How to Maintain Happiness While Being Productive
Productivity can feel like the opposite of happiness, especially when you’re in the midst of a particularly thorny project .But there are plenty of ways to maintain happiness in your life while still being productive at work, at home, or in your personal life. You can be productive in everything you do without living in a bubble where no happiness or fun is had! The goal of any productivity session is to make sure you get things done, but there’s happiness and satisfaction to be found in any intensely focused run!
Take Time Out for Self-Care
Often we think of self-care as only being bubble baths and sweet-smelling candles, but there are a lot of ways that self-care can be helpful as you try to maintain happiness and your levels of productivity. When you’re trying to be as productive as possible, it can be hard to take time out for yourself and engage in your own self-care. Make it a point each day to engage with your own self-care and do something that helps you feel relaxed and happy! Whether you enjoy scented baths and candles as your form of self-care or you just need to do some laundry while jamming out taking this time can help you maintain your happiness while you still keep grinding!
Get Outside
As you grind away on your projects and try to be more and more productive, it can be easy to zero in on your computer rather than the “real” world. Getting outside is a great way to maintain your happiness when you’re in the middle of being as productive as possible! The vitamin D and serotonin you get from just being out in the sun helps increase your happiness AND your productivity! You don’t have to do anything dramatic when you get outside. Just a short stroll around the block or some time working in your yard is all you need to increase your happiness.
Focus
So often, we force ourselves to split our focus as many times as possible to feel like we’ve accomplished anything. But when things are split out too far, it’s easy to get stressed out about all the things you’re not doing while you’re working on one thing or another. As you work on projects and try to be more and more productive throughout the day, focusing on a few tasks at a time or even one task at a time can help you stay happier! Instead of stressing over all the things you’re not doing in the moment, you can look back and see what you’ve accomplished within one area of your life and job!
Unplug From Digital
As you work and focus on productivity, much of the work that’s being done is focused on the digital sideand your online devices. Taking time out from all those digital devices helps you stay happier while also being productive! You likely won’t be able to get rid of all your devices and still maintain your productivity, creating space in your day where you can set aside the devices and focus on those around you is key. Set a timer where you get outside, read a book, or just interact with others before you go back to the grind!
Create Some Balance
When you’re in the middle of a productive stream, there’s a tendency to focus completely on the work and let it run into the evenings, lunch breaks, and even the wee hours of the morning. To maintain your happiness without losing productivity, create space in your schedule! Leave work at the office and head home when you’re scheduled to be off. Take your full lunch break, and make sure to use the time wisely! As you create more balance in your schedule, you’ll be able to come back happier and more refreshed when you’re ready to work again.
Develop a Schedule
Even if you’re working independently, creating a schedule for your day helps you make the most of the time you’re working at the office or at home. Instead of hoping for the best throughout the day, a schedule helps you maximize the time! As you lean into the schedule, you’ll have time to relax and find ways to stay happy just by keeping work and chores where they belong and having time to be with friends and family!
Takeaway
Happiness and productivity don’t have to be opposing forces in your life! There are ways to be super productive, whether at home or the office, and still be happy in your daily life. Taking a break, setting a schedule, and leaning into your work/life balance is vital to keeping your happiness.