How to be Productive (If You Want to Stay in Bed?)

Recently videos and tiktoks are dedicated to one thing: the desire to hide under the covers and sit there until spring. Especially for those who are tired of winter procrastination and want to re-create, shine, or at least have time to solve basic problems, we have collected the best secrets of how to be productive in this dark and difficult time!

IGNORE THE ENVIRONMENT OUTSIDE THE WINDOW

Yes, we agree, this is especially difficult in winter. It is always either dark or cold outside, or both together. Add to this traffic jams, bustle, unpleasant wind and the need to dig out a car or make your way to a stop through the snowdrifts … Even the geniuses of meditation can find it difficult to completely abandon such an external environment.

Therefore, we propose to focus on the microclimate in the apartment and office – those rooms where you spend the maximum amount of time. Here are the steps you can take to keep the atmosphere invigorating and in tune for your work:

1. Choose bright (but comfortable) light sources that are as close to the sun as possible. Do not sit in the twilight, do not work under the light of only one table lamp. This knocks down the body’s natural biorhythms and adjusts it to a constant “night” mood.

2. Monitor the temperature and the availability of fresh air in the room. Even if after outside frosts you want to come in warmth and warm up, try to keep the temperature in the room not exceeding 21-22 degrees celsius, and also ventilate the room every 1-2 hours. The supply of fresh air prevents oxygen starvation and helps the brain to concentrate better at work.

3. If your work schedule involves getting up early – try using special light alarms that turn on the light gradually, simulating the dawn outside the window, or bracelets that wake up a person in the most suitable phase of sleep. Such tricks help the body gently emerge from a sleepy state and switch to a vigorous and active mode.

COME UP WITH NOT ONLY GOALS, BUT ALSO REWARDS

A feature of work in the winter period is, first, a large number of cases in the pre-New Year season, and then a sharp decline in activity in January. An uneven schedule can become one of the reasons for procrastination – the body simply does not have time to adapt to radically different levels of stress and goes into a protective “hibernation”.

This effect can be minimized not only by competent planning, but also by proper motivation. After distributing all important, unpleasant or urgent tasks according to the winter schedule, be sure to write down a plan of rewards for completing each of them.

We recommend alternating indoor and outdoor (or sports) activities. Thus, you can catch two birds with one stone: get pleasant emotions after solving the next task and provide yourself with regular physical activity, which also helps to maintain the level of work productivity and the general tone of the body.

MONITOR YOUR VITAMIN D LEVELS

Not the most obvious tip … which can still play a decisive role. According to statistics, up to 82% of women and up to 91% of men may have insufficient vitamin D1 levels. But it is vitamin D that participates in metabolic processes, regulating the exchange of phosphorus and calcium and bone metabolism. And also vitamin D takes part in the work of the immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems2, regulation of carbohydrate metabolism

Possible signs of its deficiency include complaints of general and muscle weakness, and discomfort in the bones, and increased fatigue, sleep problems, and impairment of memory and attention … 3,4,5,6 Suspiciously familiar picture, isn’t it?