Now that staying at home is the new norm, it is inevitable that at some point, we will have to work from home and students will need to attend online classes.
There would be days when it is difficult to even get out of bed. The temptation to just do everything in the comfort of our cosy bed then ending up taking "short" naps that turned into time wasted is hard to overcome. This results in us feeling worse than before, and the dreadful cycle repeats itself without us even knowing.
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Some of you would be nodding in agreement with this, and you would ask, "But how are we going to stop this?"
Fret not, for here are 6 small ways to feel productive even when you don't feel like it.
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[ 01 | Show Up for Yourself ]
Do what you have to do to make yourself feel good. Just the basics - getting up, washing your face, taking a shower, and dressing up - will be good enough if you feel like accessorising and applying makeup is too much.
Be your own source of happiness and positivity for the day. Go on and play upbeat music that gets you moving. Have your own little dance party before you start your day. Celebrate that you managed to wake up and that you are going to seize the day.
Showing up for yourself is an act of self-love and self-respect that people often tend to miss out. You don't need validation from your external environment. All you need is yourself being there for you.
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[ 02 | Make Your Bed & Clean Your Workspace ]
Making your bed can be a daunting task to achieve but it only takes a few minutes. Like how Naval Admiral William McRaven, the commander of U.S. Special Operations said, “If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.”
Also, keeping a neat workspace makes it less tempting for us to slack off. We would instead feel better to work at our desk instead of sitting or lying down in uncomfortable positions on the bed.
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[ 03 | Have Breakfast ]
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gives us a boost of energy to get things done. It also provides us with the proper nutrition that we need for the day.
If you think preparing breakfast in the morning is a hassle, then try making your breakfast the night before. One good example of this is overnight oats. It is simple and relatively easy to make. Recipes for quick and easy breakfasts can be found all over the net. So there's no excuse for us to not know how to have a healthy wholesome breakfast.
Besides that, studies suggest that people who have breakfast live longer.
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[ 04 | Hydrate ]
After sleeping for hours, our body will naturally feel dehydrated in the morning. It is important to rehydrate after waking up. Drinking water helps us feel awake and also helps with our digestion. It also helps with our thinking in the morning as well.
A life hack is to place a cup of water at your nightstand or desk in the room and as soon as you wake up, you can have a few sips. Having a water bottle with you is also a good idea.
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[ 05 | Exercise ]
Hearing the word "exercise" can be pretty scary in the morning as it requires some work. However, it is not necessary to run a few kilometres or do heavy workouts. Just simple stretches after waking up are good enough.
Stretching prepares the body for the day and it helps with blood circulation as well as loosens tight muscles. Light exercises in the morning can help us with our daily performances as well as elevate our mood.
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[ 06 | Plan It Out the Night Before ]
Be it making a to-do list or actually making a planed and detailed timeline of the next day, it is very beneficial to plan our day the night before. By doing this, we are already one step ahead to winning our day.
Also, studies showed that people who write down their goals have a higher chance of achieving them. So it'll be a win-win!
It is also a good idea to pick out our outfit for the next day the night before. This saves us time to get ready in the morning.
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These productivity tips can slowly be developed into habits if done consistently. Remember that nothing is done overnight and consistency is the one that brings results.
