Do you ever just have a week that is really off? Naturally, motivation and inspiration come in waves but some weeks it’s extra hard to focus and feel productive. As a freelancer and blogger, no one is looking over my shoulder making me stay focused, so I always have to figure out what’s causing my off week and how I can bounce back from it. Last week, Angela and I both had long to-do lists and just felt like things weren’t flowing the way they usually are. So considering the reasons why we were having weird weeks, we made of list of ways to get back on the productivity train.
Practice self-care and let yourself take a break
Geez, when am I ever not talking about self-care? I always want to work, work, work, work, work, but that just never ends well. Ever. Taking a break is always a good decision and will give you more energy to get back to your to-do list. Love yourself. Take care of yourself. :)
Prioritize and create structure in your plan of action
One reason I feel off-track sometimes is that I don’t have much structure in my schedule. I just have so much to do and I don’t know where to begin. I’ve started numbering the items on my list according to their importance and that has helped a lot. If something is of very low priority, I’ll just remove it from my list completely and save it for the next day. This can be difficult because I’m stubborn and want to do everything, but taking a couple things off of my list is always such a stress reliever.
Step away from your work and take time for side projects
Angela and I both tend to put off our side projects and do paid work nonstop. However, taking time for side projects and hobbies is so therapeutic. It’s also a great way to avoid getting burnt out by working on the same task for too long.
Figure out what is distracting you and take care of it first
Distractions can really throw you off your game. Taking care of your distractions will put you in the right mindset to tune back into your work, and you’ll probably be happier with the quality of your work. Sometimes I get really distracted by my work environment. If it’s too cold in the room or if I’m working at a coffee shop with really chatty people, I know I have to change things up.
Along the same lines, Angela brought up a good point that we should try to tackle the higher anxiety things on our list first. What’s distracting us might not necessarily be the most pressing task, but getting it out of the way will allow us to finally focus on the more important things.
Remember why you love doing what you’re doing
Even if you’ve landed your dream job and it’s all you’ve ever wanted, some tasks are going to feel daunting. Lately, I have been having to remind myself that I’m doing what I love to do and that’s so cool. Giving myself a #girlboss pep talk always helps me feel more motivated and excited to dive back into my work.
Do you ever have weeks where you feel unmotivated or creatively stuck? If so, is there anything in particular that helps you get back on track?
Emily says
Good tips! The last one especially works for me when I’ve had a bad week. I try to remember that life should be fun and lighthearted.
-Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com
Courtney says
Love this. It’s so easy for one of these things to derail your day or even your week. Thanks for the tips – I know I’ll be referring back to them later :)
– Courtney
courtneylthings.blogspot.com
Arianne says
I currently feel unmotivated… sheesh, I think it’s because I feel isolated. When I feel alone, I don’t have the motivation to do anything at all. I need to rectify this ASAP.
Angela says
Hope you can get motivated soon! I work alone 99% of the time so I often fall into that cycle too. It helps if I dray myself to a cafe or public space, even if I don’t to :)
Angela says
Hope you can get motivated soon! I work alone 99% of the time so I often fall into that cycle too. It helps if I dray myself to a cafe or public space, even if I don’t want to :)
Bethany says
I absolutely love this post! I think it’s so important to remember that everybody has their off days/weeks. But it’s great to have some tips on how to bounce back from that. Self-care is the best way to reset my focus and help me feel like I’m ready to take on any tasks.
Bethany | Curly and Wordy