5 Ways To Increase Productivity By Procrastinating

You know those days that you get a lot done… but still feel like you accomplished nothing? They suck.

Then there are those days where you have more to show than you would have thought possible. In most cases, the difference boils down to your mood at work. Believe it or not, it is possible to get more work done just by allowing yourself to get distracted.

Here are a few things you can do:

Make Some Calls

You know that device that fits in your pocket… the thing you use to check Facebook and take pictures with? It has this really cool feature that allows you to connect with another human being and communicate in real time.

Go ahead and take 10 minutes to connect with somebody else. It could be a family member or an old friend that you just don’t really stay in touch with anymore. (Liking their pictures on Facebook doesn’t count.)

After a short chat of catching up, you will feel refreshed and ready to take on that to-do list with greater ambition.

Clean Your Workspace

A messy workspace shows activity. You can always tell who is busy by the pile of papers on their desk. A clean desk, however, is just begging to be dirtied up. Yes, you will trash it again… but cleaning your workspace will somehow clean your mind.

Take a Walk

Again, it can be a short 5-10 minute walk. Even better if you can spend 20-30 minutes. Get outside, no matter what the weather, and travel around the block.

There are an infinite number of reasons why taking a short walk is one of the best ways to procrastinate. Increasing productivity is one of them, but if you work on a computer for 8+ hours a day… be honest. Haven’t you said “if only I had the time to exercise and get back in shape?”

Make the time.

Trust me, you’ll be glad you did. Especially when it means you get more work done and have less time for self-sympathy.

Laugh.

It doesn’t matter if you are at the water cooler or on YouTube. Find something funny and give yourself a few minutes to laugh.

Create a bookmarks folder in your browser dedicated to websites that you find funny.

Just. Don’t. Get. Stuck. There.

Know When It’s Out Of Your Hands

Some things are beyond our control. So you are waiting on a response from a client who is busy at the moment, pre occupied with other things. You can choose to travel the rabbit hole that is the internet, frequently refreshing your inbox while you wait… or take advantage of the opportunity to do something else.