We all have days where it feels like we just can’t get anything done, and as an oldest daughter with ADHD I’m overly familiar with feeling unproductive, and the shame spirals that can follow. Whether you’re a corporate girlie, a student or running your own business, I’ve got you. Here are some actionable tips that you can implement today to improve productivity and turn those scrambled brain days around.
Take a Break
It may sound counterintuitive, but taking a break can actually help you be more productive. Studies have shown that taking breaks improves focus and concentration, which in turn can lead to increased productivity. When that productivity slump hits go for a walk, call a friend, or do something that you enjoy for an hour or two. It will help clear your mind so you can come back to your work with a fresh perspective.
Prioritise Your Tasks
The temptation to tackle literally everything at once is real, but it won’t help you achieve what’s most important to you. First, do a brain dump and write down every task you need to get done (we recommend using the To-Do List for this). Then you can categorise them by whichever system works best for you. This could be numbering from most to least important, ranking by difficulty level, or just marking the ones that NEED to be done today and ignoring the rest until tomorrow. Different systems work during different seasons of life, so just do what resonates with you right now. At the very least identify your three top priorities and get started on one of those first.
Break Tasks into Smaller Chunks
This doesn't just apply to the big tasks. Sometimes (and this could very well be the ADHD talking) even a small task is already being broken up into a million smaller tasks in our brains until it's just overwhelming - so you may as well get it onto paper. Write down every step of the task, even the small ones. Writing this blog post involved at least 6 steps, including "map out points" and "hit publish". Take it one step at a time and if you're lucky the snowball effect might take over and you'll be finishing tasks with ease!
Plan Out Your Entire Day
Providing yourself with a road map for the day makes it easier to get things done - you don’t need to make any decisions on what to do next, because it’s already planned out for you! After braindumping and prioritising your tasks for the day use the Daily Planner Pad to schedule in each task. Don’t feel pressured to get everything done, just make your way through your schedule and reward yourself with something Just For You at the end.
Do Something Easy & Important First
‘Eat the frog’ may work for some, but finding the energy and motivation to tackle the biggest task of the day first can be a barrier to getting anything done. Instead, try finding a task that’s super easy and smash it out - bonus points if this small task is important! This brings about a sense of accomplishment, and will help get the ball rolling for bigger tasks.
Now stop procrastinating by reading articles about productivity and get going! Everybody has days like this so you’re certainly not alone in feeling unproductive, and we’re standing behind you on your busiest and slowest days. We’re so proud of you for taking steps towards building the life you’ve been dreaming of.