There come times when all the tasks seem baffling and simply too much to deal with. In these times, the body’s response is often to do everything at once, get tired, and stop doing anything at all. And while it’s good to take a breather sometimes, at other moments, you need to be productive.

So what is the way out of it? How do I set up a routine that will keep me organized? How do I manage my school, write my papers for me, and keep my social life active? – These are all valid questions that need a quick and clear response. Let’s get into it!

Why Am I Not Productive?

Certain distractions might take your attention away from daily tasks – social networks for one. Still, if you dive into the psychology of decision-making, you’ll get that social media is just a method, not a reason.

You Get Overloaded With Choices

With the multitude of things an ordinary person needs to do every day, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with choices. People often get numb with the anxiety of making the right choice. What this does is only stops them from doing anything at all.

What do I wear to classes? Should I start this project now? How do I find the top paper writing services for my needs? What topic do I choose for my upcoming essay?

If you try to make all these choices at once, you’ll hit decision fatigue – you’ll just get tired of deciding anything and get worse at it.

You’re Afraid of Taking on Responsibility

We’re often presented with a choice that can directly impact our future or change the course of our lives entirely. Deciding to do anything of the sort might seem daunting. What if I make the wrong choice? This responsibility might weigh down even the strongest of people.

You’re Aiming for Perfection… Always

The higher your expectations are, the more you will scrutinize the outcome. It gets exhausting trying to one-up people around you.

What if you’re aiming to beat yourself? Setting unrealistic standards for yourself will have a negative toll on your life. It’s hard to stay satisfied with any of your decisions if every next one must be better. After all, it can lead to low self-worth and cause depression.

How to Be Productive?

Do any of the issues sound familiar? Well, here’s how you can deal with them:

• Set realistic goals;
• Plan your day beforehand;
• Follow a morning routine to get into the active mindset;
• Keep a to-do list and cross out everything you do during the day;
• Make tea/coffee breaks;
• Set an alarm for when your tasks should be done;
• Finish by a reasonable time;
• Take time for yourself;
• Analyze everything you did and be proud of the accomplishments;
• Take note of everything that you had no time to complete and schedule it for the next day;
• Be kind to yourself.

Schedule for a Productive Study Day

Now that you know the basic pointers for being productive, let’s try to make sense of how they can connect to your particular situation.

1.   Set a Wake-up Time

It’s always helpful to have enough sleep the night before you’re planning to be active (or any other day, for that matter). To wake up energized, most people need about 9 hours of sleep. It might be different for you, but make sure not to stay in bed watching TikTok. This will make you tired fast.

2.   Have a Breakfast

There are a lot of opinions as to the real benefits of having breakfast vs interval fasting. Our advice for you is to do what suits you best. Just remember that you need a lot of energy for a productive day.

3.   Get To Planning What You Need to Accomplish

It’s best to start your studying with a plan. List every task you’d want to do today and estimate its priority and level of difficulty. Once you have a clear list of goals, there’s no way you’ll forget anything!

4.   Start With the Most Brain-Exhausting Tasks

We suggest taking on the most important and difficult tasks first. Since you’re freshly energized, it’ll be easier and more productive to start with them. No need to put off something unpleasant if you’ve done it first thing in the morning.

Make small breaks between subtasks to take the strain off your brain: get up from your workplace, make tea, and play with your pet. But don’t forget to come back to studying.

5.   Have a Longer Break and Get Outside

You’ll need to gauge your strengths and decide how much you can do in one sitting, but make sure to have a longer pause to exercise with a short walk, talk with a friend, or do a chore. It’s always good to switch activities to keep your brain active.

6.   Have a Lunch

It’s up to you when to eat, but pausing your studies for a lunch break is another way of switching activities and keeping yourself from getting bored.

7.   Change Your Study Location

After your big break, it’s time to go back to your work. For some people, it’s easier to be productive in one designated environment. For others, however, it’s better to have a change of place in a while. It doesn’t matter if you go to another room, the library, or your local coffee shop. The point is to try something fresh.

8.   Do Tasks That Have Less Priority

After finishing up the most important assignments, it’s time to get to all the others. If they’re small and easy, you can get away with taking short breaks in between them. Your standard should be about 30 minutes of studying and 5-minute breaks.

9.   Plan Some Me-Time

It’s a frequent misconception that a productive day is filled with work only. This view can get very toxic to your mental health. Keeping to your routines (morning and night), taking time for self-care, and socialization are as important.

10.  Have a Dinner

Have dinner to restock your energy for everything you’ve planned for the night, and take a moment to be proud of yourself for getting through the day. It takes a lot to keep up with a schedule.

11.   Check Everything You’ve Done

What better way to close the day than with a full list of checked tasks you’ve accomplished? It helps you feel competent and plan for the next day.

12.   Get to Bed

Good job! You’ve finished your productive day.