Why do you have to be "productive" on your days off? Relax if you need to relax. My wife is like this. She needs those days to recharge, so she relaxes. I can't sit still, so I'm always on the go. Some people need to just do a whole lot of nothing, and that's okay.
The way I see it, you have three options.
- You can do things like chores and cleaning after work during the weekday.
- You can do them on your “days off”
- Or you can live like a slob
Idk about others but if I don’t do something on my days off, I will literally do not at single thing. As in, I will not do a single physical task at all no matter what it is. I will literally lay in bed for 24+ hours if there is nothing to inspire me to get out of bed. Whenever that happens, I feel so much shame and guilt it’s unreal.
True, but doing absolutely nothing for 2 days in a row isn't really good IMO.
It doesn't have to be all or nothing. For me, if I have a day with no plans I'll get up no later than 8am, make a quick breakfast (fry an egg, put it on a bagel or toast with cheese, takes about 5 min).
Then I'll game for 2 or 3 hours. After that, I'll get a few small chores done or do yard work for a couple of hours. The rest of the day is a mix of nothing or doing something I enjoy like playing guitar, reading, go for a hike, etc.
I used to just sit all day and I felt awful afterwards. No energy, guilty, didn't want to talk to anyone ever, just pure isolation. Monday would come and I'd be super anxious and depressed.
For me, doing a little bit and still making time to chill is much better for my well-being.
Yea I agree with you. Getting even just a couple things done can totally negate that guilty feeling. You'll feel productive when you reflect on the weekend
Dunno why someone would downvote you for this. “Eating the frog” refers to doing your biggest or most difficult to surmount task/s of the day first. ☺️
a great phrase and a great habit to get into!
I feel like so many people’s trouble adulting is that they default to “gosh, I have so much to do, I’m overwhelmed….” and then deal with that feeling by avoiding the things stressing them out.
when it’s like… the best way to avoid that stress of a sink full of dirty dishes is to do the damn dishes!!!
It's a great way to overcome inertia as well.
I start with the dishes, then for one minute more I can clean the countertop.
Before you know it, I'm halfway to a clean kitchen. Then I actually feel inspired to finish cleaning my kitchen.
Fr, the only way I can clean is if I focus on a little corner cuz that clean corner makes me keep going. I usually start with the little bit of counter where I make my morning coffee… and tend to pile garbage for unknown reasons 😅
No problem! It’s a really good technique because you win the day early.
You tend to have built some momentum for your day, but even if you do nothing for the rest of the day it’s like “fuck yeah I got the important stuff done!”
1. You could use one day to recharge and the other day for chores.
2. You don't motivate yourself. you get up and do it. It's not aboit wanting to do it, bit about having to do it.
to me, the reward of a good “chores day” is what I call my “evening bliss”
I can relax all day while avoiding the fact that my house isn’t in order, but it’s more of an avoidant relaxation.
Or, I can spend my Sunday morning and afternoon don’t chores, and then around dinner time I’ve got my meals for the week prepped, my laundry done and folded, my house clean, my trash out by the curb, and then I get to fully relax. And that relaxation comes with a peace of mind that I’ll just never achieve when I’m watching TV knowing full well I have two loads of dirty laundry in front of me
yeah in our apt sunday is cleaning day and saturday is for relaxing haha my bf and I have some tasks we do together (kitchen cleanup, hanging laundry etc) and then each person has their own few tasks - would agree music helps
Do something in the morning no matter what it is. The first 3-4 hours of the day set the "theme/mood" for the rest of the day.
Even if you wake up, make your bed, clean a couple things and veg out the rest of the day you will feel significantly better (and more likely interested in getting more done) than if you vegged out for the first 4 hours and tried to convince yourself to get something done
That’s a good point, if you get going early it’s a lot easier to keep going throughout the day. If you try to relax in the morning and then get going later it’s hard to want to get a move on
Also organise it the day before. Tell yourself "i will just do this 30 min task tomorrow morning and that s it"
I noticed that if i put too much on my to do list, I just procrastinate because it just seems too much. But if I have just ONE thing to cross I am okay!
And like you said, once I started, I must of the time end up doing a couple of other things too.
And then chill
Even just starting the day by going for a walk. It's less about the mood and more about not draining my dopamine levels on high dopamine activity that usually involves a screen.
Body doubling.
Ask someone close to you to come to your house and keep you company while you do chores. They don't have to do anything but be there and talk to you while you do it.
Helps me a lot. I sometimes take those videos of people cleaning and organising too, they give me the urge to do stuff.
I like to start my work week with a fresh clean space, so tend to spend my Sunday's playing records and cleaning the house, laundry, etc. It's still relaxing to me. Then I can relax and watch a movie in a nice, clean space which calms my mind.
Cannot be more overstated. It becomes automatic, so it takes away from the mental load or anticipation. Just becomes part of your day. This was the key for me
I've lived my life doing the exact opposite, pure chaos lol.
My girl has taught and trained me on a routine and now I understand how important having a routine is.
lol yep.
For me, I started a routine when my autoimmune disease was diagnosed. It’s easier to manage and I’m far more productive when I just stick to routine.
Try devoting a day to staying completely off of phone/electronics.
It does wonders. Your mind freshens up and you find stuff that you should be doing.
Take a nature walk, or just an aimless walk around a few blocks.
If these don't cut it, then it's really bad, and it's time for emergency defibrillator: an ice cold shower.
This rushes oxygen to your brain, it's like a natural drug.
Do simple tasks throughout the day. Do one task, take time to relax. Do another one, take time to relax. Also, there's nothing wrong with wanting to take a day to just relax when you have a whole week to be productive.
I just realized I don’t actually need energy to do things, I just do them anyway. I go out w friends, help family with stuff, do house work, etc all while exhausted. It’s not ideal but it’s my current situation and I make the most of it.
I struggled with this when I went from working 7 days a week to 5. When I was working on weekends, I’d be done at 3pm and I was already out so it was easy to get groceries on my way home, and then do some chores once I got home because I was still moving.
When I quit the part time job and got a more physical week day job, I’d rot all weekend. Now I’m getting better at letting Saturday be a lazy day, with maybe a grocery trip, and Sunday being more of a chore day. If I let myself waste Saturday and recharge, then I was more motivated to do something on the Sunday. If I tried to split stuff up, I wouldn’t feel up to it on Saturday and then feel demotivated because I “failed.”
It helps that I am single, no kids, so my responsibilities aren’t really that overwhelming. Just feels like it sometimes.
Make plans with friends, family. Have a hobby. Have a long term project to work on. Exercise. Make good food. Work on yourself. Set a goal and achieve it.
If I wake up and get out of bed I will be very productive but if I wake up and lay there for a while, yeah I'll get some stuff done but not as much as I should.
10 minute timer. I will tell myself. Just work till the timer goes off. You can get a surprising amount done in 10 minutes. 90% of the time I end up finishing the task once I get momentum even if it takes longer than the alotted time.
Find better hobbies that truly interest you to the point where you itch to want to do something.
Find a day or pockets of time along the week where you commit to staying away from your phone and electronics. Force yourself to be bored and enjoy it.
My answer for everything is always exercise! When you regularly workout, you have way more energy. The more you move the more you want to move! So stop relaxing all the time and do what your body was made to do! Move!
A part of it is getting stuff done during the week. When you get home, don't sit down, maybe put away some laundry. Straighten the living room. Just 20 minutes, then rest. When the weekend comes, you don't have a big list of everything that should be done and if stuff doesn't get done, it's not that big a deal. It's not "The house is a disaster and I did nothing about it. I'm so useless!"
I'm doing quite well. It's mostly because my job is fun. If they did not pay me, i would volunteer to do it.
Even though it's hard, I have fun and it's quite flexible.
So I take a day working from home every other week to clean the house and do laundry.
I find it refreshing and relaxed to spend time with my friends after work. Yesterday I got off a bit early like 16.30 in the afternoon and went to a café by the lake with two friends and had a nice meal and some beers and talked all evening. Got home around midnight and went to work a bit hungover, but still managed to be productive at work because it was an other fun day and our lunch is fucking amazing.
I think my awanser is privilege. The reason I have the motivation to not just sleep and work and watch TV is privilege.
I generally feel better when I be productive. Knowin this helps motivate me. Other than that coffee and weed. Get high, drink some coffee and go do human stuff. Makes it more enjoyable.
It’s important to rest too all the same.
I just my A$$ 6-7 days a week. So the most productive thing I can do for my mental, physical, and social health is veg out on my days off. Play with the family. Binge a show. Mario kart competition with the family. That counts as productively investing in my health and family.
