 things you would like to get done once you've knocked out the must-haves. You don't want to overwhelm yourself; that's why I only suggest 3 but adjust this list to what you can handle. These are things you would like to get done today but can realistically be completed tomorrow or even the following day. They’re kind of like the “nice-to-haves” or “considered an asset” on those job descriptions. It’s not actually required but it would be great if you could knock them off your list. For me, this is where I put tasks like washing my hair, cleaning my car, doing my laundry or anything else that solely affects me or doesn’t have a strict deadline. Unless your washing machine beeps at you angrily every hour until you load it, I think you’ll be okay to do it tomorrow.
The alternative way to organize your time is by using the Time Management Matrix. This is a chart of 4 quadrants that categorizes tasks by urgency and importance. I really only used this method during school when my days and weeks were more planned out (i.e. project deadlines, clarified exam dates, set class times etc.). I found this tool more helpful when I would plan on a weekly basis instead of daily. The Time Management Matrix is broken down like this:
Important and Urgent – Crises and Emergencies
Important but Not Urgent – Prevention, Planning, and Improvement
Not Important but Urgent – Interruptions and Busy Work
Not Important and Not Urgent – Time Wasters
Time Management Matrix layout copied from Week Plan.
3. Eat Something
I can't count the number of times I've nearly fainted trying to work at 110% with -23% food in me. I know I’m hungry but I’m still working away like the machine I've convinced myself I need to be right now. My stomach is growling, my head hurts, I’m irritable and it's getting harder and harder to focus.
This might not be an issue for everyone (don’t worry I see you hangry girls) but it's often overlooked for many of us. This is also why I mentioned that you should add it to your to-do list because you will work through that list forgetting your very basic human necessities.
You can also set alarms or reminders on your phone to ensure you don’t overwork yourself on limited energy. Lack of energy plays a major role in our ability to be productive, so why not ensure you stay fueled up? It’s best to opt for healthier foods to snack on like nuts, fruit, veggies, or any foods that have proven to boost your productivity; you can check out this article for a more detailed list of great food choices.
I can recall many times crying to myself about my “sudden” migraine when all I had to eat was a banana with some coffee for the last 6 hours - well, duh! Don’t be like me. Make sure you eat!
4. Pamper yourself
This one is probably my favourite. A lot of the reasons I feel unproductive is because I'm just not in the mood. I feel sad, angry, or even numbed out. Sometimes I can’t always explain it but I’m just not feeling myself. I’ll tell myself, “Do you really expect to do your best work and be as productive as possible in a shitty mood? Your attitude sucks right now, you need to do something about it”. Yes, I talk to myself. More often than I’d like to admit.
Pamper yourself can mean whatever you want it to mean. My go-to is usually painting my nails or toes and doing face masks. A nice warm shower also helps wake me up out of my funk and get me going. Other ways that have worked in the past are listening to music or podcasts, doing a yoga routine, going for a walk or changing my scenery.
Try to do something that's less than an hour so you don't waste too much time getting to what you’re supposed to do. Sometimes doing an activity that makes you feel good is the balance you need first before doing what you have to get done.
No matter how you choose to pamper yourself or show some self-love, do something that you enjoy to uplift your mood so that you can become more productive.
5. Meet up and work with a friend
This was the most effective during my uni days. As much as I prefer to work independently or in the comfort of my pyjamas, it helps a lot to work with a friend. You don't have to be working on anything similar - just meet up at their house, your local coffee shop, school library (of course when it’s safe to do so) or anywhere comfortable and get to work.
You have to be disciplined and make sure both of you actually work and not just gossip and discuss unrelated topics. I find it helps to sit in proximity to friend or colleague that also needs to be productive because there's a sense of accountability. If they're diligently working away it will influence you to get a move on. You wouldn't leave the house just to watch your friend work, right? Get to work, girl!
Lastly but probably most importantly, having a friend around can increase your mood as well. Maybe you're both in a funky mood and you decide to tackle your to-do lists together. A lot of the time we remain in a funk because we’re lonely and believe we’re the only ones who are feeling down today. Having another presence, a positive presence like a friend, can increase your spirit and boost your dopamine levels.
When living with my roommates, my favourite thing was to study at our kitchen table and make a goal to end off our productive session with something fun - watching a movie, getting dessert, even going out to the club if it was a weekend night. I will admit that many of these nights I didn't complete my full list of things to do but I accomplished way more than I ever would if I stayed isolated in my room.
Try these tips out the next time you're not feeling yourself but you have to get some work done. Remember that you're human and that you're not going to be productive 100% of the time and that's okay! Just make sure that you're trying your best to be as productive as possible when you can; and when you're not in the mood and feel like you can't be productive reflect on these tips. In short, give yourself positive affirmations, make to-do lists, don’t forget to eat healthy foods, pamper yourself with your favourite self-care routines, or link up with a friend and get to work. Even if none of these work for you, share them with a friend you know who might be struggling to stay productive on those “down days”. These are some simple ways to increase your mood and get you to accomplish your goals.
Love your big sister,
Tash🖤