A List of Small Things You Can Do Each Day That Will Make You Feel Productive

Whether COVID has hit your motivation and productivity or you are just finding it a bit difficult to complete bigger tasks, I’m compiling a list of small activities that you can do every day in the name of self-care and in aid of helping your productivity levels – to help that dilemma. These are going to be realistic activities, but the effectiveness of them will vary depending on your personality and what motivates you individually. Some of these ideas may seem too hard or too easy to some, but these tasks are for those lacking motivation or those who have grown mentally tired. They will require differing efforts. Self-care is more complicated than we give it credit for, it isn’t simply ‘having a bubble bath, and watching TV,’ because although the sentiment is nice, it doesn’t always prove to be helpful advice. 

For example, if you haven’t moved from your bed all day, you don’t need a bubble bath and chocolate straight away. Your body needs a glass of water before you indulge yourself in activities that are beneficial but not essential.  Sometimes the things that make us feel the most productive and are the most beneficial to our mental health are the ones we don’t always want to do. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find a balance. I could have spent this article telling you cutesy self-care that you can find on any social media, but I want to offer advice which might not always seem important but actually do build up our everyday lives and will affect how we feel.

Wash Your Face – No matter if you woke up at 6 am or 4 pm, wash your face. While you are sleeping, or just throughout the day, your skin builds up so much dirt and sweat. Like the rest of you, it needs to be washed. If you are having trouble getting out of bed, this little activity can offer you so much benefit.

Please God, Drink Some Water – It is such an underrated task! You are meant to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day. If you find yourself lacking motivation, drinking a glass of water can reset your whole body and mindset. 

Do Your Laundry – Do not skip this one, as tempting as it might be to do so. As stated before, doing these types of tasks are essential to making you feel better. You need to take care of your clothes and make sure they are clean. Stop wearing the same clothes for five days. You own other clothes, make sure they are washed and ready for you. There will come an occasion where you want to wear a different outfit, and it will be buried in your laundry basket. Then when you dig that item of clothing, it will smell because it has been lying in the rest of your dirty clothes for days/weeks. There is no point having a shower and cleaning your body, if you then put on dirty clothes.   

Have You Brushed Your Hair? Or Your Teeth? – Self-explanatory, but just another step that can be easily just be as hard to do when you aren’t feeling your best, but can equally make you feel more productive and feel a bit more put together.

Sit Outside or Equally Fo For a Walk – Whether it’s siting in your garden, going for a ten-minute walk or going for an hour hike, breathing in some fresh air and soaking up some vitamin D is essential. It doesn’t require you to dress up and is a simple way to get some exercise and gain a little motivation.   You don’t even need to go for a walk, even just sitting outside getting some fresh air is enough. 

Open Your Windows and Blinds/Curtains – Your room is probably dark, and that will add to your tiredness. Opening your blinds/curtains can help reduce fatigue and may help you move from your bed. Even if you don’t do much, gaining some sunlight can help you feel a bit refreshed. Similar to the walk, your room also needs fresh air. If you don’t open your windows, you are breathing air that has been circulating around your room at night, and you deserve fresh air. 

Eat Something – If you can’t remember when you ate last, it probably means you need to eat. Depending on your effort level this could be a full meal, a snack, a breakfast bar, piece of fruit or a handful of nuts. Your body needs food to function and carry you through the day. Your body looks after you so make sure you look after it as well. 

Shower – Your body and hair need to be cleaned. Even if you stayed in your bed or spent hours at a desk, simply showering your body and letting the grime of the day wash off is therapeutic.

Call a Friend/Family Member – Sometimes having a conversation with someone is a big motivator. You don’t even need to specify how you are feeling if you don’t want to. Talking with another person about their day can distract yourself from your own emotions. I have called friends and family when I was feeling a bit down, and just listening to them talk about their day was enough to push me to get up. Happiness is contagious and a simple story told by a friend can impact your day more than anyone realizes. 

Change Your Bedsheets/Pajamas – If you have been lying in your bed all day, see if you are able to change your bedsheets or your pajamas. That little change will refresh you a little as it gives you the sense of being a little productive without forcing yourself too hard. 

Do an Activity That You Enjoy – If you feel your motivation is shot and you are finding it hard to complete work, I suggest completing an activity that will give you some life and not stress you out. Do an activity for pure pleasure’s sake. Whether that be painting, drawing, playing an instrument, meeting a friend, reading a book, anything. Pick something that you know will help your mental state and will bring you genuine joy. Rather than focusing on whether or not your work is “good enough,” you should focus on how happy it made you. 

Completing these small tasks can help you cross the stepping stones to a productive day. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment in your day and that may just motivate you to continue doing small tasks that maybe don’t appear on this list. 

But even if you just do at least a few of these exercises, you’ll have done something to benefit your health. There will always be days where small tasks will seem like you are climbing a mountain, but if you allow yourself to rest and take care of yourself, that’s an accomplishment. It isn’t even necessarily about the completion of these tasks, but knowing you tried and knowing you deserve to be kind to yourself. Your body and mind spend a lot of time taking care of you, make sure you take care of them too.