Monday Musings | Lessons in Productivity and How to Kickstart your Week
Happy Monday everyone! Who sits on the struggle bus with me currently? The beginnings of the week – especially Mondays – are just so stinking difficult to get going and get that extraĀ umph you need to get those wheels spinning, am I right? I don’t know about you but this can significantly impact my productivity – I will sit around and almost feel stuck in a what do I with myself mindset and thenĀ poof! an entire day is wasted.Ā So what to do?
Plan Ahead
I recently started working on the blog full time – which is a humongous change for me. Being at home (and in the comforts of home) and not in the hospital setting is both awesome but super dangerous. The first week or two I caught up on some serious rest I had been needing for myself. Hanging around and writing in my pajamas felt incredibly liberating and restful. But then a habit started to develop and suddenly the girl who dolled herself up everyday was no longer getting dressed and greeting the world. Becoming a recluse was not what I had imagined. So- I started planning out my day the night before, like I used to. I would think about what I was going to wear and the places I needed to go. Having a plan is SO much more engrained in my DNA!
Dress for the Day
So that being said – get dressed and go smell the dang roses! When I was still managing my transplant patients, I would talk about developing a routine and getting dressed everyday. Getting a new heart and staying in bed everyday was not the purpose of a new found life. Equally so – working from home shouldn’t (always) be in pj’s and a top knot. I’m also extremely predisposed to depression and dark & stormy moods – getting up and making myself pretty makes me feel just a little more worthwhile even when my day isn’t filled with loads to do. I find that my depression seems to come creeping on much more easily when I’m sitting around in frumpy clothes and not doing much with myself.
Take Frequent Breaks
I am the worst at zoning in on my work and not moving for several hours. a) not good for your back/neck/spine b) totally kills your eyes c) you need to get up and move for that heart! d) give your brain a pause. When you’re sitting and staring at somethingĀ foooorrreevvvveerrrr it’s incredible easy to start making mistakes. Make sure you’re getting up every 30 minutes or so, stretch it out – grab some water or tea (I limit my coffee to the mornings) or maybe clear your desk a bit.
Check yourself
Can you get lost in your work? I might have a day where I need to get several things done (school assignments, blog posts, editing, etc.) and suddenly I’ve spent way too long on one thing. Monitor how long you’re spending on your tasks that way your can efficiently divide your time between your tasks and your day.
No Multitasking
Dedicate your time to one single task at a time. I’m the worst at trying to get multiple things done at once – and it usually bites me in the butt. Concentrate your efforts on one single task- you will end up getting it done quicker and much more thorough.
Check out
Living in a world where tablets, smartphones and all the devices are swimming and buzzing at a constant hum around us – it almost becomes suffocating being connected to everyone and everything ALL THE TIME. I for one am so bad about taking a break from the world. Charlie jokes that I’m forever plugged into social media – and he’s right. Without thinking twice I’m grabbing my phone and just mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or Snapchat or Facebook instead of maybe reading a book or meditating or working on my relationship with God. Lesson here: learn how to walk away from all the technology – put down the phones and the laptops and tablets, go have some real face time with your loved ones and become more connected with the real world around you. I promise you life flashes by faster than you think. Don’t let it get past you altogether. And at the end of the day, this quality time will leave you feeling more ready to tackle the next day’s challenges with a full heart.
If you have any suggestions or comments, bring em on – I’d love to hear them! And as always, thanks for reading y’all! Catch my last monday musings?
Photography by Megan Weaver
I LOVE all of the tassles. You’re gorgeous, girl!
I also love all of the tips. I’m a frequent traveler on the strugglebus. Sometimes with a one-way ticket.
These are such great tips, I especially agree with the taking breaks part. I always do a quick workout when I feel that afternoon lull come on!
Krystin
Great tips! I’m a big fan of taking frequent breaks, especially power naps! š
Very nice outfit! And I agree with you….there are very good suggestions…..Especially the “dress for the day one”….I work from home too and sometimes I get so caught up on work that I forget that I am still a woman!
Maybe we bloggers need to be more collaborative to beat away the recluse blues. Hmmm… maybe this would be a worthwhile topic to write about. It would also be interesting to know how much time people are spending on projects like research, editing, photography etc… I find that editing and formatting (pics and text) take far more time than I want them to.