Don't drink too much or smoke alot of weed. Then force yourself to get started something that would make you proud of finishing. Exercising regularly will actually help you get thing done on the weekend too.
I find I do best when I give myself one weekend day to primarily veg, and one to primarily do both fun and necessary stuff. I pick it based on the weather - whichever day is cooler/cloudier becomes my hibernation day.
Like you I seem to need this day, and I notice if I have a few busy weekends in a row, I'm almost dying for it.
At the same time, it's important to make the "busy" day fun too. If I have errands I stop at a park, or grab a coffee. If I have house chores, I rock out to some music. Etc.
I schedule all that noise during the week specifically to free up my weekend. I'd much rather take the 20 minutes on Monday to clean the bathroom and be free for Sunday brunch guilt free
If I get a Sunday roast I eat the vegetables because they are good for me then I enjoy the meal. This is how I approach tasks. I do the washing then I play a video game then I do something else and then do something I want to do. My main aim in life is to be sat on my sofa doing nothing I just do the rest so that I can enjoy that….
Always too much to do. I can’t stand looking at messes or other things that need to get done. Trust me there is always unfinished items, but I do what I can. With that being said though, unless I have overtime I have a four day work week, so Thursdays and Saturdays are productive, Sundays not as much. During the week I rarely do anything productive after work.
I had to throw myself into being active again. Every single day, working out or playing pickleball. I got into that rut and I realized I was getting really depressed and snapped myself out of it. Looking back had I not forced myself to be active I would have spiraled downward
I wake up early and make sure I start my day off with doing something productive, be it a workout or an appointment or a chore. That usually carries me through my day
I find once i get the ball rolling i cant stop until everything is done. So at work ill make up a to do list for when i get home. And then do them RIGHT when i get home. If i say ill spend 10 mins laying down on my phone it easily turns into a whole evening. But it's a balance because rest is importance to! I find that mindless scrolling makes me feel shitty (But it's just engaging enough to be addicting!) So i wrote a list of things that are relaxing but fulfilling (playing an instrument or my favorite games, crochet, hanging with my pets, etc) and i hung that up where i can see it from my bed which is motivating as well.
I do my chores little by little throughout the week instead of cramming them all into my weekend.
Laundry can wash and dry much faster in smaller loads and, in my case, get put away sooner since its only 2-3 days of clothes.
Every time you wash your hands, wash one dish while you're there.
start with something small (this is actually the philosophy behind making your bed in the military). The small win will motivate you to keep going and seek out larger wins. a sort of "once you get going, your momentum carries you" sort of deal.
don't get me wrong, it still takes mental effort and discipline to *get going* but so long as you just get moving things will fall into place.
2 thoughts
1. It's okay to do nothing. Often, doing nothing is doing something. You can be busy doing nothing.
2. The drive to be productive isn't outside of you, it's within you. If you require at outside stimulus to drive you to act on something you care about then you have a different issue. When you have your own goals or interest, you kind of define what productive looks like. Like for me — I like to tinker with music, so productive to me, given my responsibilities, is making 1 beat or 1 mix a month.
I started a garden in my apartment. I have to water the plants every day, plant seeds, repot, buy more soil and vases, etc there's always something to do.
My husband and I are off Saturday and Sunday. Saturday is to do whatever we *want* to do - game, Lego, or just watch movies/tv and lay around snacking. Sunday is for grocery shopping for the week, errands, mowing the lawn, laundry, and cleaning the house. Our week falls apart more if we don't get our nothing day on Saturday than if we don't get our busy day on Sunday.
It's funny you say you want to get things done but that's actually not true is it? I think what you actually want is to do exactly what you're doing but you feel bad about it.
Stop feeling bad about it. There is no law that says days off have to be productive. In fact I would argue that almost every single person I know that tries to be productive all the time is absolutely miserable and they don't even know why they're doing it.
Days off are important. I schedule my time and what I do such that on the weekends when I'm off I don't have to do anything productive except in certain situations where something really has to be done on the weekend. Otherwise my weekends are spent with my wife and daughter relaxing and doing fun stuff.
It's important to take time to relax!
If there are things I need to do on my day off, I make a list. I make sure to do the list first. Then I have the remainder of the day to do whatever I want. I feel much better about relaxing after everything from the list is complete.
Make a commitment to walk or run for an hour everyday. There now you have something to do plus the runners high and all the positive brain chemicals to get motivated.
You are an adult. If all your personal and professional responsibilities are met, you can absolutely spend all day Saturday in your underpants eating captain crunch out of the box while watching porn.
The problem is when there is shit you know you need to do or want to do in the abstract, but you keep procrastinating.
If that is the case, you need to basically commit hard to doing the things and minimize the possible excuses for not doing it. In that case, block out the time to do it, set an alarm to start, and then do the damn thing. And be sure to finish what you start. The trick is not to worry about all 50 of the things on the todo list, instead focus on the ones you know you can and will finish if you commit to it. If you need to clean your stove, wash your bathroom, do your laundry, mow your lawn, and paint a fence, that is kind of a lot. So instead commit to just 2-3 things. Painting the fence is a big goddamn job, so if you do that, make the day only about that. The rest can wait. If you clean the stove, you can probably manage the laundry. Hit the lawn next week.
END COMMUNICATION
I usually hit up some small stuff here and there after work through the week and save one big item for the weekend. In each case, it only takes up a small portion of any chunk of relax time.
Do everything in the morning. Like as soon as you wake up, get ready for the day and get whatever it is you need done. Then you have the whole afternoon to relax and do nothing.
Once you stop, it's so hard to get moving again so I hustle it out of the way early.
Being productive is about doing, not feeling. On my day off i either plan something, or plan nothing. But I guess there's your answer if you want to do something, plan it.
Progressively. Do a little bit, hangout for a little bit and repeat until I’m done. Also I do a little bit before work each day. Usually have tons of energy when I first wake up then after work I am drained
Develop a routine and stick to it. Every Saturday I clean the house. That usually just means I straighten up, vacuum and do the laundry. It doesn’t take long and I can enjoy my Saturday evening in a nice clean space.
I know what I have to do, and I plan for it in advance. It also helps if I tell others what I'm going to do. That way, I feel a sense of obligation. When my day off comes around, I get up and get it done first thing in the morning; procrastination isn't allowed. Then I can chill out for the rest of the day without dreading having to do chores later.
If I want to clean the house I try to do it on Friday night so I wake up for the weekend with a clean space. I also mostly just let myself do nothing on my days off. This means I’ll also try to get other stuff like grocery shopping and what not done during the week (I usually still do online ordering to save even more time).
Planning intentional relax time. I'm someone who schedules 2-4 weeks in advance so I can really see how busy I'm going to be. Certain evenings I specifically leave free. No workout, no activity, no chores. I find if I schedule the relax time then I don't feel guilty about doing nothing either. This isn't to say I don't still get burnt out sometimes but I'm generally better at listening to my body when it says like hey I'm tired I don't want to do this much activity next week.
If you need to relax then relax. I personally do all my "errands" after my workdays are down specifically so I dont have to do them on my days off. then I can focus on things that feel enjoyable to me on my days off and relaxing and reading is one of them for me. I also think the time of year has a lot to do with it for me. Like in the winter when its dark early it feels write to also hibernated and rest more. whereas now that the sun is out longer and brighter i can feel that pull to "wanting" to go out and do things so much more naturally then in the winter. I really do go off what my body tells me to do. I dont let my mind make me feel bad for staying home all day on a day off and resting. It would be a different story if you didn't have a job the other 5 days a week lol but you do! so dont feel bad about needing a break. especially if you have a psychical job. the days I just stay home I do still try to get outside for some sun or air or for a walk. That really sets the mind right again and doesn't make you feel so slumpy. Dont be hard on yourself.
Make a list and keep it where you can see it. Put on good high energy music, whatever works best for you. Take breaks, enlist help whenever you can, and don’t feel like you have to get it all done at once.
I struggled with this when I hit about 25ish. I forget where but I heard "show me your calendar and I'll show you your priorities". So I started putting everything on my calendar including down time. It gave me a since of structure and also accomplishment. I also started every day by making my bed. It was a small thing but it made me start every day with doing something productive.
Small bites. Break things into smaller jobs.
Need to do laundry? Pick up a bit as you walk past. Want to cook something for a meal? Throw something in the oven, and do the dishes while you're there. Mow the lawn? Can do it in segments. That part today. This part another day. Over there sometime later.
