Winter may look magical, but this enchanting idea stops at the threshold of productivity. The colder weather and grayer environment just don’t make for a cheery and motivated individual. It’s reasonable to feel that the only valid activities during winter are sleeping, binge-eating, and watching reruns of your favorite sitcoms. While that would be fine in an ideal world, it might just ruin your career in reality. This is why it’s essential to have some handy tricks up your sleeve to sustain your work momentum.
The good news is that these tricks don’t involve expensive gadgets or complicated techniques. All you need is to take a good look at your current schedule and make changes that will help you stay awake even when the cool breeze blow.
Fewer Hours, Better Results
Instead of extending your office hours to get as much work done, why not retain your usual hours and examine your priorities instead? Giving your tasks a long hard look should enable you to identify your most important tasks and how you should go about completing them.
Spend a couple of hours completing smaller, short-term jobs that won’t carry over to the following workday. Dedicate the remainder of your time working on the bigger tasks uninterrupted. This should allow you to stay in the office for fewer hours while achieving better results.
Working overtime isn’t advisable regardless of the season. Insisting on this during winter will not only lead to burnout but also in decreased productivity over time. The shorter daylight hours can be dreary, and even when you hit that 12-hour mark, you might find yourself still scrambling to get things done on time.
Don’t work over 8 hours, and rely on extensive planning and time management instead.
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Re-order Your Routine
Routines can be life-savers, but they can also induce boredom. When your schedule is predictable, it’s easy to do things mechanically and lose interest in your activities. Re-ordering your schedule from time to time could force you to pay more attention to the things you’re doing.
If you usually take care of house chores and other obligations in the evening, why not do them first thing in the morning? Those who are working remotely in Iowa during the pandemic will enjoy missing out on the delicate drive around your city. Snow removal services can be overseen while you’re doing the laundry or preparing your meals. You can even do some extra shoveling in your driveway to get some exercise done before you start work.
Begin other tasks after lunch and see how a small change in your routine can leave you feeling refreshed. Perhaps this is how you’ll discover that you’re more creative at night and therefore finish more tasks in lesser time. On other days, you can do some work in the morning, insert leisure at midday, and continue work in the late afternoon.
Sometimes, forcing yourself to do things when you’re not up to it is not the best way to go. Find your personal peak hours in winter and adjust your routine accordingly so that you’re doing more when you’re in top shape.
Sleep More
It may seem counter-productive, but sleeping in during the winter season could energize you to do more throughout the day. Winter season means less daylight, and that makes it difficult for your body to wake up and get out of bed. Indulging yourself with extra hours of sleep could help you wake up when you’re actually ready to. Your well-rested state will make it easier to avoid drowsiness throughout the day, which is the usual culprit for lack of productivity.
If this isn’t possible due to your work schedule, take power naps throughout the day. Fighting the temptation to sleep with caffeine and other activities might not be healthy. Sleeping is the body’s natural tendency when exposed to dark or dim environments. Allowing yourself the extra hour of sleep or the additional break might make more difference than you expect.
Winter Blues
It’s possible to sustain your work momentum regardless of the weather. Don’t be afraid to change things up a bit and experiment on what works for you. When fighting the winter blues, a little creativity will go a long way.
