mood board: productivity
A collection of pictures that represent productivity to me in different ways. With the exam period that most of us are in, or just the general chaos that comes with the end of the year, finding that healthy work-life balance can be a struggle because we often prioritise one over the other and end up feeling stressed or over-worked.
Some tips to avoid stress and be productive everyday:
Write tomorrow's to-do list the night before. If you're anything like me and your brain doesn't switch off easily in bed, writing a list helps clears my head and I feel so much more relaxed and prepared.
Get the most difficult tasks over and done with in the morning. Putting off a big task leaves you anxious throughout the day as it'll be on your mind while you're doing other things and by the time you finally get around to it... you're most likely not feeling up to it. Besides, once you tick that dreaded task off your list in the morning, you'll feel great about the rest of the day and can power through the rest of your 'easier' tasks.
Be excited about getting things done. Having a negative attitude instantly affects your ability to do work and it's probably going to take longer than it should to finish it. Find your 'space' - a place where you feel most productive, like a quiet spot in the library or a cafe, and know what works for you. A cup of hot tea and some music helps to keep me focused, while highlighting and coloured underlining keeps note-taking fun.
Take regular breaks and reward yourself. Don't judge your day by how much of your list you got done... be grateful and proud that you got something done and acknowledge that you did your best and will do better tomorrow. Taking regular small breaks (5-10 minutes) can actually make you more productive than forcing yourself to do a few hours of work before letting yourself breathe. If you're struggling to concentrate on a task (a situation I often find myself in), stand up, stretch, walk around the room and get a glass of water. It's so much more productive, believe me, I've learnt the hard way.