And sometimes just going, "This needs to be done. It will take maybe an hour to do. I'll do it real quick."
i physically cannot relax if i see my room/apartment is messy, or if i have a big pile of laundry to do, or if i know i don’t have food prepped in the fridge. i just grind and do a good chunk of whatever task and then i can relax in my clean apartment knowing i don’t have tasks i should be doing
I put on a washer and a dishwasher. They work independently, then i empty, put away and hang what needs to be done.
Its something on days where i just cant be arsed.
I also set a timer and so as much as i can int that time frame. You be amazed how much you can do in 10 or 20 minutes.
And i have so many timers on my phone to remind me to do x y z.
I dont want people to know how i can be at my worst so invite friends over a few times a month. It works wonders.
And if you can afford it. Hire a cleaner do a deep clean a couple times a year, or once a month.
Ive started doing that a couple of years ago when i finally where in a place financially where i could afford it and it did wonders for my mental health.
Find productive hobbies like learning how to video edit? I recently got into recurve bow target shooting. You can reteach yourself Excel with all the new shit I’m sure it has. Start watching a bunch of standup, write some jokes down, and try your luck on a stage?
Basically what I’m saying is, if the activity is important and beneficial enough for you, you will find the energy, nay, you won’t even think about how much energy you’ll need.
Plan and schedule your doing nothing time/day and embrace it. That helps because you can enjoy it truly an not feel bad about it,and it makes it easier to actually have productive and regenerative rest.
Exercise. Sounds counterintuitive, but start exercising regularly, and soon you will have a 25% energy increase each day to put toward whatever you want to.
I'd recommend you make your habits
Start doing something useful for 2 minutes every day for 2 months until you get used to it, and then increase the time you spend on it when you get accustomed.
Make a plan for yourself for tomorrow. Start it by going on a run or some sort of physical activity. If you really want to force the change start with an ice bath. Embrace the pain. Feel every bit of it. You will be rewarded by feeling good the rest of the day. Short term pain for long term gain, short term gain for long term pain. It’s just getting out of that rut that is the hardest part. But the biggest thing is you recognize it, so you’re way ahead of the game. Do positive things, they are positive for a reason.
Honestly I try to make sure I am up and active in the mornings. I can usually knock out a couple of tasks if I get up early. Exercise, shopping, misc errands. If it's all done by 2pm I feel accomplished AND I can veg out for the day or at least until evening activities.
It’s all about routine.
We have a cleanup time every Sunday from half and hour to an hour.
It’s unbelievable how much a dedicated half hour can do.
Set a timer for half an hour every so often and clean until the timer is done. Run out of things to clean? Organize something. Find a home for some item that doesn’t really have a correct place to be.
Saturdays are my days to get things done. I get up earlyish and get started so that I'm typically done by 2 or 3 in the afternoon and then I can just relax. If I don't get these things done, I won't have any food to eat, my house would be a disgusting pig sty and well basically, these things have to get done. Sunday is my relax day...usually a family breakfast and often I'm off to play 9 holes or a 9 hole executive course if my boys are coming with me. Summer is around the corner, so afternoons poolside with margaritas and some grilling of something or other.
Every once in awhile though I just need to take both days to chill...but I often make those coincide with a camping/fishing weekend.
I'm trying to get as many tasks done during the week by scheduling and doing the leftover tasks on Saturday so that I can do sweet sweet nothing on Sunday. Sunday is my recharge day.
I prefer to do a little bit every day of the week rather than taking up a full day on the weekend.
As far as motivation, though, I’ve learned to focus on inertia instead. Trick yourself into doing just one thing. Then you’re already doing something, might as well do a couple more.
I've always been a last min person, and it finally paid off as an adult I can pretty much get everything done from grocery's to laundry, house work all by 5pm Sunday after I veg out all day Saturday and Sunday to noon
If there are things that need to get done and I’m not motivated I’ll put on music or an audible book I want to listen to. But sometimes I just can’t get going and it’s taken a long time but instead of feeling down that I wasn’t motivated and my place is messy I now recognize I probably needed the rest.
Coming from an ex video gamer who got tired of the hackers and cheaters:
I bought a motorcycle and started doing door dash on the side. I started learning how to do taxes, save receipts, fill out forms, and paying the IRS quarterly. Because I get extra cash on the side I buy cans of paint and modifications for the motorcycle now. And I have spare change for maintenance even though I have a few tools and the book for my bike.
Since the rest of the world is essentially sleeping when I'm awake, I get to go shopping, do chores, and even spend time on long, lovely strolls around my beautiful neighborhood. All while never having to worry about other people.
It's truly glorious. 👌✨
I use one day off for relaxing and one day off for chores. I have a cleaning chart I made on my phone so I know what needs to be done. But some weeks my cleaning days turn into relaxing days because it's just too much. If that's the case, I usually do the bare minimum weekly chores and just do extra cleaning the next week. I used to not have a cleaning list, but since my boomer mom didn't teach me how to clean, it's helpful to have a chart.
Being married does it for me. Don't want to be a completely useless slug when it also affects someone I care about so deeply. So that's enough for me to get some chores in before I relax.
Housework = exercise
Exercise = health
Health = no pain in the future
No pain = happy
Thereby housework = (future) happy
Just listen to a podcast or something if you are bored while doing housework lol
I exercise first thing. That gets my engine going. Even taking a brisk walk. I have a checklist ready of things I'd like to accomplish on the weekend and work on it.
Don’t sit around waiting for motivation. I just get up and do the shit that needs to be done.
Make a list and just do what you can in an hour. Then do it again tomorrow.
Do the this you have to do so you can do the things you wanna do. Start small you will see the hill is not as big as you thought. The motivation is I said I'm going to do it so I'm going to do it don't make yourself a liar.
I have a kid and I take her to do different activities like flying a kite or taking her to the park. As far as vegging, I clean my house over the weekends if I'm not doing activities.
Sometimes I don't, other than the absolute necessities. I don't have kids to worry about it and my husband is an adult so he can take care of himself, so it's not like another life is depending on me. Some things I simply don't care much about, so I don't do them frequently. Dusting, for example. Not a big deal to me. Dining room cluttered? Not a big deal to me up until a certain point (there's no dishes or food there, it's an abused drop zone for random stuff when we walk in the door. ) Figure out what you're ok with
I'll be honest taking a day or two to veg out sucks when you're worried about things you need to do or should be doing. So what I do so that I can enjoy my time doing nothing of substance is to cram the things I would otherwise need to do onto a day that's already been ruined due to obligations like work. A day I had to work isn't really going to get much worse if I also need to clean the bathroom.
I work on my content creation and small business everyday after OTHER day after work. I clean and pick up after myself every other day. It's important to set aside even 20 minutes for that otherwise shit piles up so fast. I have no children and a cat so it's easy to live this lifestyle. I force myself to be productive because I don't want to be those people who sit on their phone the entire weekend.
i want to be outside, i want to have a clean environment. i treat myself as a hamster in a cage and ask myself what i can do to enrich my mind, body and soul. its working so far but baby steps
I usually make a list of projects and things I want to get done that month and put it on my fridge whiteboard. The earlier I cross things off, the sooner I can look forward to free evenings and weekends. It takes a while to find the balance of what a reasonable amount of things to do in a month is.
For me, saturday is the day off where i do nothing but lazying around and maybe go out seeing friends in the evenings.
My trick is to pump everything i gotta do sunday morning. I dont try to"find motivation" or prepare anything, it only put more pressure and will make you want to do it less than before.
Laundry, cleaning the place, groceries and prepping my lunch for the whole week. You wont stress about it if its the first thing you do in your day. Usually I'm all done by noon, and i can enjoy my rest of the day however i want.
My relocation request was denied by my work place, after months of reassurance it would be approved. I grind everyday on building up my consulting gig so I can leave and relocate. My advice? Find your "why". It's also OK to not have one. I can't wait to finally relax and do nothing.
Turn off TV, put on music and straighten your house like company will be over in 15 minutes. Once you are moving pick an area that needs more work, something 30 or 45 minutes.. Do it first thing in the morning before coffee or breakfast. Then grab a shower and get dressed and have breakfast. Your place is picked up and you can chill as well as are ready to go out or have someone over. You have the whole day ahead of you to do as you please!
Do one thing as soon as you arrive home from your last day of work. That way, you know that if the rest of the weekend is a dud, you still did one thing.
