As some of you may have noticed, my posting schedule has been a little less, well, scheduled of late. Those of you who know me outside of the (expansive) confines of this blog know that is because I have been inordinately busy at work of late, but that is really neither here nor there.

Suffice it to say, this is one of those times we all go through where workloads in several areas increase and thus time is at even more of a premium than usual. I’ve already touched upon several ways we can get through these times, but that’s not the only challenge. We don’t just want to get through this to the other side; we want to wildly succeed at it as well.

But when deadlines are looming, time is short, and your energy is waning, how can you stay sharp and really get to where you want to be?

Get moving

Getting moving provides a few different benefits. The obvious is that it gets you up and away from the desk, so can help give you a bit of a break from the usual posture (or posture problems) associated with work, and gives you a chance to rest your eyes. Then there’s the other obvious benefit of it can help you stay in slightly better shape. Even a few 5-10 minute walks around the office each day can have a positive impact on your health.

But there are benefits beyond the physical. One thing that I’ve found is that when you get up and get the blood flowing, and maybe a small change of venue, the wheels of creativity start to turn a little easier. Whether you’re trying to wrap your head around some budget forecasts, think of how you want to structure that presentation, or trying to think of a few ideas for blog posts, this can be a way to give yourself that perspective needed.

Switch trains

A lot of productivity focuses on minimizing interruptions and staying focused on what needs to be done in order to get maximum output. There are times that can work great. If you’re in a quiet work environment, and happen to be in the right frame of mind to sit down and hammer out a lot of work on one project, then great, go for it. But if you find yourself banging your head against the wall on a project, and there are other things that also need to be done, maybe try switching to another project. Then, after a bit of time, switch back to the original and keep moving forward. This change in focus can give your subconscious some time to work its way around the mental blocks, and then you actually get more use out of all your time, as your throughput is higher!

Switch tracks

Along the same lines as switching projects, sometimes it’s necessary to take a break altogether. If you’re starting to hit that wall no matter what you do, take a few minutes for yourself. Maybe you just want to close your eyes and relax for five minutes, or do a short Sudoku puzzle, or read a few pages of that novel you’ve got in your bag for when you have a minute. Taking the time to let your mind reboot by giving it something completely different to focus on can sometimes be the only thing that’ll get you moving again.

Use the right fuels

Now, I’m not going to come right out and say that you should never be drinking caffeine and what not (after all, I love a good cup of coffee or tea in the morning or occasionally throughout the day), but I’m also thinking that it can’t exactly be healthy if you’re living on nothing but Red Bull and Mars bars for weeks on end. Taking the time to eat a little healthier can benefit you not only in giving your body the proper nutrients and what not that it needs to keep you focused, but using the time required for food prep and eating can be a break in and of itself.

Regular downtime

Nothing can run full time on a perpetual basis. If you see that you’re approaching, or are in, a period with a very heavy workload, be conscious of giving yourself time to sleep and rest. Everyone needs a different amount, but make sure that you get enough to meet your requirements. Turning into a zombie because you’re only sleeping two hours a night isn’t going to get the work done any faster, or if it does, that chapter you wrote at three AM where you think you might have actually been typing in your sleep may not be the gold that it seemed at the time. Work done when exhausted looks very different in the cold light of dawn.

These are just a few things that you can do to help yourself. It basically comes down to being aware, and trying to keep some variety in your activities, no matter how difficult that may be.

As my workload is now leveling off, I hope to return to a more regular posting schedule, but in the meantime, if you’ve got any tips that you use to help you get through the peak periods, please share them in the comments!

Cheers,

Adam