How to stay Productive

So today's post is something that is extremely close to my heart - productivity.

I grew up in a household where my parents were hard-working, motivated people, and so I feel as if it is something that has been engraved into my brain.

I love the feeling of accomplishment at the end of a day, where you have done all that you had needed to get done. Although, life is not so kind to us in this way, and often things throw us off course. I have many times missed that feeling of accomplishment as I have woken up in a lazy, unmotivated mood, or I have tried to start my day productive but the momentum deteriorated by 12 in the afternoon, and then I'm sucked into Netflix for the rest of the day.

For quite a while I was sucked into the unmotivated, Netflix binging days, where I wasn't getting much done (besides finishing all 6 seasons of Gossip Girl). And eventually I had enough. I knew I needed to create a new routine for myself, where I can easily stay on track and focussed throughout the day. Good news - I have now been on track for some time now and am loving my routine! So, I thought I'd share some of my personal tips and advice for you (just in case you were in the same TV floating boat as me).

1. Start your day off with exercise. I found that Going for a short walk / run had actually made me feel more energized and already accomplished for the morning (I hate cardio, and so for me this is a big deal).

2. Have a cold-warm shower - this really wakes your mind and body up, especially if the water temperature is on the colder side!

3. Tidy up around you - I am by no means a neat-freak, however, I found that if my environment was messy, I would feel less inclined to sit and work, and my mind and mood would also feel messy.

4. Take 10 minutes to write your list and goals for the day - I found that physically writing out the things I wanted to get done for the day really did help me focus and streamline my thoughts onto one piece of paper. What's great about this is that you can be realistic, and only write out what you know you can accomplish for the day, as well as put down your end goals. I found this step was so important as it carries me throughout my entire day, and what I will always do is refer back to the list and check off the things I have done as I go along, which in the end, always keeps me accountable.

5. Take a break - This step, although controversial sounding to all the other steps, is highly important. What I like to do is make sure I have done at least 2-3 hours of work before I allow myself to have a 30 minute - 1 hour break, where I will generally allow myself to have lunch and watch a few Youtube videos. (Here is where your discipline will come in, to make sure you get back to work after.)

I hope this small list can help you in some way or another, although it may seem slightly juvenile, or obvious, I can say from personal experience that sometimes going back to the basics of a simple and planned routine can do wanders for your day of productivity as well as your mental health!