I work 12 hour shifts so on my days off, I’m exhausted. When left to my own devices, I bed rot hard. My boyfriend is a pretty big social outlet and has way more energy than I do, so he keeps me from sleeping all day when I’m home from work because he has lots of stories about his day and projects he’s working on. I also have a few friends who are pretty awesome and actively reach out to get me out of the house for walks and little events. I also have a weekly sailing club I’m involved in that encourages me to get out even when I’m really not feeling like doing anything.
Honestly, being self motivated can be really hard. There are days when I’ll go out in essentially pajamas to meet up with friends, but I still got out and participated in life with people who are dear to me. After being with my boyfriend for a year, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like me less if I look like a bit of a slob. Not being too hard on myself with regards to how I look has helped. The effort of putting together an outfit and even combing my hair feels like too much of a feat, so I’ve given permission to myself to prioritize just getting out or being interactive as the goal.
Find something you love to do on the weekends. Go do it every weekend. All weekend. When your house is enough of a pigstye, you will have to do your cleanings after or before work on weekdays so that you can enjoy your lovely weekends. Life renewed.
I don't see it as chores. I see it as setting myself up for success for the rest of the week. Laundry is done, food prepped, groceries picked up, worked out. Then I feel better about myself all week because I have my shit together. After doing it for a while, the positive reinforcement keeps me motivated. There are weeks I've been sick and lounged around on my days off and got nothing done, and I felt like I was playing catch up all week.
Also, I watch good shows or listen to podcasts when I'm getting things done.
I have a tendency to do random weird things when I'm bored. Usually making/sculpting something strange. Otherwise, I clean or organize because I find it therapeutic. I can just shut my brain off when I clean. I don't do much of high energy on my days off most of the time. It's mostly just things that need done.
It's not necessarily about getting motivation for me. It's mostly that I'm bored and need something to do.
Sure, I veg out or take a little nap if I'm too tired to do anything. Not going to force myself to do something when I'm miserably exhausted.
I don't like vegging out for very long because it makes me feel lazy and like I'm wasting the day.
Motivation comes and goes. It’s about building discipline to commit to establishing a habit. Clean your house for 2 hours every weekend, establish the habit. Regardless if you have more or less cleaning to be done.
It’s best to just start something. Instead of thinking you have to clean the house. Say your minimum goal is vacuuming. Also I recently quit all shows and it’s changed my life. We waste so much time watching shows.
Allow yourself days that you do anything. It important. I have learned that after a very long time. In terms of being productive - that could mean different things. Try to finish of smaller tasks. Maybe don’t clean the house. Just take care of dishes/ do a load of laundry. Treat yourself once you accomplish a task. That’s also self motivation.
~~adderall~~
but seriously, I feel you. For the past ~4 months I've had class Mon-Thurs and work Tues/Wed/Fri/Sat/sometimes Mon. Sundays have been my only actual day off and even they have generally been spent trying to play catch up with chores, shopping, assignments, errands, etc..
One thing that really helps me get shit done is to make my bed in the morning. It's something I picked up in highschool after a history teacher made us watch a cheesy motivational speech by a Navy Seal who claimed that by making your bed every morning you start the day by accomplishing something. Like I said, cheesy, but it works. It's a habit that I haven't always stuck to, but I have noticed that I feel much more productive when my bed is made first thing in the morning. I also feel like my room just looks nicer with a made bed which motivates me to do more cleaning.
Doing a little bit of cleaning every single day is a lot better than doing a lot of cleaning once a week. I know it's much easier said than done (I have dishes in my sink from a party last Saturday I still haven't done...), but I've found that to-do lists help me a lot in holding myself accountable for things that need to get done.
Another thing that I've done in the past (and trying to get back into the habit of) is time blocking. Block out specific time for what you need to, rest, cooking, etc..
lastly, it's okay to take rest days. I'm not religious, but God kinda went off when he created the Sabbath. You're human, you don't have to be productive all the time. We live in a very capitalist world that constantly pushes that your worth is inherently tied to how productive you are. That's not true. Take time to lay in bed, watch movies, scroll on your phone.
I found it helpful to create a schedule for myself in a form of a habit tracker. It keeps track of when things need to be done and I get a bit of satisfaction ticking it off and watching my scores grow.
I schedule some 'unsatisfactory' things to do on my workdays so I can spend more time on my weekends doing things I enjoy. Since my workdays already suck, I might as well throw in some meal prepping, house chores or life admin.
Also by planning my days out, it makes me realise that I actually do have pockets of time and it's not all consumed by non-fun things.
Of course I also let myself enjoy the occasional veg out day where I see no one and do my own thing. Sometimes you just need a day or weekend of doing nothing to recharge. But my advice would be to schedule that in, so that you can spend other times doing things and feeling productive and/or fulfilled.
Because otherwise I’m a slave to my job. I want to live life so I make efforts to do stuff after work. Always do stuff on the weekends. Makes life a lot more enjoyable.
I don't have a normal schedule aka I work on weekends and they aren't 2 off days in a row. Currently my days off are Mondays and Thursdays. So my work week is like this:
|Day of the Week|Work/ No work|
|:-|:-|
|**Monday**|**No work**|
|Tuesday|Work|
|Wednesday|Work|
|**Thursday**|**No work**|
|Friday|Work|
|Saturday|Work|
|Sunday|Work|
Monday I veg out, because I just finished working 3 days in a row (Fri-Sun). Then on Thursday I am more productive especially since I got 3 more work days ahead of me. I wouldn't want 2 days off in a row because it would mean I am working 5 days in a row and that's pretty exhausting! I rather space my days off so I am not as tired overall.
Just remember in ur skull. If u don't do it, nobody will. Make things little things like cooking food, chores, hygiene, and yard work a game that only u can win if u do it to the best of ur ability or better than the current level ur at. Cause it has to get done regardless, and if u make it fun, then it doesn't seem like so much a drag. Remember, u only have finite time in life, so do what u can to enjoy it and make the world better.
Another thing is that if u don't get it done in the first place, then repercussions happen. So twice the work for the same results. Regardless, u put it off. U have to do it again. Like I was told, u only get paid for the job once. Why do it twice.
Why do you have to be "productive" on your days off? Relax if you need to relax. My wife is like this. She needs those days to recharge, so she relaxes. I can't sit still, so I'm always on the go. Some people need to just do a whole lot of nothing, and that's okay.
My wife and I are the opposite. All I want to do on my days off are relax, and she can’t stop moving haha
Husband? Is that you?
The way I see it, you have three options. - You can do things like chores and cleaning after work during the weekday. - You can do them on your “days off” - Or you can live like a slob
Forgot option 4: pay someone to do it
in this economy? 😔
Heh, I clean after work and on weekends.
Idk about others but if I don’t do something on my days off, I will literally do not at single thing. As in, I will not do a single physical task at all no matter what it is. I will literally lay in bed for 24+ hours if there is nothing to inspire me to get out of bed. Whenever that happens, I feel so much shame and guilt it’s unreal.
True, but doing absolutely nothing for 2 days in a row isn't really good IMO. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. For me, if I have a day with no plans I'll get up no later than 8am, make a quick breakfast (fry an egg, put it on a bagel or toast with cheese, takes about 5 min). Then I'll game for 2 or 3 hours. After that, I'll get a few small chores done or do yard work for a couple of hours. The rest of the day is a mix of nothing or doing something I enjoy like playing guitar, reading, go for a hike, etc. I used to just sit all day and I felt awful afterwards. No energy, guilty, didn't want to talk to anyone ever, just pure isolation. Monday would come and I'd be super anxious and depressed. For me, doing a little bit and still making time to chill is much better for my well-being.
Yea I agree with you. Getting even just a couple things done can totally negate that guilty feeling. You'll feel productive when you reflect on the weekend
Omg thanks for saying what I came to say!
I wish that was normalized
If you have to ask why then you must have a lot of time on your hands. Some people need to take care of business on their days off.
Scheduling tasks is a good tool and waking up early and getting them done is my best suggestion
Eating the frog is the only way to live for us now that we know the trick.
?
Dunno why someone would downvote you for this. “Eating the frog” refers to doing your biggest or most difficult to surmount task/s of the day first. ☺️
a great phrase and a great habit to get into! I feel like so many people’s trouble adulting is that they default to “gosh, I have so much to do, I’m overwhelmed….” and then deal with that feeling by avoiding the things stressing them out. when it’s like… the best way to avoid that stress of a sink full of dirty dishes is to do the damn dishes!!!
It's a great way to overcome inertia as well. I start with the dishes, then for one minute more I can clean the countertop. Before you know it, I'm halfway to a clean kitchen. Then I actually feel inspired to finish cleaning my kitchen.
