I am probably the most lazy person I know. I look forward to weekends and days off because they are the days where I get to do absolutely nothing but lay in bed all day, which is my favorite thing to do. Because I am such a lazy person, it is really hard for me to use that time off to get things done and be productive. Same goes for the time I have in between classes, or before and after I have to do something. Any time I have to myself, I spend doing nothing, and it is a horrible waste of very valuable time that you won't ever get back. However, over the past few months, I've learned when it is acceptable to be lazy, and when it is not and how I can avoid that mentality when it comes by.
1. Take a nap, but do not nap for longer than 1hr. If you are tired at any point in the day, you will not have the energy to do anything. You will probably end up getting easily distracted, or finding yourself sitting and doing nothing out of exhaustion. Even if it seems like you do not have the time to nap, you will be much more productive if you are not so sleepy. Napping is good for you, but make sure you do not nap for too long. Any nap that is longer than 45min-1hr will make you wake up feeling groggy and perhaps more tired than before. While you might want to sleep longer than that, force yourself to wake up right at that 1hr mark. You know how if your alarm goes off in the morning, and you get up right away and go brush your teeth, without laying in bed wishing you could go back to sleep, you feel surprisingly awake after a bit? Same goes for taking a nap.
2. Take a shower. Taking a shower is a good way to press refresh on your day. That clean feeling always helps me to feel renewed, and like I can take on a new task. Make sure you put on some clean and comfy clothes. Keep that clean feeling going! Showers are also helpful for waking you up, as maybe a shorter alternative to napping.
3. Tidy up your workspace. As I type this, my bed is unmade and my desk is full of loose papers and half empty tea mugs from previous days. This is probably why I'm in bed making this blog post instead of studying or doing something else productive. As the messiest person I know, even I will admit that a clean work space triggers productivity. No one wants to just sit in a clean room; you want to use it! Cleaning up your space says now you can actually sit at your desk and use the computer. Maybe you can make some tea and actually get to doing what you've meant to do for the past week.
4. Make A List. If you know that you are going to be having a lot of free time soon, and you also have quite a few things to get done, one of the best ways to get those things done is to actually make a list of them. Once you write them down, they become more than just a thought in the back of your head. Make a list that includes dates and times that these things need to be done by. By making that list, you can actually see what needs to get done. One of the biggest reasons why we procrastinate is because our head makes our tasks seem so much bigger and more time consuming than they might actually be. Writing them down makes them things that can get done. Also, who doesn't love crossing things off lists?
5. Caffeine and Music/Sitcoms/Audio Book. Now, this is #5 for a reason; do this after everything else. Make a cup of coffee or tea and play your favorite music, or watch a sitcom like How I Met Your Mother or New Girl while you do what you need to do. The caffeine will help to keep you awake, while the music or tv will help you keep concentrated on something fun. I usually play some sort of Netflix show that I've already seen in the background while I'm doing other things. It makes those other mundane tasks seem less boring. However, this can lead to tasks taking longer, but hey, at least they're getting done, right?
I hope these five things help you out the next time you have free time and something to do. I know I've gotten to be a lot more productive by using these techniques. Other things you can try doing is waking up 30mins-1hr before you need to be awake. That's valuable time, and your day goes much smoother when you aren't rushing in the morning. Also, if you do have time to do nothing, use that time to do nothing. We all need to be lazy once in a while. Our body needs to rejuvenate. But if you can, try to get things done! You will be able to sleep much better at night knowing that you did all you could do throughout the day. (:
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