Productivity Hack #9: Mindful Care For Self

“The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one’s work seriously and taking one’s self seriously. The first is imperative and the second disasterous.”
~ Margot Fonteyn

Written by Kevin Tyler Smith. You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook

If you are like most people, you have probably had the experience of working all night to get something done.

You may have gone without sleep, skipped meals, and other important factors in self-care, for the purpose of finishing a task or meeting a deadline.

Trust me, I know full well what that’s like. In college, I tried to outsmart myself by studying all night in preparation for an exam. I accomplished what I set out to do but my fate was sealed when I practically fell asleep during the test…(not good).

While it is sometimes necessary to do this, neglecting self-care on a regular or frequent basis will backfire. Your health may suffer while you are not accomplishing nearly as much as you had hoped.

Taking care of yourself will not only keep you in good health, it will also keep you productive.  The person who goes without sleep on a regular basis, or relies on junk food instead of eating nutritious meals, will not be physically or mentally up to par.  While you may believe that you are giving one hundred percent to your job, these unhealthy habits result in having less to give.

On the other hand, if you get enough sleep on a regular basis, and make a point of having a healthy diet, you will have more to give to your work.  When you are in top-notch condition:

• you will focus better
• be more alert, and
• not become fatigued as easily

All this will naturally lead to increased productivity.

If your work day has consisted of drinking many cups of coffee or other artificial energy-boosters, it is time to examine your self-care habits.  If you find that you have not been getting enough sleep, and have been relying on these products to keep you functioning, or if you find that good nutrition has been replaced by junk food and snacks, it is time to assess what these habits are doing to your overall health.  It is also time to think about the effects that it may be having on your productivity.

Although nearly everyone is occasionally in the position of skipping a meal or working late into the night, if these have become habits for you it is not likely that they are helping you to become more productive.  In fact, they are probably slowing you down.

Unless you are Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien, who has a firm grip on the latest trends in food and dieting, your poor and sporadic diet can even slow you down literally….with unwanted weight gain.

I know there are times when it is very easy to not be mindful of our food intake when working in overdrive is necessary. It is very hard to choose something nutritious like grapes over a cookie for a snack but studies show if more fruits and veggies are available to you, the more likely you are to consume them.

Here is a simple and actionable solution for you….

Following are a few food suggestions to keep you on track that are convenient and portable when you are busy and on the go:

1. Instead of coffee or soda in the car or office, drink 100% fruit juice.
2. Indulge in apricots, grapes, apples, nectarines, bananas, orange segments, broccoli, pears,
   carrots, plums, celery stalks, strawberries and cherries.
3. Consider easy options such as precut, cleaned, and packaged fresh fruit and vegetables.
4. Make yourself a delicious smoothie with low fat yogurt, fruit juice, fresh canned or frozen  fruit and drink it at home or pour into an insulated cup to keep it cold for the drive or at the office.

Even if you have a fast-paced job with many responsibilities and deadlines, neglecting proper self-care is counterproductive.  When you begin developing the habit of getting enough sleep and a proper diet, you will be doing more than taking care of yourself.  You will get more done, and be more satisfied with the results.

See Also – Productivity Hack:

#1: Set A Game Plan

#2: Reduce Distractions

#3: Large Projects First

#4: Self-Discipline

#5: Doing The Impossible

#6: Increasing Motivation

#7: Take Setbacks In Stride

#8: Be Goal Oriented

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