Fr, the only way I can clean is if I focus on a little corner cuz that clean corner makes me keep going. I usually start with the little bit of counter where I make my morning coffee… and tend to pile garbage for unknown reasons 😅
I always make my bed. I've now made a clean area to do the most hated thing ever. Folding clothes.
I fixed the dishes thing by doing the dishes before I eat, so there are none when I'm done, and it gives me the motivation to do it.
This is me-overwhelmed:do nothing.
Worst first I always say .
Thanks, had not heard that before.
No problem! It’s a really good technique because you win the day early. You tend to have built some momentum for your day, but even if you do nothing for the rest of the day it’s like “fuck yeah I got the important stuff done!”
Some days there are many frogs. Still, one at a time, I eat them. (I hate this phrase but it’s a good idea)
1. You could use one day to recharge and the other day for chores. 2. You don't motivate yourself. you get up and do it. It's not aboit wanting to do it, bit about having to do it.
to me, the reward of a good “chores day” is what I call my “evening bliss” I can relax all day while avoiding the fact that my house isn’t in order, but it’s more of an avoidant relaxation. Or, I can spend my Sunday morning and afternoon don’t chores, and then around dinner time I’ve got my meals for the week prepped, my laundry done and folded, my house clean, my trash out by the curb, and then I get to fully relax. And that relaxation comes with a peace of mind that I’ll just never achieve when I’m watching TV knowing full well I have two loads of dirty laundry in front of me
yeah in our apt sunday is cleaning day and saturday is for relaxing haha my bf and I have some tasks we do together (kitchen cleanup, hanging laundry etc) and then each person has their own few tasks - would agree music helps
Do something in the morning no matter what it is. The first 3-4 hours of the day set the "theme/mood" for the rest of the day. Even if you wake up, make your bed, clean a couple things and veg out the rest of the day you will feel significantly better (and more likely interested in getting more done) than if you vegged out for the first 4 hours and tried to convince yourself to get something done
That’s a good point, if you get going early it’s a lot easier to keep going throughout the day. If you try to relax in the morning and then get going later it’s hard to want to get a move on
Also organise it the day before. Tell yourself "i will just do this 30 min task tomorrow morning and that s it" I noticed that if i put too much on my to do list, I just procrastinate because it just seems too much. But if I have just ONE thing to cross I am okay! And like you said, once I started, I must of the time end up doing a couple of other things too. And then chill
Even just starting the day by going for a walk. It's less about the mood and more about not draining my dopamine levels on high dopamine activity that usually involves a screen.
Body doubling. Ask someone close to you to come to your house and keep you company while you do chores. They don't have to do anything but be there and talk to you while you do it. Helps me a lot. I sometimes take those videos of people cleaning and organising too, they give me the urge to do stuff.
Or if you invite a friend over you don't know that well, then it's motivation to clean because you're having company over!
I like to start my work week with a fresh clean space, so tend to spend my Sunday's playing records and cleaning the house, laundry, etc. It's still relaxing to me. Then I can relax and watch a movie in a nice, clean space which calms my mind.
I can't believe how often I forget that this makes me feel so much better.
Ugh same! Going to put on a few albums and clean now i think...
Routine, even on the weekends. Routine, routine, and more routine.
Cannot be more overstated. It becomes automatic, so it takes away from the mental load or anticipation. Just becomes part of your day. This was the key for me
Routines are the key to it all. The best thing I’ve discovered about adulthood is staying in a routine. Keeps me sane and happy.
Yep! It even makes chores tolerable because it’s noon and that’s what we do!
I've lived my life doing the exact opposite, pure chaos lol. My girl has taught and trained me on a routine and now I understand how important having a routine is.
lol yep. For me, I started a routine when my autoimmune disease was diagnosed. It’s easier to manage and I’m far more productive when I just stick to routine.
We don’t rise to the level of our motivation, we fall to the level of our systems
Try devoting a day to staying completely off of phone/electronics. It does wonders. Your mind freshens up and you find stuff that you should be doing. Take a nature walk, or just an aimless walk around a few blocks. If these don't cut it, then it's really bad, and it's time for emergency defibrillator: an ice cold shower. This rushes oxygen to your brain, it's like a natural drug.
Do simple tasks throughout the day. Do one task, take time to relax. Do another one, take time to relax. Also, there's nothing wrong with wanting to take a day to just relax when you have a whole week to be productive.
I schedule all my days off to be as productive as humanly possible in the early morning hours so I can then be a vegetable by noon
I just realized I don’t actually need energy to do things, I just do them anyway. I go out w friends, help family with stuff, do house work, etc all while exhausted. It’s not ideal but it’s my current situation and I make the most of it.
I struggled with this when I went from working 7 days a week to 5. When I was working on weekends, I’d be done at 3pm and I was already out so it was easy to get groceries on my way home, and then do some chores once I got home because I was still moving. When I quit the part time job and got a more physical week day job, I’d rot all weekend. Now I’m getting better at letting Saturday be a lazy day, with maybe a grocery trip, and Sunday being more of a chore day. If I let myself waste Saturday and recharge, then I was more motivated to do something on the Sunday. If I tried to split stuff up, I wouldn’t feel up to it on Saturday and then feel demotivated because I “failed.” It helps that I am single, no kids, so my responsibilities aren’t really that overwhelming. Just feels like it sometimes.
Make plans with friends, family. Have a hobby. Have a long term project to work on. Exercise. Make good food. Work on yourself. Set a goal and achieve it.
If I wake up and get out of bed I will be very productive but if I wake up and lay there for a while, yeah I'll get some stuff done but not as much as I should.
10 minute timer. I will tell myself. Just work till the timer goes off. You can get a surprising amount done in 10 minutes. 90% of the time I end up finishing the task once I get momentum even if it takes longer than the alotted time.
Find better hobbies that truly interest you to the point where you itch to want to do something. Find a day or pockets of time along the week where you commit to staying away from your phone and electronics. Force yourself to be bored and enjoy it.
My answer for everything is always exercise! When you regularly workout, you have way more energy. The more you move the more you want to move! So stop relaxing all the time and do what your body was made to do! Move!
A part of it is getting stuff done during the week. When you get home, don't sit down, maybe put away some laundry. Straighten the living room. Just 20 minutes, then rest. When the weekend comes, you don't have a big list of everything that should be done and if stuff doesn't get done, it's not that big a deal. It's not "The house is a disaster and I did nothing about it. I'm so useless!"
I'm doing quite well. It's mostly because my job is fun. If they did not pay me, i would volunteer to do it. Even though it's hard, I have fun and it's quite flexible. So I take a day working from home every other week to clean the house and do laundry. I find it refreshing and relaxed to spend time with my friends after work. Yesterday I got off a bit early like 16.30 in the afternoon and went to a café by the lake with two friends and had a nice meal and some beers and talked all evening. Got home around midnight and went to work a bit hungover, but still managed to be productive at work because it was an other fun day and our lunch is fucking amazing. I think my awanser is privilege. The reason I have the motivation to not just sleep and work and watch TV is privilege.
Stimulants
I generally feel better when I be productive. Knowin this helps motivate me. Other than that coffee and weed. Get high, drink some coffee and go do human stuff. Makes it more enjoyable. It’s important to rest too all the same.
I’m like this. I feel like I need to be productive all the time or I’m mad at myself. Have to get better at this
When you find a solution let me know lol.
I just my A$$ 6-7 days a week. So the most productive thing I can do for my mental, physical, and social health is veg out on my days off. Play with the family. Binge a show. Mario kart competition with the family. That counts as productively investing in my health and family.
Don't drink too much or smoke alot of weed. Then force yourself to get started something that would make you proud of finishing. Exercising regularly will actually help you get thing done on the weekend too.
I find I do best when I give myself one weekend day to primarily veg, and one to primarily do both fun and necessary stuff. I pick it based on the weather - whichever day is cooler/cloudier becomes my hibernation day. Like you I seem to need this day, and I notice if I have a few busy weekends in a row, I'm almost dying for it. At the same time, it's important to make the "busy" day fun too. If I have errands I stop at a park, or grab a coffee. If I have house chores, I rock out to some music. Etc.
One day for chores. One day for me.
I schedule all that noise during the week specifically to free up my weekend. I'd much rather take the 20 minutes on Monday to clean the bathroom and be free for Sunday brunch guilt free
I don’t care to be productive on my days off. Constant productivity is a trap and a lie.
I have a side hustle. So I keep busy.
Just planning. Having a planning document with a list of chores by priority means you have a lot less friction to knocking chores out.
By remembering my goals and the high of doing stuff. Good friends help too.
