Tag Archive for: productivity tips

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!

Livescribe3 Pen Digitizes Your Notes In Seconds

livescribe1One of the biggest complaints people have about switching to digital list making is that they really enjoy writing notes down on paper.

I agree completely and that’s why I haven’t totally made the switch myself, I use both. When I take meeting notes on a phone call or in a meeting I usually end up taking a photo of my notes and uploading the photo to Evernote for later use. Then if I misplace my paper notes I know I have a backup that is searchable. There are also some notes just don’t translate to digital well — like if you’re drawing a seating chart or map.

But fear not, now you don’t have to give up your handwritten notes! Some techie geniuses at Livescribe have solved this problem with a pen that transcribes everything you write onto your mobile devices. Sounds like the coolest thing ever, right? Yeah — I thought so too. The company sent me a pen so I could check it out for myself and tell you all about it.

How Does It Work? Read more

Four Ways to Refresh Your Closet For Fall

Clothes rack

Clothes rack (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To me, fall means leaves changing color, pumpkin-flavored everything (including M&Ms, they’re new!) and that exciting moment when it’s finally cool enough to wear my favorite blazer. If you’re like me and you have limited closet space (thanks NYC,) reincorporating those fall sweaters into my wardrobe means cleaning out my summer clothes to make extra room.

After you’ve regained some precious closet real estate, take advantage of the time it takes to put away all your fall clothes and try a modern technique to be more efficient with your time and closet space. Check out this list of tips and tricks that you can try when reorganizing your closet for fall. Who said productivity couldn’t have style?

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8 Last-Minute Packing Reminders

English: Photo of luggage

English: Photo of luggage (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I don’t really need any excuses to make a list. But whether it is getting ready for a vacation or planning a major move, there is nothing like travel to send me into super list-making mode. I’ve made lists of:

But no matter how organized I am or how early I start packing, there are always a few things I can’t pack ahead of time because I use them so frequently.  I created a list of “Last Minute Packing Reminders” – may you never stress that you left the stove on or visit an airport convenience store again!

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Reasons to Take a Staycation

Reading

For the whole summer, everyone is daydreaming about jetting off for a beach getaway. I bet very few of you dream of staying near home for your vacation, but don’t sell it short! In hindsight, it’s easy to overlook all the bad parts of a taking a trip – the delayed flights, missed connections and lost luggage.

So next time you think you need a break, consider taking a “staycation” instead. This could mean that you stay in a hotel just down the road, or it could mean that you look to buy a “holiday home” near you. This way you’ve always got a place to go on the weekends or somewhere to use if you have guests staying with you.