How to stay productive and beat the summer slump
It can be particularly hard to stay motivated and productive during the warmer summer months, with our minds wandering to thoughts of sun, beaches and pina coladas.
How can we possibly stay productive with all the summertime distractions luring us away from our desk? Read my six top tips to help you stay productive and beat the summer slump:
Plan your day
Your daily planning helps to turn your goals and intentions into action.
Make a to-do list (preferably at the end of the previous day) of what needs to be done and at what times throughout the day.
Split tasks into morning, after lunch and late afternoon time chunks and match them to your energy levels.
Plan your most important, challenging or strenuous tasks first thing as you’ll have more energy and better concentration.
Make plans for what you are going to do once you’ve finished work to make the most of the sun and light evenings.
Plan for playtime
Rather than battle between work and distractions, with a bit of forward planning – we can work, rest and play.
Playing with a pet, using social media, having a snack can be used as rewards to restore energy, focus and motivation. The alternative can sometimes be procrastination from the work we should be doing or guilty play.
Prioritise your workload
To make the best use of our time, we need to separate importance from urgency.
The Eisenhower Matrix helps you visualise your tasks as belonging to one of four categories:
- Urgent & Important: tasks to be completed immediately
- Not Urgent & Important: tasks to be scheduled
- Urgent & Not important: tasks to be delegated
- Not Urgent & Not important: tasks to be deleted
This can help you concentrate on the highest-value tasks on your To-Do list and ensure you schedule in time and tasks effectively based on their priority.
Take plenty of breaks
Breaks are essential for productivity and wellbeing. They help to:
*improve mental agility
*restore focus and motivation
*consolidate memory and learning
*boost creativity and productivity
The Pomodoro Technique helps to break tasks into 25-minute intervals separated by short breaks. This strategy is particularly effective if you experience procrastination or overwhelm.
Keep cool and hydrated
When our bodies feel uncomfortable and sluggish, so do our minds.
People work best at a temperature between 16°C and 24°C, so open windows, use fans or air conditioning to help keep your working environment cool.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and productive.
Take meetings outside
Going outside for meetings (on the phone, virtual or in real life) not only provides fresh air but also a change of scenery, which can spark creativity, new ideas and new ways of looking at problems or challenges.
Try and keep to a consistent routine of start/end times, breaks and lunchtime. You may find starting the day earlier (when it is cooler) and finishing earlier helpful, so you can get outside to enjoy the summer evenings and enjoy those pina coladas! Planning your day, prioritising your workload, taking plenty of breaks, getting outside and scheduling time for distractions will all help you stay productive and beat the summer slump.
The summer months are an ideal time to invest in your professional development. I can help you stay productive this summer with 1:1 business coaching, group training and events:
1:1 coaching
Business coaching to help you work more efficiently, plan and prioritise effectively and get more done.
*Special offer* Procrastination to productivity
Procrastination is a common challenge but the good news is it can be overcome. I can work with you 1:1 to help you get to the root cause of your procrastination and create good working habits to tackle your to-do list and tasks with focus and motivation.
This special offer of £300 is jam-packed with tools, tips and techniques that you can implement in your business straight away and skyrocket your productivity.
Email me for more details or to arrange your free discovery call
Group training
Training to improve the productivity, communication and performance of your team or organisation:
Time management and productivity training
Business planning and development training
Events
Planning for social media success
Do you sometimes get stuck for ideas for what to post on social media?
Are you looking for inspiration or fresh ideas to brighten up your social media feeds?
Do you want to grow your audience, business and brand?
Then this event is for you!
Friday, 16th July, 1.30-2.30pm
Accountability for action
A monthly Entrepreneur’s accountability group to help you reach your business goals and boost your productivity.
Friday, 23rd July, 1.30-2.30pm.