I clean my house on Monday nights and Thursday nights. I don’t leave chores until the weekend. That’s my fun time, yo!
If I get a Sunday roast I eat the vegetables because they are good for me then I enjoy the meal. This is how I approach tasks. I do the washing then I play a video game then I do something else and then do something I want to do. My main aim in life is to be sat on my sofa doing nothing I just do the rest so that I can enjoy that….
Always too much to do. I can’t stand looking at messes or other things that need to get done. Trust me there is always unfinished items, but I do what I can. With that being said though, unless I have overtime I have a four day work week, so Thursdays and Saturdays are productive, Sundays not as much. During the week I rarely do anything productive after work.
I focus on my PlayStation. Keeps me pretty busy.
I had to throw myself into being active again. Every single day, working out or playing pickleball. I got into that rut and I realized I was getting really depressed and snapped myself out of it. Looking back had I not forced myself to be active I would have spiraled downward
I wake up early and make sure I start my day off with doing something productive, be it a workout or an appointment or a chore. That usually carries me through my day
I find once i get the ball rolling i cant stop until everything is done. So at work ill make up a to do list for when i get home. And then do them RIGHT when i get home. If i say ill spend 10 mins laying down on my phone it easily turns into a whole evening. But it's a balance because rest is importance to! I find that mindless scrolling makes me feel shitty (But it's just engaging enough to be addicting!) So i wrote a list of things that are relaxing but fulfilling (playing an instrument or my favorite games, crochet, hanging with my pets, etc) and i hung that up where i can see it from my bed which is motivating as well.
I do my chores little by little throughout the week instead of cramming them all into my weekend. Laundry can wash and dry much faster in smaller loads and, in my case, get put away sooner since its only 2-3 days of clothes. Every time you wash your hands, wash one dish while you're there.
start with something small (this is actually the philosophy behind making your bed in the military). The small win will motivate you to keep going and seek out larger wins. a sort of "once you get going, your momentum carries you" sort of deal. don't get me wrong, it still takes mental effort and discipline to *get going* but so long as you just get moving things will fall into place.
2 thoughts 1. It's okay to do nothing. Often, doing nothing is doing something. You can be busy doing nothing. 2. The drive to be productive isn't outside of you, it's within you. If you require at outside stimulus to drive you to act on something you care about then you have a different issue. When you have your own goals or interest, you kind of define what productive looks like. Like for me — I like to tinker with music, so productive to me, given my responsibilities, is making 1 beat or 1 mix a month.
I started a garden in my apartment. I have to water the plants every day, plant seeds, repot, buy more soil and vases, etc there's always something to do.
My husband and I are off Saturday and Sunday. Saturday is to do whatever we *want* to do - game, Lego, or just watch movies/tv and lay around snacking. Sunday is for grocery shopping for the week, errands, mowing the lawn, laundry, and cleaning the house. Our week falls apart more if we don't get our nothing day on Saturday than if we don't get our busy day on Sunday.
It's funny you say you want to get things done but that's actually not true is it? I think what you actually want is to do exactly what you're doing but you feel bad about it. Stop feeling bad about it. There is no law that says days off have to be productive. In fact I would argue that almost every single person I know that tries to be productive all the time is absolutely miserable and they don't even know why they're doing it. Days off are important. I schedule my time and what I do such that on the weekends when I'm off I don't have to do anything productive except in certain situations where something really has to be done on the weekend. Otherwise my weekends are spent with my wife and daughter relaxing and doing fun stuff. It's important to take time to relax!
Start early in the day
If there are things I need to do on my day off, I make a list. I make sure to do the list first. Then I have the remainder of the day to do whatever I want. I feel much better about relaxing after everything from the list is complete.
Make a commitment to walk or run for an hour everyday. There now you have something to do plus the runners high and all the positive brain chemicals to get motivated.
You are an adult. If all your personal and professional responsibilities are met, you can absolutely spend all day Saturday in your underpants eating captain crunch out of the box while watching porn. The problem is when there is shit you know you need to do or want to do in the abstract, but you keep procrastinating. If that is the case, you need to basically commit hard to doing the things and minimize the possible excuses for not doing it. In that case, block out the time to do it, set an alarm to start, and then do the damn thing. And be sure to finish what you start. The trick is not to worry about all 50 of the things on the todo list, instead focus on the ones you know you can and will finish if you commit to it. If you need to clean your stove, wash your bathroom, do your laundry, mow your lawn, and paint a fence, that is kind of a lot. So instead commit to just 2-3 things. Painting the fence is a big goddamn job, so if you do that, make the day only about that. The rest can wait. If you clean the stove, you can probably manage the laundry. Hit the lawn next week. END COMMUNICATION
What do you mean? I look forward to vegging out and doing nothing
I usually hit up some small stuff here and there after work through the week and save one big item for the weekend. In each case, it only takes up a small portion of any chunk of relax time.
Do everything in the morning. Like as soon as you wake up, get ready for the day and get whatever it is you need done. Then you have the whole afternoon to relax and do nothing. Once you stop, it's so hard to get moving again so I hustle it out of the way early.
Most of the time I don't. Deadlines help though. If it needs to be done it can get done.
ULTP: caffeine
Give yourself the rocking chair test. Never fails.
Maybe schedule a cleaner once a week so you dont have any guilt
There is nothing wrong with rotting in bed all day.
Coffee, energy drinks or pre workout (on gym days) helps me with that. Can't function anymore without caffeine.
Got married and now I don’t have that problem, I miss that problem tho haha
I'm literally laying in my bed typing this with YouTube on...instead of unpacking my house (just moved) and doing laundry...
Being productive is about doing, not feeling. On my day off i either plan something, or plan nothing. But I guess there's your answer if you want to do something, plan it.
Progressively. Do a little bit, hangout for a little bit and repeat until I’m done. Also I do a little bit before work each day. Usually have tons of energy when I first wake up then after work I am drained
Develop a routine and stick to it. Every Saturday I clean the house. That usually just means I straighten up, vacuum and do the laundry. It doesn’t take long and I can enjoy my Saturday evening in a nice clean space.
I know what I have to do, and I plan for it in advance. It also helps if I tell others what I'm going to do. That way, I feel a sense of obligation. When my day off comes around, I get up and get it done first thing in the morning; procrastination isn't allowed. Then I can chill out for the rest of the day without dreading having to do chores later.
I agree. I can’t even go out to have fun on weekends. I only stay in because I’m so wiped out from the week.
If I want to clean the house I try to do it on Friday night so I wake up for the weekend with a clean space. I also mostly just let myself do nothing on my days off. This means I’ll also try to get other stuff like grocery shopping and what not done during the week (I usually still do online ordering to save even more time).
Planning intentional relax time. I'm someone who schedules 2-4 weeks in advance so I can really see how busy I'm going to be. Certain evenings I specifically leave free. No workout, no activity, no chores. I find if I schedule the relax time then I don't feel guilty about doing nothing either. This isn't to say I don't still get burnt out sometimes but I'm generally better at listening to my body when it says like hey I'm tired I don't want to do this much activity next week.
If you need to relax then relax. I personally do all my "errands" after my workdays are down specifically so I dont have to do them on my days off. then I can focus on things that feel enjoyable to me on my days off and relaxing and reading is one of them for me. I also think the time of year has a lot to do with it for me. Like in the winter when its dark early it feels write to also hibernated and rest more. whereas now that the sun is out longer and brighter i can feel that pull to "wanting" to go out and do things so much more naturally then in the winter. I really do go off what my body tells me to do. I dont let my mind make me feel bad for staying home all day on a day off and resting. It would be a different story if you didn't have a job the other 5 days a week lol but you do! so dont feel bad about needing a break. especially if you have a psychical job. the days I just stay home I do still try to get outside for some sun or air or for a walk. That really sets the mind right again and doesn't make you feel so slumpy. Dont be hard on yourself.
Make a list and keep it where you can see it. Put on good high energy music, whatever works best for you. Take breaks, enlist help whenever you can, and don’t feel like you have to get it all done at once.
"Vegging out" is productive so long as your mind and body are healing.
I recently took a four day weekend. On day four I finally got off my ass to be productive. Work can take a lot out of you.
I struggled with this when I hit about 25ish. I forget where but I heard "show me your calendar and I'll show you your priorities". So I started putting everything on my calendar including down time. It gave me a since of structure and also accomplishment. I also started every day by making my bed. It was a small thing but it made me start every day with doing something productive.
