If you read any self-help literature at all, then you may have already tried various ways of motivating yourself—from affirmations and visualizations to taking naps and exercising. Obviously, leading a healthy lifestyle can help a person to increase their productivity. It can also help with mood. But sometimes, you get to a point where you feel like you have tried everything and you still experience times when you feel dejected and cannot perform. Here are some tips to help you deal with these times:
Do Something New
Sometimes, following the same routine can get in the way of productivity. You start to feel like everything is so monotonous. In such cases, it can help to break out of the routine. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, suggests taking a fun excursion once a week, all by yourself. You can do anything your heart desires, from reading a book to going to a movie. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, go to see a play or a concert. Take a yoga class or salsa lessons. Just make sure you are having fun.
Indulge a Guilty Pleasure
Another thing which might interfere with your productivity is when you are too strict with yourself. Maybe you read only serious books and go to see only serious movies. Maybe you never have a piece of chocolate and are on a non-dairy, sugar-free, gluten-free and fun-free diet. In such cases, remember that even strict diets have cheat days. Indulge a guilty pleasure and you’ll find yourself going back to work with greater enthusiasm.
Put Yourself First Most of us prioritize others more than we prioritize ourselves. Those others might include our spouses, our children our parents or our bosses. You need to keep in mind, juvenile as this might sound, that this is your life and your main aim is to keep yourself happy, not anyone else. This doesn’t mean that you ignore your loved ones or your job. But you don’t have to follow every well-meaning piece of advice that comes your way, even if it’s from people who only have your best interests at heart. Instead, go with what you think is best
