How to Be Productive When You Feel Lazy and Unmotivated
Photo courtesy of Brooke Cagle on Unsplash.
Are there ever times when you feel so lazy and unmotivated that you can’t get things done? If you answered yes, I’m with you. Unfortunately, I have many moments when I feel lazy and unmotivated. It can be hard some days to get yourself motivated to be productive. Well, today, I’m here to list 20 ways that can help you be productive when you feel lazy and unmotivated. Let’s get into this!
1. Make Your Bed
Making your bed is one of those things that can help you be more productive for the rest of the day. It just makes you feel good knowing that some part of your life is organized.
2. Drink Iced Water
Drinking iced water is so helpful. The feeling when it hits your throat is oddly satisfying. I’m a huge water drinker and I always drink cold water because it makes me feel refreshed and want to get things done.
3. Go On a Walk
Going on a walk will help refresh your mind and get some clarity. Getting fresh air is just nice.
4. Make A To-Do List
Making a to-do list is helpful. I like writing things down because I can refer to my list when I need to. I started using the Reminders app that comes on the iPhone and set it as a widget on my homescreen. This has been so helpful because it’s right there on my phone and I use my phone a lot.
5. Drink Some Caffeine
Need a boost of energy? Try drinking some caffeine. I’m personally not a huge coffee drinker. I prefer iced tea but you do you. Get whatever you can to get you be productive.
6. Have A Positive Mindset
I’m guilty of saying things like “You’re never going to get this done” or “Why are you even trying?” Having a negative mindset isn’t helpful at all. It makes you feel depressed and sad. Starting going into things by having a positive mindset. Say inspiring quotes in your head. Think about something positive.
7. Listen to Music
This one I feel like is no brainer. Listening to music helps me get very productive, especially to upbeat songs that have positive messages. It also makes working fun because you get sing and dance. Spotify is my favorite music app because I can create playlists and listen to anything my little heart desires. I recommend checking it out if you haven’t already. I do purchase the gift card for 6 months of premium so I don’t have to listen to ads and shuffle my playlists in order to listen to my songs.
8. Commit Publicly
Need to get something done? Post about it on social media. Hold yourself accountable.
9. Take a Break
I find taking breaks to be healthy especially when you feel mentally and/or physically drained. Taking breaks give you time to figure out what you need to get done for the next day or the upcoming week.
10. Prioritize Self-Care
Taking care of yourself is so important. Take a shower or a relaxing bath. Wash your face. Do your makeup. Put on a cute outfit. Self-care is much more important than work and school.
11. Change Your Work Location
I find that changing where I work very motivating to be productive. The places I feel the most productive are the bar in my kitchen and in my outdoor patio. I like changing my work location especially since I’m home pretty frequently. It’s nice changing things up.
12. Limit Distractions
I know this is hard but limiting distractions will be extremely helpful. Tell someone you trust to hide your all of your electronics or anything that is a distraction. For me, my phone is my distraction like many of you.
13. Wake Up Early
I don’t do this since I’m not a morning person and I get most of my work done in the evenings and at night. If you’re a morning person, wake up early. It gives you more time in the day to get things done.
14. Plan Our Your Day Through Time-Blocking
Something that can help you be productive is planning out your day through time-blocking. This basically means making a schedule. For example, let’s say you have an assignment due tomorrow, you need to work on content to post on Instagram, and complete a project for work. You would schedule that working on that assignment maybe between 11:00am-12:00pm, the content for 1:00pm-3:00pm, and the project for 5:00pm-6:00pm. Time-blocking is scheduling a certain amount of hours dedicated to one item.
15. Create a Moodboard
Moodboards are fun because they can be visual and you have the freedom to make it aesthetic and artistic. I haven’t tried doing this yet but I definitely want to. It’s also a pretty way to display a to-do list if you make one.
16. Follow Inspiring and/or Motivating People On Social Media
Following content creators that post inspiring and/or motivating content on social media is helpful too. Getting that inspiration from someone else that’s productive will make you want to be productive.
17. Unplug in the Mornings and Evenings
Find time to unplug in the morning and wind down in the evening. Try to get the bulk of the work you need to get done during the day so you have time to relax. The first thing I do in the morning is check my social media and emails. The last thing I do before I go to bed is scroll through TikTok (sometimes for too long).
18. Download an Organization App on Your Phone
Visit the app store and search for organization app on your phone. Since we’re on our phones a lot, it’s handy to have an app that can help you organize your priorities and that way you can be productive.
19. Go on a Vacation
This doesn’t have to be fancy vacation to Europe. You can just take a road trip to somewhere local. Clear your head. This helps to distract your mind from stress.
20. Watch Inspiring and/or Motivating YouTubers
Going along with number 16, find a YouTuber that posts inspiring and/or motivating content. I recently found Julia K Crist, she posts productivity, lifestyle, and technology content. Watching her has helped me be more productive. Sometimes I’ll just play a video of hers while I’m doing something as background noise.
Find someone that will inspire you with positive content.
Time to Wrap It Up
I hope this list helps you be productive when you feel lazy and unmotivated.
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