Another option for #2 is merely leaving the room. I know it is hard to do with a family and location and whatnot, but sometimes just leaving the room you are in to work in another room for five minutes can do wonders.
Yes! I WFH, and when feeling really poor, will force myself to walk away and go outside for a few minutes. Notice the birds, feel the sun and breeze, get my bare feet on the ground. Certainly helps, if even for a few minutes.
A great list. That toast timer is just too cute, too. I agree about timers for both productivity and breaks. I have found setting timers for breaks (like a lunch break I otherwise work through) to be really helpful in ensuring they happen and have clear boundaries of their own.
I had developed my own "structured procrastination" technique, and I called it "productive procrastination" - to be fair, it wasn't quite as clearly thought out as what you've outlined, but I sure did feel better at the end of the day when even though my "thing" wasn't done, so much else that I'd been dreading was now over and done with.
This post has been really helpful. Hoping I can figure out how to share it on other platforms. Thanks Chris.
#2 had the biggest impact on my work environment. Simply turned my desk to face the window so I can glance out anytime and watch nature do its thing. I hated the idea of my desk blocking part of the window, but let that tiny thing go to enjoy the view. Major improvement in my mental state. I can just pause, look away from my screen and out the window. Also added some candles, got my diffuser, got a new desk chair that has an ottoman attached because I curl up in weird positions while working, have a cozy blanket that sits on my lap. All those little things greatly help.
For me it's number three. Stop doing things that aren't serving you. As a parent I have to do so many things to serve my kids, which is serving me in a way, because of course I love them and want to help them grow to be the best humans they can be. And it's also not the same as doing something for me and not for me as a Mom.
I remember once my youngest was crying for me. "I want Mama! I want Mama!" over and over again and I said to myself, "yeah, I do too. I want time to do things for me." It's getting better as they get older, and there are times when I'm at the top of the list. Though I need to find more times to do that.
Great suggestions! :) If I may add, about micro-mindfulness practices and meditation not being for everyone (I am a Qualified Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction teacher), the practices you described are informal ways of practicing mindfulness meditation - as opposed to "formal" meditation practices where we dedicate a specific amount of time in stillness or in movements focusing on a particular object of attention. So in effect, informal mindfulness practices are very much meditation practices on themselves (there is a large variety of them, although usually people think of meditation as the practice of sitting in stillness and focusing on their breath for example). The big commercialization of meditation (lacking professional standards and trauma sensitiveness for guiding meditation practices) is a problem however, and learning with an app can do more harm than good indeed (even with a teacher, there are precautions to be taken, but a well trained teacher should be able to recognize signs of traumas and advise/adjust the practices so that they do not re-traumatize). In a nutshell, I would argue that some forms of meditations can still be practiced by everyone, just with caution (not all forms are good for everyone, and it also depends on periods of our life and experiences we may have recently gone through).
I am coming back from a two year bout with " long covid". It essentially erased my mind and I am relearning those things that came naturally. I have a therapist that comes twice a week to help me relearn my computer, cooking skills and basic day to day skills. My psychotherapist helps once a week with the anxiety of rediscovering myself. I have just read your suggestions and ideas and can't wait to put some in action. Hopefully the new me and the old me will recognize each other and TADA! I will be healing quicker and better than ever!! Thank you so much.
I don't think any of this comes easily to me. What's worked best for me from this list is to get physical.
Take the walk.
Second best is to get mindful. Find out what's going on in my body. Figure out and follow the fear chain.
Then, the thing that works absolutely best for me is to call a friend. Connection is the fastest way out of a black hole for me, and it works virtually every time.
So much good stuff in there. We’re never powerless. I do them all in one way or another - right now I’d say I’m in the ‘discomfort isn’t negative’ phase as I work on some new stuff
Another option for #2 is merely leaving the room. I know it is hard to do with a family and location and whatnot, but sometimes just leaving the room you are in to work in another room for five minutes can do wonders.
