Sometimes there are days when you just can’t get going. It feels like your mojo has gone on vacation and no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to get those working juices flowing. The smallest thing can become a welcome distraction so you can spend the whole day answering the phone, checking your social media channels or just staring out the window – anything to delay the requirement to get the work done.
If this sounds familiar, you might want to get to the bottom of why this is happening so you can snap yourself out of it and get back to your fabulous self. Check out some of the possible reasons why your productivity is lacking:
Not Taking Breaks
It seems funny that the first thing on the list is to encourage you not to work! Research shows that if you take short breaks throughout the day, you will be able to concentrate for longer. Just stepping away from your desk, fetching a cup of coffee or taking in some fresh air could be just the thing to get you going again. And don’t think that checking out the cat videos on Facebook is taking a break – your eyes and brain need to get away from the screen for this to be an effective solution.
Not Sleeping Enough
Burning the candle at both ends is a sure-fire way to mess up your productivity. Everyone is different; some people can function perfectly well on only four hours sleep a night but others need 8+ hours to work effectively. If you have trouble dropping off, there are plenty of techniques you can try to speed up the sleeping process (e.g. yoga, breathing exercises, hot baths etc). But you definitely need to stay away from any bright lights just before bedtime so put your phone, tablet and laptop down!
Email Overload
If you receive excessive amounts of emails, it can become very difficult to switch off as your mind continues to buzz with the content that you’re reading and the responses that you have to compose. You could make this easier for yourself by limiting the time you spend reading/replying to emails. A Virtual Assistant may also be a great option to sift out the blurb that you don’t need to spend your time trawling through and leaving only the important stuff for you to deal with.
Too Much Admin
Every business has a multitude of tasks that require completing to keep things ticking along but this doesn’t mean that you have to complete them all. Delegating or outsourcing tasks such as correspondence, social media, web updates, invoicing etc will free up your time for the important stuff that will grow your business. Instead of bogging yourself down on the little things, concentrating on the bigger picture will be the key to your business success.
A Virtual Assistant could be just what you’re looking for to keep you on the right track and prevent business owners block.
Comments