reduce stress | List Producer

How to Take a Break and Get Stuff Done

September 30, 2014/1 Comment/in Happiness, Increase Productivity, Oprah, People, Reduce Stress, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

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Most days I’m so concerned with my lists and getting things done that when I do have some down time, I freeze. I think, “Shouldn’t I be doing something? There’s got to be something I can do right now.” I forget that it’s OK to just do nothing and not have something planned out for every second of every day.

On this blog I talk a lot about taking regular breaks. However, when you’re feeling busy and rushed off your feet — I get that it can be tough to take a moment to slow down. Most of us eat lunch at our desk or read emails while we make coffee and we feel as though we have to be accountable for every minute. But this frenzied work ethic can actually be harmful to your productivity. It’s time to join me and give yourself permission to relax during those down moments. It’s amazing how much of a boost in your efficiency you’ll feel if you just take it easy on yourself.

Because I can’t do anything — even taking a break — without a list, here are some ideas for you: Read more

Need More Friend Time? Unique Ways to Catch up

September 23, 2014/1 Comment/in Happiness, Increase Productivity, People, Relationships/by Paula Rizzo

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When you were younger spending time with your friends was as easy as going to their house after school. But now coordinating schedules with our friends becomes more of a challenge. Making time for them is important not just because they make you happy, but friends can also provide positive encouragement and hold you accountable to reach your goals.

Here’s a unique list of ways you can spend more quality time with your friends:

Start a wine club – A wine club is basically an excuse to get drunk with friends, but with better PR. An invite to a “Wine Club” sounds far more sophisticated and professional than just inviting someone over for drinks. Other than the wine, organizing a monthly club has many additional benefits. Setting aside a particular date every month gives friends a chance to block that day out on their calendars in advance.

Plus, even if people have to skip a few months here and there, you’ll probably still see them more regularly than if you tried to arrange separate events. I got this idea from my new favorite podcast, Glambition Radio with Ali Brown. She spoke to the CEO of a group called Women of the Vine, which highlights women wine makers. They have a wine club with More Magazine called More Uncorked. All the wine is made by women. Love that! Read more

What’s a ‘Listicle’ Anyway?

September 11, 2014/0 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Boost Memory, Decision Making, Fab Find, Fitness, Food, Happiness, Health, Holidays, Home, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, Oprah, People, Reduce Stress, Relationships, Saving Money, Saving Time, Shopping, Technology, Tool for Success, Travel, TV/by Paula Rizzo

The word listicle, a combination of the words list and article, has officially made it onto OxfordDictionaries.com. It is defined as ‘An article on the Internet presented in the form of a numbered or bullet-pointed list.’ While it may have only recently come into common use, I’ve been writing listicles on this blog for years now. So to celebrate the new dictionary entry I’m making a listicle of my favorite listicles from ListProducer.com!

1. 10 Gluten Free Grains For Everyone – I spoke with Leslie Cerier from ‘The Organic Gourmet’ and she gave me list of grains everyone should try. This is one of my most popular lists, especially as more and more people are going gluten free. Read more

Join Me Tonight For a Call

September 9, 2014/2 Comments/in Apps, Benefits of List Making, Increase Productivity, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Technology, Tool for Success, Webinar/by Paula Rizzo

Just wanted to remind you all that I’m doing a live call tonight to help you get more done! If you have an endless to-do list sitting in front of you — listen up. You do not have to do all the things on that list. It’s true! Give yourself a break and get a little help. I’m talking about outsourcing your tasks to get someone else to do them for you so you can get your time and your sanity back.

Just because you CAN do all the things on that list, doesn’t mean you HAVE to do all those things yourself. There are major benefits that come from having an extra set of hands.

If you’d like ideas on what exactly you can outsource from your to-do list and how to get it done cheaply — join me and Speek’s Chief Operating Officer, Konrad Waliszewski, for a virtual fireside chat on Speek:

When: Wednesday, September 10 at 8:00 PM Eastern

Where: www.speek.com/SpeekOut Read more

Boost Your Productivity in Just 15 Minutes

September 7, 2014/0 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Food, Health, Home, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

We’ve all been there, working on a difficult project where everything seems to take so much longer. Or a Monday morning when our minds are just moving a little slower. What you really need is something to help kick start your energy.

Here are some quick things you can do in 15 minutes or less to make you more productive and help you get motivated:

10-Minute Yoga – Exercise is a great way to stay healthy, reduce anxiety and elevate your happy hormones.

Listen to Music – According to a recent study listening to music for 15 minutes can not only helps to improve your mood, but it also increases your creative problem solving abilities and task performance. So next time you need to brainstorm ideas – plug in your headphones and put on some of your favorite tunes!

Add a plant to your desk – Plants can help to liven up an otherwise dull office, and studies show that productivity can increase by up to 15% when plants are introduced into the workplace. This is most likely due to the perception of improved well-being. As well as the calming effect that plants and greenery naturally have on humans.

Go for a Walk – Like yoga, walking can help to boost creativity and mood, but an article in The New Yorker claims it goes beyond that. Writing and walking use similar parts of our brain. When we walk, we are surveying the world around us and constructing a mental map. This mental exercise can help us to organize our thoughts and come up with a plan of action.

Sniff a Lemon – It’s true — Scent Psychology finds the scent of lemon sends your concentration and energy skyrocketing. It can also calm you down without making you less alert. So start using all those senses to get stuff done.

What are some of your quick tips for boosting productivity?

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