When you just cannot be productive...

Kassem

Hey everyone. Today is one of the days where I cannot be productive at all. I can't be bothered to even open my FlashDevelop IDE and work on my website. This mostly happens when I haven't slept well the past night. It's very weird how unproductive you can get when you're just not "in the mood". Sometimes I try to get past it and I just go ahead and "try" to work on something, but I end up closing everything without saving my work...

So do you usually pass through such a situation? In case you do, what do you usually do to get your productive juices flowing again?

Aj_BlaZ

yea thats exactly what happens to me in these days what you should do is play a game for 30min or 1hour and force yourself to play that way your mood will be changed and you need to enjoy playing if you didn't then forget about changing your mood

sometimes i need to rest so i take a snap about 1 hour

or you can always sleep at 8 pm to be awake at 4 am that way you didn't miss your time

and you need to focus on not letting yourself to do this regularity cause it will increase in time (day hours rest) so keep it low as possible :)

xterm

Do not stress yourself. This is a major cause for loss in productivity.

Ayman

Hey everyone. Today is one of the days where I cannot be productive at all. I can't be bothered to even open my FlashDevelop IDE and work on my website. This mostly happens when I haven't slept well the past night. It's very weird how unproductive you can get when you're just not "in the mood". Sometimes I try to get past it and I just go ahead and "try" to work on something, but I end up closing everything without saving my work...

So do you usually pass through such a situation? In case you do, what do you usually do to get your productive juices flowing again?

True, this always happens many times to me actually, actually I was not in the mood for programming for over 1 week last time, programming really depends on the mood. Sometimes I just open the IDE and spend the time browsing the code and then browse some websites for researching stuff because I don't have the energy and mood to really work and sometimes I just grab a pen and a piece of paper and start writing parts of a program that is in my mind anywhere I am and if I have access to my PC I would spend the whole day working. For me. not being in the mood can be because I am angry, or very tired, or sleepy, or having a crush on some girl :P When not in the mood I usually research, study some non related stuff, play a game and listen to music. :)

Kassem

xterm wroteDo not stress yourself. This is a major cause for loss in productivity.

+1

I often stress myself with working on several projects actually... But I'm trying to have the ability of multi-tasking though which I believe is very important...

arithma

Stop whining bitch, get to work
That's what I keep telling myself. It doesn't work.
But seriously, sometimes you will have to "talk" yourself into doing the work you want to have done. When working for an employer, you will usually just do the things because you are told you need to do them. When you're on your own, you will probably focus on the fun stuff. That's when you need to take yourself out, sometimes literally, and convince yourself that you must do this thing.
When I fall victim for this thing you're talking about, I find myself procrastinating till I am in the mood; then I find myself hopeless at the middle of the night having to do the work.
It's a viscous bad habit that you need to manage out of your life.

I used to program on a plastic chair. Treated myself recently with a good one for no so much money. Ass feels good! Brain feels good coincidentally!

NewBie

Step away for 10-15 min then get back to work. Go for a coffee, talk with someone and get your mind of work.

GN90

xterm wroteDo not stress yourself. This is a major cause for loss in productivity.

lol so true ! spending all knight on pc make me tired and sleepy all the next day. Like they say : "nem bakkir w 2oum bakkir, shouf 2el so7a kif bet sir" lol i know no can do that :P, most of us including me sleep not more than 4 to 5 hours daily and even in your dream you think of programing or math ,....
how many time you had nice idea while sleeping or solved a math thing in your dream :P (the idea of the game im working on on gamemaker now came form my dreams)

so if yourlife is like that feeling for a while unproductive is normal, just watch a movie/documentary , spend the day away form pc (as if it could happen :P) , go play some basket with none geeky friends, .... . Just take a brake for a day or two than go back with power.

Arithma wroteStop whining bitch, get to work

This never work when you are doing a personal project cause you will never be able to do great good stuff. Just do that before an exam in uni

arithma

Well I personally whine to myself when am working on an idea of my own, and there is something that's not fun going on. For inspiration, I guess you should call it productivity, but it's a matter of creativity. The requirements for each is different; which makes it very hard when you have to do both.
Most of the time, I drain myself psychologically on the creative part (making a concept and so on..).. When I get to the implementation, I am literally shaking and incapable of keeping a thought in my head. That's when I go for a little nap or a walk or actually a run.
Bottom line is that it's very hard to keep the horse running all day and all night.

samer

One of the daily things that help me get my productive-groove on again is to have a 20 minute power-nap. Although they are somewhat controversial they've been working like a charm for me for the past three years. After a nap, I have about 45 to 100 minutes of clear-mindedness.

Kassem

Usually I end up laying down in my couch all day long watching tv... but the 20 minute nap idea sounds good.

NewBie

have you tried sex ? It should help you destress as well and makes you focus. (no joke).

xterm

NewBie wrotehave you tried sex ? It should help you destress as well and makes you focus. (no joke).

Sex tires you, it's counter-productive.

Kassem

xterm wrote
NewBie wrotehave you tried sex ? It should help you destress as well and makes you focus. (no joke).
Sex tires you, it's counter-productive.

agreed...

arithma

When I just can't be productive... I usually end up drinking more than 8 mugs of nescafe a day

eurybaric

Breathing exercices are an awesome way of getting yourself together and replenishing your focus energy.

It's been a while i haven't done any but im thinking of starting again. It's very simple, and can take as little as 10 minutes if you're short on time. though i like doing it for like 15-20 minutes in an average working day.

when you're done you feel like you've slept real well, but without the 'sleep hangover' -- which is better, cuz when you open your eyes your mind will be totally clear and your focus will be at a great intensity (no hazy mind).

You'll also feel physically well and relaxed, and this will further enhance your productivity as most of your energy will shift to your mind.

All in all, very much worth it IMO.

rolf

NewBie wrotehave you tried sex ? It should help you destress as well and makes you focus. (no joke).

Sneak out of bed to work on the computer...?