It’s hard to know how to stay productive after the relaxation of the holiday season. The holiday season is usually a time to clear your mind from all the distractions your life has to offer. It’s when you get to focus on yourself and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. But, it’s also easy to fall into a spiral of unproductivity that may leave you feeling guilty for not spending your time more wisely.
Despite this, it’s still important to remember that cutting yourself some slack with your procrastination is totally understandable, especially during the holidays. But if you need a few tips on how to stay productive during (and after) the holidays, we’ve got a couple of ideas.
Create a to-do list
It’s always beneficial to make a to-do list when you are trying to stay productive. We suggest creating two lists: one for everything you need to do (chores) and another for things you want to do. This way, you won’t have to rely solely on your mind to keep track of things for you. Writing things down will ensure that it’s remembered, and you will feel much more accomplished when you get to tick it off.
Start with chores
With the two lists that we’ve made, we know exactly which one you’re eyeing. But, look away for now and try to focus on the ‘need’ to-do list. By starting with the chores, you’re much more able to enjoy the ‘want’ list. We all know how hard it is to truly relax knowing that we still have chores and errands to run. So, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by getting it out of the way.
Read a book
You can never go wrong with reading a book! It’s the perfect way to soak up some knowledge of the world around us and maybe discover something new about yourself. From novels to non-fiction to self-improvement, you’ll never get bored with all the options. With the right book, you’ll be entertained and hopefully even learn a couple of new things. If you’re not an avid reader, maybe you just haven’t found the right book for you. We suggest exploring all your options and genres out there. Who knows, maybe you just need to wake up the book-lover in you.
Exercise
Join a class, go for a hike or do yoga at home – whatever it is, it will keep you feeling refreshed for the rest of the day (definitely no guilt there). Exercising doesn’t have to be intense and dreaded. It can even be fun by grabbing a couple friends and going for a little walk. Not only will you be able to catch up with the chit-chat, but you’ll also be staying active while doing so.
Discover a new hobby
There is no better time to try out new hobbies than during your free-time. Learning a new skill won’t make you feel guilty about wasting time as it’s always an achievement to tick something off the bucket-list! Especially in this time of a pandemic, there are plenty of hobbies that you can easily begin in the comfort of your own home without being expensive. A few ideas include gardening, sewing, writing, mixology and embroidery.
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