Two Options: Being Productive or Staying in Bed All-Day
I find myself staying creative and grinding, while also feeling like time has stopped and increased all at the same time
There is no answer to the battle between productivity and napping.
This has been the most consistent battle that I’ve had not only this year but always. It’s not a 7 game series in the playoffs, but a show like The Simpsons that lasts forever. I’m fortunate to work from home, but having your bedroom space serve as your office is a recipe for disaster. My desk is great for getting work done, I have two monitors, and I try to keep it as organized as possible, but I take one quick look behind me, and my bed invites me to lay down. I finish one task, and I hear the whispering of the blankets, I stand up to use the bathroom, and my pillows stare at me. My issues aren’t confined to work, but when I’m trying to work outside of work — like writing or working out, that turns out to be a big issue. I find myself scrolling through my timelines for too long when I’m on my bed or just being knocked out for a terrible amount of time. I wake up, and I realize that my day is treading away from me.
I don’t think it’s feeling lazy per se, but trying to find an escape from the day-to-day tasks that need to be done. Sometimes I only need 5 minutes; sometimes I THINK I need an hour. I find that this pertains to the amount of work that I can do in a given amount of time. How much can I concentrate and how long can I stay focused without getting distracted. It can be easy to fall into this cycle when it comes to work, but when you focus on creative work for oneself, one would think that the amount of time invested in concentration would be longer or more effective because it’s something you like to do. I find that it’s not always the case. When it comes to writing, I think I trick myself in taking breaks to process what I want to write or what I'm going to include in the next paragraph.
I’m not. It’s just another way for me to distract myself, but when I do put in a lot of quality work at one time, it feels amazing. Similar to having a killer workout and knowing that you put your best in your exercises.
I ask myself,
“How many breaks do I really need?” and “How much time do I need to refuel my body and mind to get the best quality work from myself?”
Here are a few things that I do to find the right balance of breaks in the midst of the grind and the hustle. Some alternatives, if you will. I know that my bed being in the same room where I get my work done can be problematic. Instead of lying on my bed for a quick break, I find myself lying on the ground — usually on my stomach when I have a quick 5er. I take less time to scroll through my socials, and I don’t typically take a nap on the ground unless I have a grueling workout.
This works for me because:
A) I can’t lay on the ground for long periods of time on my stomach because I rest my chin on the ground and it starts to hurt after a while
and
B) very similar to A, in the sense that I can’t fall asleep if I'm uncomfortable
Typically, this strategy works, but I am conscious about limiting the number of breaks that I take on the ground. It could be for short durations, but the quantity could increase immensely. Another option I turn to includes mini exercises when I get away from my desk. I invested in kettlebells for my personal workouts at home, and I’ll do some kettlebell swings or something simpler like push-ups and sit-ups. Something that gets the blood flowing seems to ease my mind better than scrolling endlessly on Twitter.
There are no perfect answers to this equation. It’s a constant battle every day. Some days we’re on fire, and some days we have our slumps. The important thing is how we get back on track, and we continue to get better as each day approaches. You’re the driver every day, and you know when to stop for gas or when to keep going.
