So you’ve done what you’re supposed to: you made the to-do lists, you organized your calendar, and you’ve planned out your day. Hell, you even worked out, meditated, and watched enough Thomas Frank videos to last a lifetime - and yet, you still find yourself just as unproductive as you were when you started. If this sounds like your case, then here are six reasons that you probably have never thought about when you are trying to combat that nasty unproductivity.
1. You're working too hard.
This one seems a bit counterintuitive; after all, isn’t productivity all about working hard? The answer is yes… and no.
Though working hard is the by product of productivity, too much of it can be detrimental. Beneficial productivity comes from knowing when to work hard, but also knowing when to take a step back and breathe.
You can do this in many ways: you can have an hour of hard work followed by a ten-minute break and then another hour, or you can have several hours of hard work and then one reward hour (where you can catch up on your favorite Netflix show). There are unlimited ways to make sure that you work hard, but also play hard enough so that you feel motivated enough to work even harder and avoid burn-out (which, if you’re trying to be productive, is your worst nightmare).
My personal favorite is the Pomodoro technique. It may work for you, it may not. Find a schedule that works for you, and stick with it!
2. You're not in your ideal atmosphere.
This reason applies most for when you’re trying to study or get some work done. I am a strong believer in the idea that everyone has a few settings that they work best in.
For some, being in the library is where they get the most done with the most quality. For others, a cafe is their go-to spot when they have some assignments to catch up on.
Similarly, there are some settings that hinder your productivity: they might be too loud, too quiet, too dark, too bright, etc. However, once you find your ideal spots, you’ll notice how much more productive you become there, and how your productivity seems to dip whenever you're in a setting where you're not as comfortable.
3. You're working at the wrong time of day.
If you’re not a morning person, why are you trying to torture yourself by attempting (and failing) to mold yourself into someone you’re not? Naturally, everyone works best at a certain time of the day.
This means that once you find that time frame, you should do your most labor intensive or mentally exhausting work then and leave the easier or less urgent tasks for the time of the day that suits you least (so that you’re not straining yourself). This way, you won't be struggling with your calculus homework at 6 a.m. when you know you're a better worker at 6 p.m. (you're welcome).
4. You're not prioritizing correctly.
If you find yourself swamped in responsibilities, it can feel overwhelming - and that very overwhelming feeling can be the cause of your unproductivity. When you're confronted with this scenario, there's one thing you can do: prioritize.
Prioritize your work in what is most urgent to least urgent or what needs the most effort and time to what needs not as much effort and not as much time. Then, use your prime time in the day to work on the very things that need the most effort and/or time.
5. You're not sleeping correctly.
Maybe you're getting the full, recommended 8 hours of sleep (if you are, I'm jealous), but you wake up still feeling drained and the same (and sometimes worse!) than you did before you even slept. If this is happening to you, then you're probably sleeping at the wrong times.
If you wake up feeling tired, then there's a high chance that you woke up in the middle of a 90-minute sleep cycle. To fix this, use this website that calculates the time the time you should fall asleep (or should wake up) using the idea of sleep inertia and 90-minute sleep cycles.
6. You've said "yes" to too many things.
I get it - you're a helpful person who's just trying to do good by everyone. However, if you start saying more "yes" and not enough "no", then you'll find yourself drowning in too much and not having enough time for everyone and everything. Learn to say "no" to certain things - it may be hard at first (trust me, I know), but it can be necessary.
So, there you have it: six tools to combat the six surprising reasons for your unproductivity. Now you can go through your day productively - and feel way better while you do it.
