Tips

• Take breaks! One of the most common things I hear from clients (and have done myself), is that they expect to be able to work on something for a long period of time, or even until it is complete – perhaps all in one go! This is usually both unrealistic and unhealthy. Our minds are made to wander, and even the most focused and attentive minds eventually begin to stray. Whether you prefer to schedule in breaks, or listen for cues from your mind and body, taking regular breaks while working on something is a helpful and healthy place to start.

• Make sure you’re getting enough self-care! This point is somewhat related to the first one, as when taking breaks, you will likely fill it with some sort of self-care. But this point also speaks to self-care in more general terms. The more we are feeling stressed, under pressure, or backed into a corner, the more we are likely to put off our work, feel overwhelmed, and generally feel unproductive. I think society can sometimes promote the idea that the harder we work, the more we will achieve and the more successful we will be. Don’t get me wrong, working hard is essential – however, I think it is important to consider how we are defining hard work. Pushing ourselves to, and past our limits, while it may seem beneficial in the short-term, over time will wear us down, and burn us out. So to put it simply – make self-care a regular priority.

• Start small. Start anywhere. Procrastination very often goes hand in hand with another frustrating P word: perfectionism. A lot of what blocks our way to getting things done, is desperately wanting to get it done right…and perfectly. That’s a lot of pressure to withstand while staring a project in the eye. It makes complete sense that the urge to avoid, run away from, or put off even for 5 to 10 minutes, comes up instead. I can use this post as a good example. All of my thinking about it, hypothesizing, wondering, imagining what it would look like – kept me in the non-doing and avoiding phase. The productivity only began once I stopped getting ahead of myself, and put some ideas out there in a real and concrete way. Allowing yourself to start small, and letting go (even if it’s just temporarily to start) of the expectations you set for yourself, can be the path to productivity and reduction in stress.

• Give yourself credit. This one is crucial, and goes nicely with the previous points. I think a lot of us are used to working ourselves to the bone, finishing our assignments and projects, then starting all over again on the next project in line. We typically don’t stop and appreciate our efforts and successes long enough to let them sink in. Going from one thing to the next, with continually high expectations and pressures, is a sure way to feel drained, emotionally and physically. Learning to congratulate ourselves with a figurative or literal pat on the back, and just being able to acknowledge our effort can go a long way.