Having a productive day is one of the best feelings. I wish I could say I am always productive, but unfortunately, that is not the case. However, I do try and get the most out of my days as often as I can. Recently, I’ve been trying really hard to make sure I do what I want to, and need to, in a day. In order to do this, there’s quite a few steps I take to ensure my productivity can be at an all time high. If you’re struggling with being productive and want to begin feeling better and getting your work done, let me help you!
The first thing I do to ensure that my day is going to be good and productive is writing out a to-do list the night before. I really enjoy handwriting my to-do lists, but then it’s not accessible throughout the day. So, instead, I use an app called Todolist. I will look at what assignments I have coming up, tasks for my internship that need to be done and anything else I want to complete during my day and add it all to my to-do list along with the times I want to start and finish them by. Adding times creates a deadline and it really helps me stay on a good schedule.
Adding even the smallest tasks is helping when making a to-do list: taking a shower, eating lunch, anything that might seem mundane or irrelevant, I still put! For one, it feels really good to mark them off once complete, but I think it makes for having an even better, put-together schedule. I also try to not overload my schedule. I used to find that I would write way too many tasks on my to-do list and would never be able to get them all done. Now, I only write things that are urgent or smaller tasks from a big project rather than writing the entire big project on my to-do list.
Most days, I like to try and wake up relatively early. I find that the earlier I start my day, the more time I have to get things done and the earlier I can finish up my day. On my really productive days, I will wake up around 7 and get out of bed around 7:10ish. I try not to lay in bed and especially not scroll on my phone. Going on your phone immediately after you wake up is known to start your day off with added stress and anxiety, which we want to avoid when trying to have a productive day!
I like to make my bed as soon as I get up, so that way at the end of the day I can come back to a nice, clean and comfy bed to sleep on. After I make my bed, I move to the bathroom to brush my teeth, wash my face and do all of that fun stuff. Then, I get ready for the gym. Sometimes, it can be really hard to make myself work out in the morning, but I find it is 100% worth it and makes me feel really good and energized once my workout is over. If I do not work out in the morning, then I will keep pushing it back and back on my list until I ultimately end up not even working out at all.
After I freshen up with a shower, I make breakfast and usually try to journal if I can. Sometimes, I have to get right into work while eating, just depending on how busy my day is! I struggle to not let my phone be a distraction throughout my day. I find it beneficial to keep it out of my work space. You know what they say: out of sight, out of mind.
I think it is important to take breaks when necessary, too. Working an entire day can get tiresome. When I’m ready for a break, I will take a walk to clear my head, watch an episode of one of my favorite tv shows or watch some Tik Toks. However, it is important to know when your break is over and get back to the grind! It can be easy to have time just pass right by when on your phone or watching TV, so I recommend setting a timer for 30 minutes, or however long you want your break to be.
At the end of my day, after I’ve checked everything off on my to-do list, I do whatever I have time for or whatever I want to do. Usually, that is watching a movie, some self care or really anything I want to wind down my day with. Then, right before bed, I start writing my to-do list for tomorrow.