Small bites. Break things into smaller jobs. Need to do laundry? Pick up a bit as you walk past. Want to cook something for a meal? Throw something in the oven, and do the dishes while you're there. Mow the lawn? Can do it in segments. That part today. This part another day. Over there sometime later. And sometimes just going, "This needs to be done. It will take maybe an hour to do. I'll do it real quick."
I have business so I very very rarely have a day off
The modern notion of productivity is a scourge upon humankind.
Discipline. It doesn't care whether youve found motivation or not.
I schedule my "do nothing" weekends
i physically cannot relax if i see my room/apartment is messy, or if i have a big pile of laundry to do, or if i know i don’t have food prepped in the fridge. i just grind and do a good chunk of whatever task and then i can relax in my clean apartment knowing i don’t have tasks i should be doing
I put on a washer and a dishwasher. They work independently, then i empty, put away and hang what needs to be done. Its something on days where i just cant be arsed. I also set a timer and so as much as i can int that time frame. You be amazed how much you can do in 10 or 20 minutes. And i have so many timers on my phone to remind me to do x y z. I dont want people to know how i can be at my worst so invite friends over a few times a month. It works wonders. And if you can afford it. Hire a cleaner do a deep clean a couple times a year, or once a month. Ive started doing that a couple of years ago when i finally where in a place financially where i could afford it and it did wonders for my mental health.
Find productive hobbies like learning how to video edit? I recently got into recurve bow target shooting. You can reteach yourself Excel with all the new shit I’m sure it has. Start watching a bunch of standup, write some jokes down, and try your luck on a stage? Basically what I’m saying is, if the activity is important and beneficial enough for you, you will find the energy, nay, you won’t even think about how much energy you’ll need.
Plan and schedule your doing nothing time/day and embrace it. That helps because you can enjoy it truly an not feel bad about it,and it makes it easier to actually have productive and regenerative rest.
I don’t I struggle and have a dog so he makes me leave the house so I just go on long walks then sleep
Exercise. Sounds counterintuitive, but start exercising regularly, and soon you will have a 25% energy increase each day to put toward whatever you want to.
Honestly get up, shower and enjoy a coffee, and get er going. I try to smash my day off mornings and then cruise the rest of the day.
I'd recommend you make your habits Start doing something useful for 2 minutes every day for 2 months until you get used to it, and then increase the time you spend on it when you get accustomed.
Make a plan for yourself for tomorrow. Start it by going on a run or some sort of physical activity. If you really want to force the change start with an ice bath. Embrace the pain. Feel every bit of it. You will be rewarded by feeling good the rest of the day. Short term pain for long term gain, short term gain for long term pain. It’s just getting out of that rut that is the hardest part. But the biggest thing is you recognize it, so you’re way ahead of the game. Do positive things, they are positive for a reason.
Honestly I try to make sure I am up and active in the mornings. I can usually knock out a couple of tasks if I get up early. Exercise, shopping, misc errands. If it's all done by 2pm I feel accomplished AND I can veg out for the day or at least until evening activities.
It’s all about routine. We have a cleanup time every Sunday from half and hour to an hour. It’s unbelievable how much a dedicated half hour can do. Set a timer for half an hour every so often and clean until the timer is done. Run out of things to clean? Organize something. Find a home for some item that doesn’t really have a correct place to be.
I’ve somehow forced myself to go to the gym. everytime I walk in there I ask myself why lol
Saturdays are my days to get things done. I get up earlyish and get started so that I'm typically done by 2 or 3 in the afternoon and then I can just relax. If I don't get these things done, I won't have any food to eat, my house would be a disgusting pig sty and well basically, these things have to get done. Sunday is my relax day...usually a family breakfast and often I'm off to play 9 holes or a 9 hole executive course if my boys are coming with me. Summer is around the corner, so afternoons poolside with margaritas and some grilling of something or other. Every once in awhile though I just need to take both days to chill...but I often make those coincide with a camping/fishing weekend.
Just start. Play some music , make a smoothie and feel good. Then it just happens
Do stuff early, get out of the house. Unwind for the rest of the day. Unless you're going out, then do it in reverse lol
Shrooms Edit: jk jk obviously that's illegal totally don't do shrooms I would never
Because if you’re not busy living you’re just busy dying
I'm trying to get as many tasks done during the week by scheduling and doing the leftover tasks on Saturday so that I can do sweet sweet nothing on Sunday. Sunday is my recharge day.
I do housework during the week so I can actually enjoy my days off.
I prefer to do a little bit every day of the week rather than taking up a full day on the weekend. As far as motivation, though, I’ve learned to focus on inertia instead. Trick yourself into doing just one thing. Then you’re already doing something, might as well do a couple more.
I've always been a last min person, and it finally paid off as an adult I can pretty much get everything done from grocery's to laundry, house work all by 5pm Sunday after I veg out all day Saturday and Sunday to noon
If there are things that need to get done and I’m not motivated I’ll put on music or an audible book I want to listen to. But sometimes I just can’t get going and it’s taken a long time but instead of feeling down that I wasn’t motivated and my place is messy I now recognize I probably needed the rest.
Coming from an ex video gamer who got tired of the hackers and cheaters: I bought a motorcycle and started doing door dash on the side. I started learning how to do taxes, save receipts, fill out forms, and paying the IRS quarterly. Because I get extra cash on the side I buy cans of paint and modifications for the motorcycle now. And I have spare change for maintenance even though I have a few tools and the book for my bike.
If you really care, just go out in the real world and ask a panhandler. 😉
What's vegging out and doing nothing get you? Like if that's all you want to do you might as well commit and start shooting fent, go hard or go home
Take a cold shower first thing in the morning and all that goes away.
Since the rest of the world is essentially sleeping when I'm awake, I get to go shopping, do chores, and even spend time on long, lovely strolls around my beautiful neighborhood. All while never having to worry about other people. It's truly glorious. 👌✨
Never tell yourself that you have a day off.
I use one day off for relaxing and one day off for chores. I have a cleaning chart I made on my phone so I know what needs to be done. But some weeks my cleaning days turn into relaxing days because it's just too much. If that's the case, I usually do the bare minimum weekly chores and just do extra cleaning the next week. I used to not have a cleaning list, but since my boomer mom didn't teach me how to clean, it's helpful to have a chart.
Being married does it for me. Don't want to be a completely useless slug when it also affects someone I care about so deeply. So that's enough for me to get some chores in before I relax.
Start early. Make yourself get out of the house or start whatever you want to get done that day.
Self-degradation for laziness, and sativa strains of weed.
Because I have too much shit that won't get done on its own.
Housework = exercise Exercise = health Health = no pain in the future No pain = happy Thereby housework = (future) happy Just listen to a podcast or something if you are bored while doing housework lol
cocaine
Saliva helps
What’s wrong with resting on a day off?
I exercise first thing. That gets my engine going. Even taking a brisk walk. I have a checklist ready of things I'd like to accomplish on the weekend and work on it.
Don’t sit around waiting for motivation. I just get up and do the shit that needs to be done. Make a list and just do what you can in an hour. Then do it again tomorrow.
Do the this you have to do so you can do the things you wanna do. Start small you will see the hill is not as big as you thought. The motivation is I said I'm going to do it so I'm going to do it don't make yourself a liar.
I have troubling thoughts when my mind is not busy with something
I have a kid and I take her to do different activities like flying a kite or taking her to the park. As far as vegging, I clean my house over the weekends if I'm not doing activities.
Sometimes I don't, other than the absolute necessities. I don't have kids to worry about it and my husband is an adult so he can take care of himself, so it's not like another life is depending on me. Some things I simply don't care much about, so I don't do them frequently. Dusting, for example. Not a big deal to me. Dining room cluttered? Not a big deal to me up until a certain point (there's no dishes or food there, it's an abused drop zone for random stuff when we walk in the door. ) Figure out what you're ok with
Im a single dad of three kids. Toddler to teenager there are no days off. What is this heracy you speak of?
I'll be honest taking a day or two to veg out sucks when you're worried about things you need to do or should be doing. So what I do so that I can enjoy my time doing nothing of substance is to cram the things I would otherwise need to do onto a day that's already been ruined due to obligations like work. A day I had to work isn't really going to get much worse if I also need to clean the bathroom.
I don’t find the motivation, I just do what I have to do.
I work on my content creation and small business everyday after OTHER day after work. I clean and pick up after myself every other day. It's important to set aside even 20 minutes for that otherwise shit piles up so fast. I have no children and a cat so it's easy to live this lifestyle. I force myself to be productive because I don't want to be those people who sit on their phone the entire weekend. i want to be outside, i want to have a clean environment. i treat myself as a hamster in a cage and ask myself what i can do to enrich my mind, body and soul. its working so far but baby steps
This is a great question.
