Re-Starting Your Productivity

If you’ve been through a particularly busy period where you were super productive and then suddenly took a long restful break, you’d normally find it difficult to get back into the productivity mode afterwards. I faced this issue recently as I was starting work after a much needed Eid break and it took me a couple of days to get into my productivity mode. So, how can you get back to being productive again?

Here are 3 tips to help you:

1. Use the power of routines:

If you’ve had a particular routine that you normally followed during your productive days; try to match those routines. This could mean waking up at a certain time, doing certain activities at certain times of the day, etc. For example, one way that I used the power of routine to get back into productivity was to get back into my routine of going to the gym early in the morning after Fajr prayer. If you didn’t have a particular routine or you don’t like your old routine, this is a great opportunity to build a brand new one! A lot has been spoken recently about the power of rituals and routines and how important they are to build a productive lifestyle. We’ve covered a couple of routines here at ProductiveMuslim including morning routine, commuting routine, work routine and before sleep routine.

2. Start with M.I.Ts:

After a long-break, you’ll find yourself struggling to figure out where to start with your tasks and to-dos. Spend a few hours (perhaps the night before your day work starts) figuring out exactly what you’ll work on first thing in the morning when you get back to work. Try to limit your Most Important Tasks (M.I.Ts) to 2-3 items per day and reward yourself for achieving them at the end of each day. These important achievements each day (even if they are few) will help you tune yourself back into ‘productivity’ mode.

3. Talk to people around you:

Sometimes discussing your project/ work/ to-dos with those around (colleagues, family members, friends) will help motivate you to get back into productivity mode. No one likes to think that they are slacking or not achieving their goals, and generally you don’t like to disappoint those around you. So have meetings with your co-workers re-discussing your projects/tasks so you can update yourself with the latest requirements, speak to your family members about the challenges ahead of you, and meet up with a few friends to discuss your future projects and you’ll see yourself excited to get back into being productive.

Trying to re-start your productivity after a period of down-time may take 2-3 days or up to a week, it can be a frustrating period, especially if you’re a high achiever, but don’t feel bad about it and don’t wish you didn’t take a break. You needed the break, and before you know it, you’ll go back into being super productive again.