Yes! I WFH, and when feeling really poor, will force myself to walk away and go outside for a few minutes. Notice the birds, feel the sun and breeze, get my bare feet on the ground. Certainly helps, if even for a few minutes.
Yes 👍
A great list. That toast timer is just too cute, too. I agree about timers for both productivity and breaks. I have found setting timers for breaks (like a lunch break I otherwise work through) to be really helpful in ensuring they happen and have clear boundaries of their own.
I had developed my own "structured procrastination" technique, and I called it "productive procrastination" - to be fair, it wasn't quite as clearly thought out as what you've outlined, but I sure did feel better at the end of the day when even though my "thing" wasn't done, so much else that I'd been dreading was now over and done with.
This post has been really helpful. Hoping I can figure out how to share it on other platforms. Thanks Chris.
#2 had the biggest impact on my work environment. Simply turned my desk to face the window so I can glance out anytime and watch nature do its thing. I hated the idea of my desk blocking part of the window, but let that tiny thing go to enjoy the view. Major improvement in my mental state. I can just pause, look away from my screen and out the window. Also added some candles, got my diffuser, got a new desk chair that has an ottoman attached because I curl up in weird positions while working, have a cozy blanket that sits on my lap. All those little things greatly help.
Hydration, timers, movement and radical kindness to self. These are helpful tools for me, but I think I need one of those light up toast timers LOL
For me it's number three. Stop doing things that aren't serving you. As a parent I have to do so many things to serve my kids, which is serving me in a way, because of course I love them and want to help them grow to be the best humans they can be. And it's also not the same as doing something for me and not for me as a Mom.
I remember once my youngest was crying for me. "I want Mama! I want Mama!" over and over again and I said to myself, "yeah, I do too. I want time to do things for me." It's getting better as they get older, and there are times when I'm at the top of the list. Though I need to find more times to do that.
Great suggestions! :) If I may add, about micro-mindfulness practices and meditation not being for everyone (I am a Qualified Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction teacher), the practices you described are informal ways of practicing mindfulness meditation - as opposed to "formal" meditation practices where we dedicate a specific amount of time in stillness or in movements focusing on a particular object of attention. So in effect, informal mindfulness practices are very much meditation practices on themselves (there is a large variety of them, although usually people think of meditation as the practice of sitting in stillness and focusing on their breath for example). The big commercialization of meditation (lacking professional standards and trauma sensitiveness for guiding meditation practices) is a problem however, and learning with an app can do more harm than good indeed (even with a teacher, there are precautions to be taken, but a well trained teacher should be able to recognize signs of traumas and advise/adjust the practices so that they do not re-traumatize). In a nutshell, I would argue that some forms of meditations can still be practiced by everyone, just with caution (not all forms are good for everyone, and it also depends on periods of our life and experiences we may have recently gone through).
Morning Chris, love your articles many of them are so me, thank you for the effort.
In this article you have a toast timer pictured I have searched everywhere can I ask where you got it from, please?
Regards Michael
I am coming back from a two year bout with " long covid". It essentially erased my mind and I am relearning those things that came naturally. I have a therapist that comes twice a week to help me relearn my computer, cooking skills and basic day to day skills. My psychotherapist helps once a week with the anxiety of rediscovering myself. I have just read your suggestions and ideas and can't wait to put some in action. Hopefully the new me and the old me will recognize each other and TADA! I will be healing quicker and better than ever!! Thank you so much.
I don't think any of this comes easily to me. What's worked best for me from this list is to get physical.
Take the walk.
Second best is to get mindful. Find out what's going on in my body. Figure out and follow the fear chain.
Then, the thing that works absolutely best for me is to call a friend. Connection is the fastest way out of a black hole for me, and it works virtually every time.
I’d like to say a HUGE thank you for this Chris. It’s going up on my wall and after a really hard morning it is just what I needed x
Such helpful tips, Chris! This collection would make an excellent book. Thank you!
So much good stuff in there. We’re never powerless. I do them all in one way or another - right now I’d say I’m in the ‘discomfort isn’t negative’ phase as I work on some new stuff