Stay Inside If You HATE to Improve Your Performance
If you’re looking for productive things to do to kick off 2023 just right, putting your nose to the grindstone and spending all day in front of the screen aren’t going to help you. Unless you’re into the whole “toxic productivity” thing, which I am not.
Want to practice better time management this year so you can take back more time in your day? You’ll need to unlearn some of those toxic productivity habits like being busy that keep you chained to your desk but don’t help you accomplish anything worthwhile.
Take back time by spending time on simple things that help you clear your mind so you return to your tasks with a brain ready to tackle the important things. Yes, this is counterintuitive. Better time management by… wasting time?
The thing is, the breaks you take to rest and refresh your brain aren’t wasting time. They’re helping you “sharpen your saw”. Yes, even though you’re not working during the breaks, they’re productive things to do.
Toxic productivity leaves you overwhelmed and fatigued, but you don’t have to spend this year exhausted and feeling like you’re missing out. It also leads to burnout. Try something different this year and watch your business (and self) grow.
Take a hike, why don’t ya?
Get outside for a more productive day
January 20 is Take a Walk Outdoors day. Last week’s post was all about the benefits of moving around more, so (hopefully) there’s no need to belabor the point about why exercise should not be what you give up when you’re stressed for time!
I live in southern California in the desert, and this time of year is our reward for the 110+ degree weather we have in the summer. I hated winter when I lived on the east coast, because I don’t like cold. (I grew up in the DC area, which tells you how much of a wimp I am about cold. I moved to California after a couple of nasty winters in NYC.)
The high today is in the mid-60s - brrrr! I have to put on a long-sleeved shirt and maybe a sweatshirt! So for me, taking a walk outdoors in January is pretty easy to do and doesn’t need a lot of prep.
But even if you don’t live in a beautiful climate like I do, you don’t have to wait for a SoCal-like day to go outdoors for a walk. You’ll just have to bundle up appropriately. That was another thing I hated about winter: all the time you spend putting on all the layers to go outside, and then all the time you spend taking it off when you get home. I much prefer being able to just, you know, walk out the door, with maybe a sweatshirt added on.
When I lived in NYC, I found the time when the snow was first falling to be magical. I’d put the sled dog paste on my dog’s paws (she wouldn’t wear booties) and her coat if it was really cold and take her out. There were some parks and playgrounds nearby where I could let her run around off the leash.
Later on, when the snow turned dirty and gray and slushy, it wasn’t quite as magical. But if it snows where you are and you can get out during the early part, you can take time to really bask in it.
Or you might be living in a part of the country where it rains in January. You won’t melt! Put on your rain boots and raincoat and/or umbrella and smell that lovely rain smell.
Obviously, if you’re under a flood watch or experiencing some kind of extreme weather like a blizzard or atmospheric river, you may not be able to get outdoors safely. But eventually, the extreme weather lets up.
The benefits of nature
Why is being outdoors part of a productive day? Well, for one thing, you’ll probably be moving around, and you know about all those benefits. But being outdoors – not on a treadmill or stationary bike or inside the gym – has additional benefits. Turns out nature is good for the brain! Say it with me, if it’s good for the brain, it’s good for productivity.
It’s not that you can never be indoors for exercise. I started going to my local gym, even though I really don’t like the gym, just because I needed a place to exercise once the temperature is over 100. Even though it’s a dry heat, high temps in the desert (or anywhere else) are hard to exercise safely in.
For those of you who have weather, indoor equipment is great during blizzards and hurricanes and the like. Also, when I broke my foot a couple of years ago, I couldn’t get outside at first and ended up doing youtube videos for exercises with a broken foot. If you have similar issues with walking, you might need the help of indoor equipment.
But relying exclusively on your treadmill or gym for exercise when you don’t have to isn’t a good idea. Your brain likes being outdoors, and it likes nature. According to research, brains seem especially to enjoy expanses of open water. But not everyone can live near the beach. Green leafy nature-type stuff is soothing and enjoyable, especially for busy brains.
If you think about it, nature being good for the human brain makes sense. After all, for most of human development, there wasn’t a whole lot of “inside”. We built shelters, but having a thatched roof overhead is not the same as a climate-controlled building where you’re breathing recycled air. And the scientific data shows that humans are less stressed and feel better when they’re able to get regular exposure to nature.
Does having a home screen (or a video screen on your gym equipment) bring you the same brain benefits? Looking at artificial nature is probably better than no nature at all, but if you’re looking at a screen you’re missing the rest of the outdoors experience.
You miss out on the sounds you can only hear outside and the scents that you don’t have access to indoors. So you want your outside exposure to be in nature, with bird songs and insect whatevers (trillings? squeaks?) and the scent of trees and flowers. Instead of city concrete and garbage smells. If you live in the city, head to the park.
Vacations are productive things to do
Think about your typical vacation. (If you don’t take them often because you’re “too busy”, take a step back and reevaluate.) What do you do? Normally you’re outdoors, probably walking around, taking in the sights and sounds and smells. Maybe you stop in to eat or go to a museum or shop, but most of the time you’re probably outside.
Maybe like mine, your vacation is at the beach. (That’s my annual birthday trip! Gets me out of the desert in August.) Don’t you feel calmer when you look at the expanse of the water, take in the briny scent, and listen to the waves?
And when you return to work, you have a new perspective on what you’re doing. Unless your vacation is too short, you probably feel refreshed and ready. You can’t consider a vacation a waste of time if it leads to a productive day.
Recap:
Whatever the weather, try to take a walk outdoors as much as you can. It’s good for your brain and is therefore on the list of productive things to do. You’ll feel better mentally and physically. Also, take your vacations!