We often equate a successful and productive day to one spent getting through the million tasks on our to-do list. Even when we accomplish most of the things on that list, we’re often left feeling exhausted with so much still left to do because we’ve neglected the things that actually help propel and boost our productivity. We also tend to sidetrack other important aspects that we should be maintaining like our mental health and well-being.
We think productivity is doing as much as we can to get the most results. But productivity is a holistic approach. It’s the art of being efficient and effective whilst nourishing our mind, and body, and ensuring we don’t neglect other areas of our life that helps us continue to and even boost our productivity. Read on for 5 quick things you must add to your checklist today for positive mental health and mindful productivity. They may initially feel like a waste of time, but actually they’ll benefit you and make you more productive in the long-run.
Schedule time for breaks and rest
Does your to-do list make time for rest? Scheduling time to relax and take breaks may seem silly, but it is easy to get carried away with all the things we want to achieve and rest and breaks are the last thing on our mind. By scheduling breaks in our planner or journal we are 1.4 times more to follow through with the break. Allowing yourself to relax, whether it’s going for a short walk, lying on your sofa reading or taking a nap helps you rejuvenate, make better decisions, and prevents burnout in the future (experiencing burnout and exhaustion will only lower your productivity anyway!)
Set time for Intentional procrastination
Similar to setting out time for rest, creating space in your to-do list to procrastinate with intention can give you a boost of happiness and increase your productivity, as long as you’re specific about the amount of time you want to spend doing this and don’t get carried away. Intentionally set out guilt-free time to binge-watch a TV series or watch funny Youtube videos for example.
Add things that bring you joy
What brings you joy? It’s crucial to make time for pockets of joy to bring you balance during a busy day. It also radiates positivity which helps you come up with more creative ideas and better solutions. You reduce levels of stress and become ready to tackle any challenges that may pop up in a productive way. Be sure to write in one or two activities that you can focus on which are guaranteed to make you happy. Or you can even find joyous elements in some of those challenging task you have on your list and focus on that.
Ask for help/delegate
Many hands make light work, and rather than spreading yourself too thin, consider if there are tasks on your to-do list that you can delegate. Ask a friend, family member or colleague if you’re using a work to-do list to take one or two items off your plate, leaving you more room to get the more important things done and have time to rest.
Add thinking time to your list
When we spend so much time doing, we don’t have much time for thinking. As a result, we can easily end up where we do not want to be, resulting in us losing time and feeling under or overwhelmed. Thinking time is paramount, this is time that allows you to ponder on exactly what your goals are, what you want to achieve, all the possible actions and steps you can explore, who you can ask for help from or delegate and much more. You are able to use your thinking time to look at the whole picture and daydream about the perfect result. This is time for us to get creative and find the best possible answers and solutions before we write out our to-do lists and take actions. Our actions will be much more productive and intentional rather than reactive.
Check your to-do list and see if it includes these characteristics. If not, add them in, and see if you feel a boost in your productivity and overall well being.
Get our Productivity and Mindfulness Challenge Cards to help you further boost your productivity today.
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