Being productive when you do not want to be is one of the hardest obstacles to overcome. Finding the motivation to complete the tasks you need to might ultimately come down to one thing: taking care of yourself. A lack of motivation might also be a lack of interest. This article will give you everything you need to be productive when you do not want to be. This post may contain affiliate links
Routine | Create Habits
One of the most effective ways of being productive when you don’t want to is to create a routine and build habits. If you wake up at the same time every day for an extended period, it will become natural, and after a while, it will be more effort to vire from your routine than to wake up as usual.
Create a regular routine. For example, every day I am up between 7:30 and 8:30 AM. At this point, I get up, use the restroom, wash my face, and get ready for the day. Once I am dressed, I make my bed and open all of the blinds to let in the fresh sunshine. At this point (Usually approaching 9 AM), I make myself breakfast and boot up my laptop. I go into each morning with one large task in mind to complete, I then finish that task first. I then close out my day with dinner around 7 PM, yoga for 20 to 60 minutes, and a shower.
Having this routine for a long time, I have begun doing this without even thinking about it. Before I know it, I am productive and following my regular plan. Building this routine was not easy, it was hard, but one day something just snapped, and it was more uncomfortable not to follow my routine than it was to be productive. Create a routine that fits your needs and practice it until it becomes a habit.
Self-Care | Take Care of Yourself
Taking care of yourself is essential to being productive. If you do not take care of yourself, and as a result don’t feel good, you will not want to work. I am at my least productive after eating a bunch of junk food, not having slept well, or skipping my regular exercise.
What makes you feel most sluggish? Whatever it is, cut it out—Do NOT do it anymore. Make a point to find a replacement. For me, I replace candies with yogurt and fruit. I replaced soda with carbonated water. Find alternatives that work for you.
Additionally, it is essential to have a self-care plan. You need to work this plan into your schedule. Some items on my plan include washing my face every morning and night, eating a healthy breakfast in the morning, doing daily yoga (even if it's only for 15 minutes), watching YouTube videos before bed, and getting to sleep at a decent time. Create a self-care plan full of things that make you feel better, and implement it into your routine!
Need more self-care ideas? Check out my 30-day challenge or these 10 quick self-care ideas!
Enjoyment | Positive Outlook
One of the biggest hindrances of productivity is a lack of interest in what you are doing. If you don’t enjoy what you are doing, you won’t want to do it. Makes sense right? So what do you do about this if what you need to do is your job or required? Try to look at everything you find aweful with a positive twist. Reward yourself for completing these tasks. If you have boring paperwork to complete, try telling yourself that once you complete the paperwork you can get up and take a lap around the office, or you will get that raise you’ve been waiting for. Set up a reward system for completing boring or menial tasks.
If you think that you might be burnt out of your job or if you hate your job as a whole, consider talking to a career counselor about possibly changing up your career. Finding satisfaction in work is incredibly important for a fulfilling and happy life. People spend a large majority of time at work, more than they spend doing anything else. If you hate it, perhaps you need to find a different place to work or look into going back to school in a field that you will actually enjoy—there is absolutely no shame in this! It is essential to find a positive outlook about your tasks to be able to complete them productively and if you just can’t be positive, look into changing up your career!
If you just don’t want to be productive, combat it by creating a routine, taking care of yourself, and looking at your work with a positive frame of mind.
