The weather in Maine has been delightful as of late. Which is (kind of) making it reallllly hard to check things off of my to do list. Mainly because, I find myself researching places to explore and looking at trails to hike. Once I realized this, I thought “I can’t be the only one struggling.” Here are 10 tried and true ways to be productive, even when it’s nice out!
Schedule time outside
Sounds simple, right? Well, when you’re in over your head with work it might not be easy to create a daily schedule. Write out your schedule and everything you need to accomplish in the day ahead. But instead of only writing the tasks you need to get done, write down your breaks, water reminders and words of encouragement! It’s the little things.
Have a morning ritual
It could be as simple as taking 15-20 minutes to sit outside enjoying your first few sips of coffee. Block out some time in the morning without screens or other stimulation and just be. This is a great time to set intentions or practice a morning meditation. Create an anchor that you can look forward to the night before, rather than dreading the day of work ahead.
Shift your working hours
If you work for yourself, this is a game changer. But, whether you work for yourself or for a company, try to shift your hours. Go in earlier so you can leave earlier or go into the office later and have the morning and work later. A lot of companies offer summer hours which usually are centered around getting out early on Fridays!
Take a vacation
I repeat, TAKE A VACATION. Did you know, in 2018 55% of Americans didn’t use their vacation time? That’s 768 million days of unused vacation time. It’s a damn shame society lumps success with long hours and little time off to refresh.
But I get it, it’s a symptom of society today. So if you “can’t” take a vacation, opt to take a half day or full day off.
Have a hard stop
If you work for yourself, create boundaries! Whether you’re a freelance writer, photographer or virtual assistant make sure you have a certain time, each day, that you turn off.
This goes for those of you that work in an office, too. I know the cycle all too well from my brief stint working in public relations and always needing to be readily available or work longer hours to finish a project. Set your boundaries and stick to them.
Schedule movement mid-day
I love practicing yoga or going for a run mid-day! It gets me out of the mid-day slump and I return energized and ready to tackle my list of tasks. Plus, I get to be outside!
Check the weather
Plan your week alongside mother nature. If there are days where it’s going to rain or be cloudy, opt to work inside. But when it’s nice out, take your office outside or even to an outdoor café!
Listening to music and opening the windows
The easiest way to boost productivity! On a really nice day, when I can’t work outside, I like to open my windows so the breeze can come in. Music has never hindered my productivity, as I know it does for some people, so I like to throw on some summery, upbeat tunes like my Summer Camp playlist. Not only does the music boost my mood, it makes working inside a little more bearable.
Set goals and rewards
(And crush them). Along with setting goals, make a to do list. As you finish tasks, cross them off. So, once you accomplish X you can do X.
Setting goals and writing them down is a good way to get through your list, task by task while having something to look forward to. Get yourself a solid planner, like an eco friendly one by Ponderlily.
Close your day with something you can look forward to
For me, I love taking a walk after dinner. Ending my day with a sunset walk around the pond nearby my house has become a little ritual with all of this being in one place nonsense.
Throughout the day, I remind myself I get to go for a walk once the day comes to a close, it really keeps me going. If you’re not into the whole walk thing, take dinner outside and picnic, at a park or even right outside of your house. Just change things up so you can be outside as much as possible.
I hope you found these 10 tips for being productive when it’s nice outside useful! Do you have anything to add when it comes to boosting productivity?
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