Ever heard of productivity guilt? If you answered no— ever heard that voice in your head that’s telling you you’re not working fast enough or getting enough done throughout the day? That’s productivity guilt.
I often find myself hearing that little voice throughout the day and very loudly when the clock strikes 5pm. What have I accomplished today? What will I need to add to my already heavy plate the next day? Should I work until 8pm to catch up on anything I missed during the day? Questions that flood my mind more than ever, especially since my home has now become my office.
Sometimes you might find yourself overwhelmed before you’ve even started or made a dent in your to-do’s which scares you away from achieving maximum productivity.
Here are 3 of my tips on how to avoid that dark feeling, the best you can.
- Don’t be so hard on yourself! If you took a break to clear your mind or if you took your hour long lunch because you wanted to enjoy it, don’t beat yourself up! You deserve pauses throughout the day to avoid burn out. Try asking yourself what advice you would give to someone who is feeling the way that you are! How would you support them?
- Find out when you are most productive! For me, that was recognizing that I’m super productive the morning, but I fall into a slump in the afternoon. I’ve learned to plan my schedule around that. I’ll never start a large task in the afternoon, because I know the chances of me executing my best work that late are slim!
- Make yourself a to-do list, but in those tasks find ways to let your creativity flow or showcase your strengths. For me, planning out content can be draining, so before I write out what I need. Since I'm visual, I sketch out drawings of what I want things to look like. From there, I’m able to clearly see what I need.
Always remember, you don't need to reward yourself for doing things you should be doing! Relax if you need to, your mental health depends on you because there's always tomorrow, and if there isn't focus on the positives of the outcomes!