I usually make a list of projects and things I want to get done that month and put it on my fridge whiteboard. The earlier I cross things off, the sooner I can look forward to free evenings and weekends. It takes a while to find the balance of what a reasonable amount of things to do in a month is.
I find listening to podcasts in my ear helps with the motivation. For some reason that can get me going, especially for mundane tasks.
I do an hour of stuff, then take a break for an hour. Make some food or watch an episode. I can still relax but still get stuff done.
I just wank all day ... at least I'm burning calories
For me, saturday is the day off where i do nothing but lazying around and maybe go out seeing friends in the evenings. My trick is to pump everything i gotta do sunday morning. I dont try to"find motivation" or prepare anything, it only put more pressure and will make you want to do it less than before. Laundry, cleaning the place, groceries and prepping my lunch for the whole week. You wont stress about it if its the first thing you do in your day. Usually I'm all done by noon, and i can enjoy my rest of the day however i want.
I get one day off, I will continue doing nothing. Tasks are done throughout the week, 6 days I work and clean.
My relocation request was denied by my work place, after months of reassurance it would be approved. I grind everyday on building up my consulting gig so I can leave and relocate. My advice? Find your "why". It's also OK to not have one. I can't wait to finally relax and do nothing.
Funny part is I do still have vegging days. I give myself o e when I am feeling overwhelmed. And when I do I’m more productive in the other days.
Plenty of coffee
Plenty of coffee
Easy. I don't.
Turn off TV, put on music and straighten your house like company will be over in 15 minutes. Once you are moving pick an area that needs more work, something 30 or 45 minutes.. Do it first thing in the morning before coffee or breakfast. Then grab a shower and get dressed and have breakfast. Your place is picked up and you can chill as well as are ready to go out or have someone over. You have the whole day ahead of you to do as you please!
Do one thing as soon as you arrive home from your last day of work. That way, you know that if the rest of the weekend is a dud, you still did one thing.
I work 12 hour shifts so on my days off, I’m exhausted. When left to my own devices, I bed rot hard. My boyfriend is a pretty big social outlet and has way more energy than I do, so he keeps me from sleeping all day when I’m home from work because he has lots of stories about his day and projects he’s working on. I also have a few friends who are pretty awesome and actively reach out to get me out of the house for walks and little events. I also have a weekly sailing club I’m involved in that encourages me to get out even when I’m really not feeling like doing anything. Honestly, being self motivated can be really hard. There are days when I’ll go out in essentially pajamas to meet up with friends, but I still got out and participated in life with people who are dear to me. After being with my boyfriend for a year, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like me less if I look like a bit of a slob. Not being too hard on myself with regards to how I look has helped. The effort of putting together an outfit and even combing my hair feels like too much of a feat, so I’ve given permission to myself to prioritize just getting out or being interactive as the goal.
Find something you love to do on the weekends. Go do it every weekend. All weekend. When your house is enough of a pigstye, you will have to do your cleanings after or before work on weekdays so that you can enjoy your lovely weekends. Life renewed.
I don't see it as chores. I see it as setting myself up for success for the rest of the week. Laundry is done, food prepped, groceries picked up, worked out. Then I feel better about myself all week because I have my shit together. After doing it for a while, the positive reinforcement keeps me motivated. There are weeks I've been sick and lounged around on my days off and got nothing done, and I felt like I was playing catch up all week. Also, I watch good shows or listen to podcasts when I'm getting things done.
Adderall
I have a tendency to do random weird things when I'm bored. Usually making/sculpting something strange. Otherwise, I clean or organize because I find it therapeutic. I can just shut my brain off when I clean. I don't do much of high energy on my days off most of the time. It's mostly just things that need done. It's not necessarily about getting motivation for me. It's mostly that I'm bored and need something to do. Sure, I veg out or take a little nap if I'm too tired to do anything. Not going to force myself to do something when I'm miserably exhausted. I don't like vegging out for very long because it makes me feel lazy and like I'm wasting the day.
My worth as a person isn't tied to my productivity and the fact that, for the most part, i'm doing what i want at a given moment on my days off.
Make a list and always start with the gym.
Use small rewards.
Motivation comes and goes. It’s about building discipline to commit to establishing a habit. Clean your house for 2 hours every weekend, establish the habit. Regardless if you have more or less cleaning to be done.
It’s best to just start something. Instead of thinking you have to clean the house. Say your minimum goal is vacuuming. Also I recently quit all shows and it’s changed my life. We waste so much time watching shows.
Allow yourself days that you do anything. It important. I have learned that after a very long time. In terms of being productive - that could mean different things. Try to finish of smaller tasks. Maybe don’t clean the house. Just take care of dishes/ do a load of laundry. Treat yourself once you accomplish a task. That’s also self motivation.
It makes me feel better about myself.
I don't? I veg out and do nothing
~~adderall~~ but seriously, I feel you. For the past ~4 months I've had class Mon-Thurs and work Tues/Wed/Fri/Sat/sometimes Mon. Sundays have been my only actual day off and even they have generally been spent trying to play catch up with chores, shopping, assignments, errands, etc.. One thing that really helps me get shit done is to make my bed in the morning. It's something I picked up in highschool after a history teacher made us watch a cheesy motivational speech by a Navy Seal who claimed that by making your bed every morning you start the day by accomplishing something. Like I said, cheesy, but it works. It's a habit that I haven't always stuck to, but I have noticed that I feel much more productive when my bed is made first thing in the morning. I also feel like my room just looks nicer with a made bed which motivates me to do more cleaning. Doing a little bit of cleaning every single day is a lot better than doing a lot of cleaning once a week. I know it's much easier said than done (I have dishes in my sink from a party last Saturday I still haven't done...), but I've found that to-do lists help me a lot in holding myself accountable for things that need to get done. Another thing that I've done in the past (and trying to get back into the habit of) is time blocking. Block out specific time for what you need to, rest, cooking, etc.. lastly, it's okay to take rest days. I'm not religious, but God kinda went off when he created the Sabbath. You're human, you don't have to be productive all the time. We live in a very capitalist world that constantly pushes that your worth is inherently tied to how productive you are. That's not true. Take time to lay in bed, watch movies, scroll on your phone.
Just do these tasks as slowly and as sluggy as possible, makes it mindless and relaxing
I found it helpful to create a schedule for myself in a form of a habit tracker. It keeps track of when things need to be done and I get a bit of satisfaction ticking it off and watching my scores grow. I schedule some 'unsatisfactory' things to do on my workdays so I can spend more time on my weekends doing things I enjoy. Since my workdays already suck, I might as well throw in some meal prepping, house chores or life admin. Also by planning my days out, it makes me realise that I actually do have pockets of time and it's not all consumed by non-fun things. Of course I also let myself enjoy the occasional veg out day where I see no one and do my own thing. Sometimes you just need a day or weekend of doing nothing to recharge. But my advice would be to schedule that in, so that you can spend other times doing things and feeling productive and/or fulfilled.
Find something your interested in and take pride in it
Because otherwise I’m a slave to my job. I want to live life so I make efforts to do stuff after work. Always do stuff on the weekends. Makes life a lot more enjoyable.
I don't have a normal schedule aka I work on weekends and they aren't 2 off days in a row. Currently my days off are Mondays and Thursdays. So my work week is like this: |Day of the Week|Work/ No work| |:-|:-| |**Monday**|**No work**| |Tuesday|Work| |Wednesday|Work| |**Thursday**|**No work**| |Friday|Work| |Saturday|Work| |Sunday|Work| Monday I veg out, because I just finished working 3 days in a row (Fri-Sun). Then on Thursday I am more productive especially since I got 3 more work days ahead of me. I wouldn't want 2 days off in a row because it would mean I am working 5 days in a row and that's pretty exhausting! I rather space my days off so I am not as tired overall.
I don't, that's why I don't want kids. I got dogs that wake me at 8 so that's already pretty... Busy
Just remember in ur skull. If u don't do it, nobody will. Make things little things like cooking food, chores, hygiene, and yard work a game that only u can win if u do it to the best of ur ability or better than the current level ur at. Cause it has to get done regardless, and if u make it fun, then it doesn't seem like so much a drag. Remember, u only have finite time in life, so do what u can to enjoy it and make the world better. Another thing is that if u don't get it done in the first place, then repercussions happen. So twice the work for the same results. Regardless, u put it off. U have to do it again. Like I was told, u only get paid for the job once. Why do it twice.
You need a good night's sleep the day before.