I think most of us would agree that ‘productivity’ looks a little different right now. Although most of our days are far from typical, we’ll take anything that makes us feel like we’re, slowly but surely, returning to some sense of normalcy. So even if it seems counter-intuitive, sometimes the best thing you can do for your productivity is to slow down.

You can still accomplish everything you want to accomplish without working yourself into the ground at all hours. Besides, we all know the key is to work smarter, not harder. So, we’re here to share with you the five things we stopped doing that made our days way more productive and way less draining.

"We are huge believers that the most fulfilling moments come from taking a leap of faith and choosing the road less travelled. Practice by writing down a list of things that scare you in your planner. Once you have these down on paper, you’ll start to realize they’re not so scary after all."

STOP PUTTING YOUR HEALTH ON THE BACKBURNER

Burnout often happens when we stop taking care of ourselves. If you put your sleep, nourishment, movement, and self care on the backburner, it’s easy to get into a negative mindset and feel your productivity levels decline. But when we eat healthy and move our bodies, take time to meditate and check in with our mental health we’re going to experience less stress and be able to show up fully when we need to get work done. Using our Wellness Planner has helped us so much in setting us up for success every day and getting into the right mindset.

STOP SAYING YES TO EVERYTHING

If you overload yourself with projects and tasks, you’ll end up spreading yourself too thin. At one time or another, we’ve all said yes when we really wanted to say no. It becomes a problem when we are constantly overextending for others and not leaving anything left for ourselves. By not saying yes all the time, you are able to focus on opportunities that you’re passionate about and schedule your time accordingly. Start using your planner regularly and be realistic about the amount of time and energy you put into each thing. Our Six Month Planner is perfect for customizing your entire planning experience, from tasks to deadlines.

STOP FEARING CHANGE

Whether it’s switching careers, ending a relationship, moving to a new city or suddenly losing your job, change can be a scary thing. We are huge believers that the most fulfilling moments come from taking a leap of faith and choosing the road less travelled. Practice by writing down a list of things that scare you in your planner. Once you have these down on paper, you’ll start to realize they’re not so scary after all. By learning how to deal with change, you’ll start to realize that change is something you can handle, and will actually benefit you!

STOP DOING A MILLION THINGS AT ONCE

Yes, we all want to be able to do it all. But doing too many things at once can get in the way of being productive and completing your individual tasks. For many of us, multitasking is a skill. But working on multiple tasks can make you lose sight of the bigger picture by getting sidetracked. While you’re working on a specific task, try turning off your notifications and block a certain amount of time to complete a portion of it before moving on to the next thing.

STOP DOING IT ALL YOURSELF

It can be scary to ask for help. But we can’t deny that every time we’re feeling overwhelmed, reaching out for help has made a huge difference. When we put our ego aside, we are able to achieve so much more and have seen better quality results. With help, you’ll be twice as productive and you’ll worry less about meeting that deadline now that you have someone helping you.

These tips have really helped us manage our stress and become more productive and we hope they help you too! When you feel yourself losing motivation, put things in perspective, let the insignificant things go, and start getting more done everyday.