WE97 Blog Prompt
Unwinding
How do you unwind after a hectic day at work? Meditation, a hobby, reading, listening to music, cooking, yoga, gaming, an intimate interlude? Tell us how you relax and unwind and why you feel that method is the most beneficial to you.
Unwinding at the end of the day has become a crucial part of my life for the last few months. Since my toddler stopped napping, it's my only time for some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, my brain is fried at the end of the day (I'm a morning person), so it's tough to blog or work on my books. Lately, at the end of the day, I've been scrolling mindlessly on my phone, playing Splinterlands, or reading. I find reading to require a little less brain power than writing or illustrating. I'm currently reading American Psycho. I highly recommend it if you like the movie, or appreciate satirical humor.
Since I've been so burned out lately, I've been procrastinating on my more productive hobbies. I keep acknowledging this and plan to get myself back on track. Below are some ways I pull myself out of these unproductive ruts. I hope they can be helpful for you, too ⬇️
Sharing
Do you have any hints, tips or life hacks you'd like to share with the community? What are your shortcuts or methods that save you time, effort or money? Share a few and explain how they work, how you discovered them and how they have helped in your everyday life.
Here are some tips I've learned to use when I'm feeling lazy or procrastinating on something. When it comes to productivity, I've been inspired by helpful tips from Gretchen Rubin and Jamila Musayeva.
The 15 Minute Method:
This is one of my favorite methods for getting a big task done. Just tell yourself that you'll only do it for fifteen minutes. Energy breeds more energy. Once you start doing it for those fifteen minutes, you will oftentimes get more into it and keep working. Sometimes the hardest part is getting started.
Focus on Small Details
If you're feeling overwhelmed by a big task, focus on just getting one small part of it done. This sort of goes hand-in-hand with the fifteen minute method. Even making a small amount of progress on something small can make you feel like you're accomplishing something. It's enough to get the ball rolling.
Have a Productivity Mantra
Having a go-to quote or mantra can be helpful in pushing yourself. Mine is do something your future self will thank you for. Whenever I don't feel like doing something, I think this to myself and it helps me stay disciplined.
Here is a screen shot from a current work-in-progress ⬆️ This morning I didn't want to get up early to get something done before my toddler woke up. I told myself do something your future self will thank you for, and got up. I've been really stuck on our latest book, but it was because I was overwhelmed by all the edits I needed to make. When I focused on just editing one tiny detail (the tree) for a short amount of time, I was suddenly on a roll and was able to get more done.
Thanks for reading our blog!
