With late nights and the freezing cold weather creeping in, it is very easy for us to fall into bad habits and become unproductive! Don’t worry if this is you, as it is completely okay to be unproductive and to not be active if you don’t feel like it! However, here are some of my top tips for staying productive during the winter months. These are just some suggestions, do not feel like you must do them!
Exercise:
Exercise is key to staying productive during the winter months. Although it may be tempting to curl up in bed when the nights get darker, try to integrate some form of exercise into your routine. Whether it’s a short walk or a gym session, this will keep you on track to being productive during the late nights. Fresh air is essential for a good mindset, and even if it’s freezing cold, walking for 10 minutes every day can be so beneficial. You could even increase your walks by two minutes every day, depending on how far you want to go. This might be a good challenge or goal to set yourself for the remaining few months of the year!
Hydration:
Most of you probably wouldn’t even think drinking water is essential to be productive, but it is! It can boost your mood and set you up for a productive day. Before you go to sleep, have a full glass of water beside your bed ready for the morning. Once you wake up, start drinking your water. You will immediately feel refreshed and ready for the day. I find this so helpful during the winter as it can be hard to wake up and get out of our warm beds to start the day. This is the first step of my morning routine and I would definitely recommend you to incorporate it if you haven’t already.
Make Time For Yourself To Relax:
During the winter, we all have this sudden urge to relax and sit on the couch watching a movie. But try not to get into the habit too often as this can be very unproductive! One way to avoid this is to allocate time for relaxation each day. Set a time for the amount of work you are going to do, then reward yourself with an hour or so for relaxation. Timing your relaxation means you won’t forget it, but you won’t spend all day every day on it either! Pamper yourself or have a movie night! Self-care is the best care, and once you have looked after yourself you feel fresh and ready to work!
Have Good Lighting:
Another small tip to staying productive during the winter is making sure you have a good bright space to work in. Have all the lights on in your room or a good desk lamp when you want to do work to get you motivated and to avoid you feeling sleepy! Make sure to let natural sunlight in too when you can.
Set Goals For Yourself:
And now for my favourite part of productivity, setting goals for yourself. I find this task very satisfying. It really makes you feel as though you are achieving something. It is very easy to hit a slump in the winter and feel as if all we are doing is eating and sleeping. Setting goals can make sure we are using our time to the best of our abilities. Instead of pushing our goals off to the new year, why not start now? Plan your days the night before or in the morning so it is fresh in your head. Once completed, tick the goal off your list and you will feel so accomplished. It will motivate you to do even more!
Hopefully, you can take away something small from this article. Something that you feel you could easily do to help you stay productive, even if it’s just drinking more water! Identify what works for you and roll with it!