How to Get Over an Unproductive Day

As Hannah Montana told us many years ago: “Everybody has those days / Everybody makes mistakes / Everybody knows what I’m talking about / Everybody gets that way”.

Despite Hannah’s wisdom, in a world where we’re always trying to do more and expect to be able to do everything, it can be hard to get over an unproductive day. There are a few things you can do to instantly get over a bad day though:

TICK OFF THE LITTLE THINGS

Doing some small tasks like answering emails, organising your planner, or popping to the supermarket, can make you feel more productive and leave you in a more positive mindset.

DO SOMETHING YOU’LL THANK YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW

Set out your clothes for the next day or do some meal prep. By doing something for your future self you’ll not only feel a bit more productive, you also set yourself up for a more productive day.

TIDY UP

Cleaning up your workspace can help clear your mind and make you feel more productive. As well as your physical space it can also be helpful to clear up your digital space, just empty the trash folder. If your desk is generally tidy, why not get started on a tidying task that will help you in the long run like alphabetising books or organising old photos.

CUT DOWN YOUR TO DO LIST

This might sound counterintuitive – the instinct is to add everything you’ve not done today to an even bigger list for tomorrow – but this actually works. Quite often the reason behind an unproductive day is an overwhelming list of tasks. Analysing your to do list, and breaking down any bigger tasks into smaller ones, sets you up for success.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT

This is probably the most important thing to do. Bad days happen, and it’s essential you don’t let them get you into a tail spin. Be kind to yourself and good things will follow.

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8 Comments

  1. October 9, 2016 / 4:05 pm

    Great post! I feel like I had a very unproductive day yesterday and am trying to catch up today with some things I want to get done. But I am trying to take it easy since I know that I shouldn’t beat myself up about it.

    http://dreamofadventures.blogspot.com/

    • natalieharney@yahoo.co.uk
      October 9, 2016 / 5:06 pm

      Glad it helped! Hope you have a better day today!

  2. October 10, 2016 / 8:47 am

    Great GREAT post!! The small things and giving yourself some distance, works like magic <3

    • natalieharney@yahoo.co.uk
      October 10, 2016 / 8:53 am

      So glad you liked it!

  3. October 10, 2016 / 3:36 pm

    I was looking for something exactly like this to feel better about my day haha. Going to put on a pot of coffee and get going. Thanks for the lovely post, looking to find you on bloglovin. x

    Louise
    http://linnealoui.se

    • natalieharney@yahoo.co.uk
      October 10, 2016 / 7:04 pm

      Thanks so much Louise! Glad it was helpful, and I hope you had a good day – coffee always helps x

  4. October 10, 2016 / 10:26 pm

    Organising and tidying up your room or workspace can really make a difference to an unproductive day because it somehow helps clear and declutters your mind.

    Emily xx | http://emilytrinh.com

    • natalieharney@yahoo.co.uk
      October 10, 2016 / 11:26 pm

      Couldn’t agree more Emily!