How You Might Be Hindering Your Productivity (Without Even Realising It)

Coat (sold out, similar in alternate colours here and here): Urbancode

Jeans & Boots (no longer available, similar here): Miss Selfridge

Rings: Links of London, LVNDR*

Bag: Mischa Barton (similar here)

Earrings: Nine West 

Sunglasses*: Bailey Nelson

Photos taken by Lucia on the Olympus PEN E-PL7 with a 45mm lens

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This week, I’ve slipped into bad habits. In between meetings and events have been late starts, half-hearted attempts at doing admin and evenings spent in bed binge-watching Netflix (The Good Wife, if you must know). It’s the first week since the beginning of the year where I felt like I’ve lost momentum and I’ve experienced a dip in motivation that’s caused me to feel a bit sad and useless. I’m one of the most proactive people you’ll ever meet and when I’m not being productive, I panic. I need to work in order to feel happy and fulfilled so the last 7 days have been tough.

But rather than dwell, it got me thinking about things I do (and don’t do) – habits, if you like – that hinder my productivity without me even realising. If you need to rest or take a break, do it. But to really maximise those concentrated hours of work, ask yourself these questions:

Are you trying to do too much at once?

I’m guilty of this. I’ll write 12 things on my to-do list for the day and then get really upset when I’ve only achieved half of them. It’s a far more productive use of your time to narrow down your priorities and focus on successfully completing just a few tasks (or even just one) at a time. In doing so, you can concentrate your whole energy into completing them to a standard that you’re proud of, instead of rushing through to get the job done.

Have you eliminated any distractions?

I don’t know about you but my phone never leaves my sight. Which is great, it means that I’m contactable almost 24/7 but it also means that my eyes are constantly darting to that little rectangular screen, keeping half an eye on my notifications at all times (yes I still have them turned on, much to the bewilderment of friends and family). When I should be working, I find myself justifying a scroll through my Twitter feed or checking updates on Snapchat. Yes, social media is a huge part of my job but I’ve become aware that I’m distracted by it too often. If you must have your phone nearby, turn it upside down and save scrolling for tea breaks – thank me later.

Is your timeframe realistic?

This one works both ways. It’s possible that you’re either causing unnecessary stress by forcing yourself to complete the task in a shorter amount of time than is required or you’re too laid back about the deadline and you’re putting off working when you should probably just get on with it. If either of these sound familiar, take a breath and re-evaluate what it is you have to do and when it really has to be done by (and don’t lie to yourself).

Have you cleared your workspace?

Without encouraging procrastination, having a clear and tidy workspace is important. Before you sit down, clear away any mugs, plates or empty wrappers and move any papers that you don’t need for that day. Surround yourself only with what you’re going to use and leave nothing lying around that could serve as an unwanted distraction. Personally, I like to have a candle burning while I work. So I leave my workspace free of clutter, with the exception of my diary and a single scented candle that helps to keep me calm throughout my working day.

Although I’ve accepted that this week hasn’t been my most productive, I’m very happy that tomorrow brings a fresh start and an opportunity for me to feel more like my old self again. I’m itching to tick off a whole day’s to-do list and to feel that sense of accomplishment as I drift off to sleep (hopefully at a reasonable hour for once).

Love, Beth xo.

Disclaimer: all items marked with an asterisk have been gifted to me for promotional purposes.