We've all been there. Laying in bed, thinking about all the work that you should be doing, but you know you won't get around to. You end up napping or making to-do lists that you won't follow or thinking that just one more episode won't hurt. Then your deadline comes around and you feel like kicking yourself for wasting so much time doing pointless things when you could've been doing your work. But some people partake in what I like to call Productive Procrastination. "But how?" You ask me. "How can something be a form of procrastination, but still be productive?" Easily.
1. Exercise
There are many benefits of exercising—both short term and long term. It can be doing squats while you watch TV or actually going to the gym and getting your sweat on. Either way, endorphins are released after you exercise, making you feel good. Exercise can also promote a healthier lifestyle and you feel less guilty when you push off your work an extra 30 minutes (or two hours, if you squat during the commercials of your favorite TV show).
2. Make Your Bed
It may seem like something small and simple, but making your bed actually has some pretty amazing benefits. Plus, if you do your homework in your bed like I do, it makes for a neat, comfy space to do your work. Then, it's more enticing to start your work (as if starting work was ever enticing).
3. Do Your Laundry
The best part about this one (besides having clean clothes) is the ability to multitask without really multitasking. You can put your clothes in the wash and set little time increments for yourself.
4. Rearrange Your Room/Apartment
So, everyone and their mother has probably heard of feng shui, but how many have actually tried it? HGTV has this super simple guide to feng shui your room. It might take a few hours (who's complaining about that?), but it will bring better energy into your room (and all that good energy will help you focus on your work). I don't know about you, but having a clean and tidy work space makes be feel way more productive.
5. Create a Capsule Wardrobe
Capsule wardrobes, in a word, are amazing. You can take an overpacked, overwhelming closet that's full of clothes you would wear if you got around to mending or jeans you would wear if you could only lose ten pounds, or that shirt that looks awful on you but just has so much sentimental value. You take pieces from your closet that look good, feel good and you can mix and match with different pieces easily. It's a very minimalistic approach on fashion and it gets rid of clothes you don't wear/don't feel good wearing. There are tons and tons of resources online to help you out.
6. Make A Bullet Journal
Bullet journals, like capsule wardrobes, take a minimalistic approach on normal journaling. Bullet journals are faster, more efficient and just easier to keep up with than a planner, a calendar, a habit tracker, a budget and a to do list. Bullet journals can be very stylistic or very minimalistic in design, depending on your preference. Also like capsule wardrobes, there are literally tons of resources. This may be tedious at first, and hard to start consistently using, but they're totally worth it.
Procrastination isn't always bad. Sometimes you need to take a mental health day and just binge watch your favorite show, but that's not always the best option. I hope this list helps you get ideas about how to procrastinate productively.
