8 Ways To Maintain Your Productivity After a Long Day

8 Ways To Maintain Your Productivity After a Long Day

Sometimes it’s easy to go into “lazy” mode when you leave work. You might be tempted¹ to hit the couch and turn on the TV the minute you get home. Instead, you know you should be doing useful things like reading, cleaning your garage, or grocery shopping. The following are some tips to avoid the temptation of slacking off after a long day at work. Start Right Away

You’ll lose energy if you get too much downtime. Do not wait until after you finish dinner to start working on a project. Once you are out of “the zone,” it will be difficult to get back. Keep moving and avoid sitting for too long when you get home.

Go Somewhere Else

You might reach a point where your bed or couch gets too hard to ignore. If you want to jump start your personal projects then you should go out and find a place you where you can work or learn new things. Being outside your comfort zone forces you to focus on your goals.

Coffee shops are an ideal place to write your blog or catch up on the news. Being outside your house will spare you from unwanted counterproductive distractions² like the TV and bed. Being in a public place will also keep you stimulated³ helping⁴ you stay awake longer.

Practice the 10-minute Rule

When working on your side projects, start by spending ten minutes on them, never less. When your time’s up you can stop and congratulate yourself for a job well done. If you feel like continuing with your task, then do so.

Don’t worry if you only spent ten minutes on a side project. The important thing is you got started. Ten minutes is precious when spent on taking steps towards your goal. Chances are, you’ll get pumped up enough after the first ten minutes that you’d want to continue on.

Choose Projects Close to Your Heart

Projects you are attracted to and passionate⁵ about are easier to work on. Working on something close to your heart gives you the energy and drive to accomplish your goals. If the project isn’t very exciting (such as doing laundry) give yourself a reward that you are passionate about. It’s easier to dedicate your precious after-work hours if you’re really into a project.

Get Some Exercise

Exercise is a must to help extend your hours working on your side projects. Ideally, you should spend at least 30 minutes of your time on exercise. If you can’t spend this much time, even a walk around the block can give you an immediate⁶ energy boost. Doing exercises regularly increases its’ benefits.

Start with a 20-30 minute light to moderate workout. You will instantly feel the results and get motivated to be more productive instead of wasting your time on your couch.

Write Your Schedule

Writing down your schedule will make you feel invigorated and excited throughout the day. Have your evening planned even before you leave the office. Having specific goals makes it easier to get started and accomplish them.

Keep a check-list in your workspace to keep track of all your goals. Keep your goals realistic so you won’t get overwhelmed; you can create more complex goals as you go along. Remember, you also have other commitments to take care of.

Get Up Early For Your Projects

Sometimes taking on side projects can feel like a daunting⁷ task especially if no ideas are coming in. When this happens, you can go to bed and wake up early instead. You can spend some time to read or start on your projects before going to work. Waking up early will also help you avoid the stress of rushing to work.

Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself

You can’t stay productive all the time. Some nights you’ll be in the zone, while on some nights you’ll feel like sleeping right away. This will happen to you, and when it does, you have to forgive yourself and move on. Productivity after work isn’t everything.

Just pick yourself up the next day. If you’re too hard on yourself, you will likely feel down and might want to give up on your project entirely⁸.

1 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

2 distractions   

n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱

参考例句：

• I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
• There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 stimulated   

a.刺激的

参考例句：

• The exhibition has stimulated interest in her work. 展览增进了人们对她作品的兴趣。
• The award has stimulated her into working still harder. 奖金促使她更加努力地工作。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

6 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

7 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

8 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。