Tired of setting alarms just to stay focused? Sick of needing a caffeine kick to feel alert? When even the methods of boosting productivity are making you feel lazy, it’s time for a switch-up.
Luckily, there are more ways to level up your motivation than you might think. Take a look at some alternative techniques to kick yourself into first gear:
Eat your way to productivity
Could what you’re eating be draining your motivation? There’s a lot of evidence out there that shows productivity is closely linked to diet, with some foods lifting you up and others bringing you down.
High levels of saturated fats, for example, cause your brain to release serotonin and tryptophan – two hormones that are responsible for making you feel sleepy, which isn’t ideal for that get-up-and-go attitude. Salt, too, can knock you sideways by causing dehydration, which is a well-known productivity killer.
On the other hand, foods containing phenylalanine (like almonds) stimulate dopamine production, which is linked to elevated moods and better motivation. There’s also choline, a type of B vitamin found in salmon and legumes, which has been proven to improve focus and alertness.
Disrupt your daily routine
Productivity and routine frequently go hand-in-hand, but what if that doesn’t work for you?
If you keep to a routine but are still procrastinating, try to disrupt your schedule. This could mean moving your morning run to the evening, changing the hours you work (if you can), or throwing caution to the wind and chucking your entire routine out of the window.
This might simply be a matter of shifting your schedule around until it works for you. Or, you might discover that you work better when you follow your instinct rather than a timetable. Give spontaneity a go and see what works for you.
Let yourself be unproductive
By focusing so much on keeping procrastination at bay, you might actually be making your productivity worse. The solution? Lean into doing less.
People who frequently procrastinate see all sorts of motivation-boosting effects from their chill time, including enhanced creativity, lower stress levels, and the ability to work more efficiently. The result is that when they put their mind to a task, they get more done in less time.
