#productivity help

“I’ll take a break, today, so I can focus tomorrow” she said, as she continued to think about her work and not able to enjoy her off-time.

How do we take breaks when we have a mountain of tasks over us? How to we come back to be more productive?

If you are physically exhausted, it’s pretty easy to take a day off and sleep it out, or do whatever that recharges you.

When we take a mental break, we often are still replaying  the lists of tasks that we need to do in our brain. How do I even stop it?

Step 1: Write it out before the break

Let it out of your system.

i) Tasks: Before taking a break, jot down everything that your brain is thinking about. Make a list of to-dos. People you need to reply. Things you have to look over. Documentation you need to read before starting a task.

ii) Thoughts: Then write about everything you are feeling. “I don’t think I’ll do well in that test” or “I think that person didn’t appreciate my work”. Let out those thoughts and feeling that have built up till now. Talk it over with a friend (who listens!) or write it out.

Step 2: Schedule the next day after the break

So, you don’t have to think about what you’ll do tomorrow when the break is over. This is a super important step.

Plan your to-dos for the exact next day. You will feel 10x lighter if you know exactly what you will be doing tomorrow.

Step 3: Schedule the break

Why? So, you get to take absolutely no decisions on your break! Decisions take up a lot of brain effort, even if they are as small as deciding what to wear or eat, so plan it out like you will just be a Sim tomorrow living by the instructions of your yesterday self.

Make a list of activities that relax you, or things you want to do. Look into your hobbies. “So, tomorrow I’ll watch this movie on Netflix, hang out with these friends, and eat this”.

When you are taking a mental break, doing nothing might lead to just thinking about all the responsibilities. Plan out something. Do something, something fun.

Step 4: Book mark your thoughts about work

When you have a thought about your work task, write it on a post-it and move on.

It’s just a thought. You cannot control your thoughts from coming in, but you can control what you dwell on.

Don’t be hard on yourself. The fact that you are here to read how to do something as seemingly trivial as taking breaks means you recognize your problems and  are trying to improve yourself. That’s great work! You are doing awesome even if you feel unproductive lately. Keep trying and you will get better at this! I’m trying here, too!

I multitask. Why? Because I'm scared of being in the moment.

I need a distraction from my thoughts while I'm studying because it feels uncomfortable. Unconsciously, I have to face thoughts like "do we have enough time for this?" "I don't deserve this" "I'm not smart enough to be good at it" "I'll fail and it'll hurt". Which not only distracts me from completing the tasks but also makes the work miserable to do.

I started not enjoying the subjects I loved as the stakes got high. Because studying them came with a bigger responsibility which introduced these difficult thoughts. Who would enjoy studying when every inch of you is busy criticizing you?

What did I do?

I started telling myself that nothing matters. These grades don't really matter. Internally, to me, it did matter to me so not putting in effort made me anxious. Never been a less than a A class student, so not putting efforts effed me up.

I managed it with music when I had to study, the day before a test. Get something done. In general, studying and not studying were both miserable things to do. So, life was miserable.

How to fix this?

I understand the problem is not the subjects or me being "unmotivated" or "motivated to destroy my life" but that the action is making me uncomfortable.

So, here's what we'll do:

Notice your thoughts: journal to write down thoughts when they are too powerful or when you're feeling uncomfortable. Before starting on a task, brain dump all thought, as well as during the task as thoughts come up. (I usually find out that I'm being a drama queen and it's just a question lmao)

Make a "things I learnt today" list: to direct more attention towards the things you're doing. And be very specific with the things that you write. So, we'll study just to pop an equation/formula into that list. That'll also be something to show that inner critic.

Plan yourself a crash cource: In my todos list, estimate how much time each task will take. Then do it in that many hours like you're doing a crash cource.

Less decisions: Reduce the amount of decisions to take during the study session. Know exactly what set of questions or topics you're gonna study.

Introspect your feelings: Talk to someone about how you feel when you're studying. Talking out loud is a great way to introspect. Or write in your diary about what you're feeling. Fact check what you think about yourself.

Don't let yourself run away: hold onto that uncomfortable moment. Don't distract yourself with a movie or a YouTube video in background. Don't start replying to messages and mails. Dare yourself to be brave enough to face your thoughts.

Lo-fi music (#hack): When you don't think you have the energy to face your thoughts, play lo-fi. It'll keep the brain engaged enough to protect you from those thoughts. Better alternative than videos and texting.

More importantly,

If things aren't working then it doesn't mean something is wrong with you but the method/solution you found to be productive. Try other ways to be productive.

I'm trying to write emails, trying to write reviews for the blog, and I just. can't. focus.