Beautiful outfit, I’m loving all of it! Thanks for the oomph I needed this Monday as well, I do multitask and I lose productivity that way for sure!
I need to slap myself on the hand for multitasking. It always gets me into trouble! I’m terrible at zoning out because I try to focus on one thing for a long period of time so taking a break is something I need to obviously be implementing into my work schedule.
I love the pop of color! I agree, on Mondays, dressing for the day always give you that extra push!
Turning off my phone for a while, or putting it in another room on silent helps me relax so much. Also, love your outfit! So boho!
You are so stunning. Love this look on you.
And I am with you on No Multitasking. It is so over rated. I believe in doing one thing at a time.
ā„ tanvii.com
I love your suggestions! I totally agree with you, especially about unplugging once in a while! Love your earrings too! Thanks for sharing!
You’re so right about the multi tasking. I feel like it stresses you out way more than you being productive. Love the article!
Those are great tips to kickstart your Monday and week! And I love your summer outfit! It has so much character and funness written all over it – an outfit like that can kickstart any Monday and start your week on the right foot!
These are such great tips! It can be so easy to get sucked in and completely lose track of time! I myself need to check out more and make an effort to put the devices down.
Beautiful outfit. Thanks so much for sharing this advice on being productive and kickstarting the beginning of the week. This is very helpful and informative.
Love this super cute outfit!!!! It has so much personality! I’d totally wear this!!
You are so pretty! What a great, informational post- I definitely needed to hear this! Keep it up!
You’re spot on with your tips Tara. I’ve been working from home for about 18 years now and always made an effort to get dressed before plonking myself down in front of the laptop. That is until about a month ago, when I got a serious bout of bronchitis and I ended up feeling so sorry for myself that I got out of the habit of dressing up. My gown and I became the best buddies ever. Fast forward and here I am still in my gown and feeling sad. That’s going to stop, so thanks for sharing your musings.
Love your style …red earrings and shoes! These are some awesome tips to kickstart a week š
I love this dress so much! And you’re so right. I get ready for the week by planning ahead and prepping as much as I can so things are easy!
I used to be a proud multi tasker. I am slowly realizing its effects on my work and my stress. I am correcting myself. I totally agree with your pointers.
Gayathri @ Musings Over Nothing
Productivity is a covered thing! Enjoy it when you have it, I say!
Great tips! I’ve noticed the zoning in and not moving about myself – so I try to move around the house while I work. It helps. Definitely going to implement some more of your ideas too.
Great earrings!!
You looks so gorgeous!Love your style,it is so pretty.
I think your dress is perfect summer dress!
Aww! You are so stunning. I love your outfit, earring and the shoes. You look like a celebrity in it. I am a multi tasker too before but i have quit because people are having advantage of me.
I’ve worked from home for several years & it’s easy to get distracted. It’s easy to want to work in PJs too. I typically work sans makeup, but I still get dressed (I’ll occasionally stick to leggings). I also tend to multitask & it’s something I’m working on getting better at. ????
Planning ahead is the only way I get anything checked off my To Do Lists. I do need to work on the ‘getting dressed everyday’ part. I have been known to get to caught up in what I’m doing that the day passes me by and I’m still in my Jammies. I’m working on that for sure!
Oh wow… your earrings and heels and matching bags look amazing and stunning! i Like how you paired them with a similar white dress that has those frilly stuff~ Dressing up is definitely a way to keep your week going!
I think that I have to learn more about NOT multitasking as much as I do. That would make things so much easier for me. I do like the other tips and my favorite (after the multitasking one) is to check out. Sometimes, when I feel overwhelmed, I realize that it’s because I forget to check out. That is a very important thing to do. Thanks, good reminders!
As always, your outfit is incredible. I would say they multi-tasking is my biggest hindrance when it comes to getting stuff done during the day. I get so distracted doing too many things at nothing end up actually getting fully accomplished.
Those are some killer heels. Multitasking is one this that I try to do but most of the time that I fail so I drop one project and do it one at a time and it comes out better.
You are so gorgeous with your outfit. It perfectly suits. we all need to take a break from the world and just do what you really love and badly needed. That is so mind refreshing.
You surely make some valid points and recommendations here that I can definitely use! Thank you ???? And that outfit….. is AMAZING!!!