What I Did Instead of Trying to Force Productivity

The other day my mind and body were totally rebelling against getting any kind of writing or work done. I was weirdly tired and my brain didn’t want to work- okay this was probably partially induced by a couple beverages and a late night- and I was getting really frustrated.

Here’s what I did instead of trying to force productivity that would have ultimately led to crappy work and me feeling even more stressed. 

I asked myself “what do I need right now?” and it made all the difference.

What does my body need and what does my mind need? How can I support myself through this rather than trying to force myself to squeeze out subpar work and spiral down further into feeling like I suck at everything?

The whole forcing out subpar work and feeling like I suck is what my default move usually is. It's something I've been working at changing and lemme tell ya it's been a challenge, but it's working!

That day my body needed movement and my mind needed a break to just flutter about. So, I said HECK IT, made a half caff coffee, then went to the woods. I walked around until I started to feel lighter. While I was tracking my mileage (I am in the 100 Mile Challenge after all) I had no goal in mind. I didn’t even totally follow a specific trail. I truly wandered physically and mentally. 

When I got back home, I was able to settle down and work on some things that had been nagging at the back of my brain for a while (things I’ll be sharing with you guys in the coming weeks that I’m super excited about!). And I got way more done than expected.

All because I listened to what my body and mind needed AND actually did something about it- while also letting go of all the other things. 

It's true that it can be hard to let go, but I've been practicing doing just that for a while now and I've proven to myself over and over again that letting go is actually okay. It's safe to let go. It'll be there when I'm ready to pick it back up again.

You can prove to yourself that it's safe for you to let go for a while too.

So, next time you feel yourself floundering, unable to focus, and starting to beat yourself up ask yourself what you need in that moment. Food? Water? Movement? Time to let your mind flutter about free for a little bit? Time with a friend? Then give yourself that. 

I know you’re probably thinking you don’t have the time, but- let’s be real- if you keep sitting and trying to force yourself to do whatever, how well done is it really going to be? And how fast are you going to get it done when your brain is operating like goo? Taking a break and giving yourself what you need will only speed up the process and make your end result so much better.

This is an essential skill to have in order to manage anxiety and stress better and part of what I help my clients with inside my SNAP Method program. If this resonated with you and you've been looking for ways to become more resilient against anxiety and stress in addition to therapy and/or medication, then send me an email at janna@jl-wellness.com and let's talk about it!