5 Ways To Stay Productive While Sick

Woman with tissue and hot drinkWith winter cold season just beginning, it’s important to be proactive and boost your immune system with extra vitamins and get your flu shot. I got my flu shot last month but there’s always a chance that you’ll catch a bug at some point this season. Most of the time, it’s nothing a few wellness products and some concealer can’t take care of, but there have definitely been times when a cold takes me completely out of commission.

Here are a few ideas to boost your efficiency even when you’re feeling under the weather:

1. Sleep! Even when you’re not sick, it’s important to get enough sleep at night, but when you’re sick and your body needs to recover, sleep is even more important. Think it’s overrated? I was recently at an event with Arianna Huffington and she revealed that she’s crazy about maintaining her sleep schedule. She attributes a ton of her success to getting enough sleep so that she can be more focused and productive.

2. Outsource. With services like TaskRabbit and Wun-Wun, someone else can stock your medicine cabinet and pick up chicken soup for you. Simply send them your wellness list and wait, health is on its way.

3. Maintain your To-Do list. It’s always a good idea to keep a notebook next to your bed for late-night bursts of inspiration. When you’re sick, keep your to-do list bedside so you can easily add tasks you’ll need to accomplish when you’re better. This will allow you to easily prioritize these tasks and head back to work as if you had never been gone!

4. Delegate. Whether it’s your co-workers or family members, most of us have a team we “work” with every day. Delegating tasks to others allows us to stay super-productive while personally only focused on a few tasks. People understand if you lean a little more on them when you’re sick, especially if you’re someone who always makes sure to do a good job.

5. Use the buddy system. I once asked a co-worker to keep an eye on my email as well as hers when I was out sick and to call me if anything needed to be urgently addressed. I could sleep soundly knowing that not every ping of my cell phone meant I had to get up and attend to some task. Later, I was able to return the favor when she took a personal day!

Remember: the most productive thing you can do when you’re sick is focus on getting better. Take care of yourself and try a few of these tips and the rest will follow. Stay well!

Fab Find: Cross Off To-Dos with HandyBook

Handybook LogoIf you’ve ever hosted Thanksgiving, you know how much has to get done before the turkey gets served. This year, many will be celebrating the first night of Hanukkah on Thanksgiving as well, and that means double the prep! This is the time of year for long to-do lists, so it’s important to remember to get help to avoid getting burnt out and stay cheerful! Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Get outsourcing! Read more

6 Things I’m Thankful For In My Life

Thanksgiving2This month, I’m featuring a short list of things I’m thankful for in the List Producer newsletter! I

Things I’m Thankful For:

1. Everyone who follows my blog!
2. My fun and fabulous family
3. My Interns
4. Dark Chocolate
5. YouTube videos of cute puppies
6. Evernote

There’s more where that came from! Sign up for the mailing list or use the form below to receive even more lists and awesome special features.

But also work on your own “Thankful List” — scientists have discovered that giving thanks and being grateful are extremely important to increasing happiness!  Don’t believe me?  Watch this video to see a little experiment to prove it.

“Sticky Notes” App

notesappWho doesn’t love sticky notes? They may line your mirror or computer screen but wherever you put them they serve as tiny reminders of all you want to accomplish. Even though they can stick to just about anything (like your iPhone) you can be totally lost if you forget to take one with you or read it before you leave the office. But now you can take them with you!

The Sticky Notes app is user friendly and free!

Here are a few features I like:

1. Did you ever wish that sticky-note stuck to the top of your notebook could remind you when it’s time to complete your task? This awesome little app lets you sync alarms with whatever you write on your sticky.

2. While I love seeing a picture of my husband and I at Luxembourg Gardens in Paris when my phone is locked, sometimes remembering to pick up the dry cleaning takes priority. With this app, you can add sticky-notes to your lock screen so you have no excuse!

Read more

How to get “Unstuck”

You know when you have a really difficult decision to make or a project to start and you just can’t seem to get it? Procrastination can be a debilitating thing and leave you stuck for too long. I recently got turned on to a life-changing (and free!) app called “Unstuck.” This amazing iPad app is like having a life coach in the palm of your hand! It can help:

  • set goals and make plans
  • make decisions
  • get help overcoming obstacles
  • deal with major changes
  • find motivation Read more