December 1, 2020
As the cold weather sets in and the holiday season advances, it is easy to lose drive and motivation at work or school. Curling up with a good book, spending time with family, shopping for Christmas presents, or making seasonal treats may suddenly seem more appealing than finishing an assignment or project. This may be especially true of those working from home, where distractions abound.
If you’re finding yourself losing momentum this holiday season and want to up your productivity game, here are five tips for staying motivated and getting the job done.
- Schedule breaks and time off. It may seem counterintuitive, but if you’re finding yourself feeling tired, unmotivated or distracted, you may need more time away from your desk. By scheduling your time off—whether a lunch break or a long weekend—and using the time to fully relax, you will have more energy to tackle your next project or assignment.
- Try mindfulness or meditation. The holidays can be a socially busy time and highlight the complexities of interpersonal relationships. Family stress, meal planning and holiday events can cause high levels of distraction. Meditation and mindfulness practices help clear the mind and improve focus on the task at hand.
- Stick to your self care routine. Schedules can be thrown off during the holidays, but it is important to maintain a self care routine that refreshes your mind, body and spirit. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, exercise and nutrients to keep you feeling healthy and motivated.
- Don’t multitask. Juggling too many tasks at the same time can sometimes lead to burnout and stress instead of improving productivity. If you often feel foggy-headed, confused, or overwhelmed, you may be trying to take on too much simultaneously. See what you remove from your plate this holiday season so that you can more effectively focus on your top priorities.
- Try work sprints. Sprints are short, predetermined windows of work or study time with high energy and focus. The concept behind sprints is that it is easier to produce high quality work in small, dedicated chunks of time with breaks in between. Try breaking your work into sprints instead of trying to focus for multiple hours at a time.
What are your favorite strategies for staying focused during the holidays?
