Tag Archive for: stress

Bad Productivity Habits That Are Good For You

“Bad habits die hard” as the saying goes, but there are some you really don’t have to kick to the curb in the name of productivity. No more feeling guilty about that mid-afternoon nap or holding off that work proposal until the night before.

These “bad” habits can actually help with your productivity and get you motivated to work hard:

1. Procrastination: A pending deadline looming over your head, can actually be one of the biggest motivators. It can be stressful to wait until the last minute, but this can really get the creative juices flowing and spark that adrenaline rush you may need to complete a task. I found that there are three crucial times when procrastinating works the best – check them out here.

2. Napping: Feeling tired after that huge lunch or didn’t get enough ZZZ’s the night before? Take a nap! Yes, I said it! Bring back the kindergarten days and take a snooze. You may feel like you are just wasting precious time, but napping for 20 to 30 minutes can really rejuvenate you.

3. Leave the Dishes in the Sink: If cleaning is on your to-do list daily, feel free to skip over it every once in a while.

4. Texting and Checking Social Media: No need to turn off your phone when you are busy working away.

5. Distractions: Surf the web for cute puppies, read the news or watch an episode of your fave show! Distractions can take us away from work, but can also be a great way to take a break. If you feel stuck let yourself wander, it may spark a new idea and relax your brain. Set time limits for yourself so you don’t get carried away. For instance, I sometimes reward myself with an episode of Breaking Bad after checking off a certain amount of to-dos. It keeps me motivated as well as stopping me from binge watching.

6. Stressing Out: When we feel stressed the first thing we want to happen is for it to just go away!

But according to Heidi Hanna, author of the book “Stressaholic: 5 Steps to Transform Your Relationship with Stress”, stress can stimulate us. She says, “It gives us the energy to get things done. A lot of people procrastinate because the stress of that deadline actually fuels that energy. It gives us a surge of adrenaline which, in the short term, is fine.” Heidi warns that stress does become a problem when you begin to use it all the time. So it’s not something that you should be dependent on but once in a while it’s okay!

So don’t break these bad habits, just learn to use them in moderation. Be sure to comment below if these productivity don’ts work for you!

5 Reasons to be a Compulsive List Maker

To-do ListWhether you write a to-do list, a grocery list or a list of pros and cons – the act of putting thoughts down on paper will be good for your mind, body and soul. I’m not kidding. Making a list will decrease stress, increase productivity, keep you organized and focused, and give you a sense of accomplishment.

Making a list may seem pointless at first, but investing some time into this simple task offers big returns. My beloved journalism professor Cathy Krein always told us to “keep it simple, stupid,” when critiquing our writing. She meant that in the most loving way and I think that statement can be applied to everything in life – including lists.

I’ll get to more benefits in another blog, but here are the reasons you MUST start making lists now:

1. We are forgetful

It’s true – the average adult attention span is 15-20 minutes, so we are bound to let a few tasks fall through the cracks here and there. But you don’t have to!

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