It is 2:00pm and you are stumped, lethargic, and deer in the headlights frozen in place. What has happened? It is the time of the day when productivity slumps and your brain seems to be frozen because the motivation magic seems to have dissipated into thin air.
Each of us has a certain time of the day when we are the least productive, for me it typically shows up from 2 β 4pm. I get work done but some days it feels like I am sloshing through wet, sticky mud instead of gliding down the river with ease. The loss of motivation magic prompted me to do a little study. I started to notice what time of day I was the most creative, when I was able to create, produce, and feel even a bit giddy. This time usually occurs in the early morning 7 β 10am. I know now that if I have any creative writing to do, detail work, or product development on my schedule that my best time to work on it is early in the morning vs. the afternoon. But sometimes I do not have the luxury of picking when I get to work on things so I have come up with a few things that I know kick up the motivation magic.
My Motivation Magic Emergency Kit:
MUSIC: The top contender for kicking up the motivation during the drag times is definitely music and not quiet lullabies but hard kicking alternative rock or dance music. I tap into my music library on my computer or go out and visit Pandora a great online music site.
ENVIRONMENT CHANGE: If the music is not making a dent in my energy level then I pack up my computer and head towards one of my favorite coffee shops with WiFi access. I have found that sometimes I work best surrounded by noise and people. The afternoon lull is a great time for me to change-up my environment and mingle with the world around me. Many times being in a different environment provides inspiration to my work.
COFFEE: Ok this one may seem obvious but caffeinated beverages are a great pick me up and there is nothing like a great coffee on a cool fall day. The benefit of the caffeine jolt and getting out of the office to get to the coffee treat are a great pair. Caffeine and fresh air a perfect match to bring on some motivation magic.
MOVEMENT: Sometimes getting up from my desk and moving helps wake up my senses. If I have the luxury of 15 minutes I may even go outside and go for a quick walk or if not just taking in some fresh air can help. Many of us spend a crazy amount of time sitting down and our bodies seem to fall asleep the longer we sit. So I try and step away from my desk throughout the day to either stretch or take a quick walk which helps wake up my brain and my body.
These are a few examples of what I use for my motivation magic emergency kit.
What do you do when you feel the productivity dip during your day?
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Susan
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