The summer is probably the toughest time of the year when it comes to professional life. Most people want to stay away from work. As a worker, you are either on vacation or working in an office that offers summer hours.
If you are a freelancer or remote worker, completing projects become even more difficult. Why? Because distractions start increasing when the temperature rises. Weather impacts our productivity. Doesn’t it? The relaxed atmosphere of summer is one of the reasons you feel less productive. A survey found out that productivity drops to 20% in the summer.
You want to enjoy the season as well as complete your projects. How can you achieve the level of productivity you need to get the work done efficiently? In this post, we will identify things you should be doing to stay productive during the summer.
Tips on how to get the best out of summer to finish projects
While others are finding it hard to stay productive, you can adapt and turn the summer into a perfect season for finishing your projects. The more efficient you are at work, the more time you will get to have summer fun. Here is how to make the most of summer to complete projects:
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Evaluate yourself
First, you need to find out factors that are stopping you from being productive. Do you feel too tired or lazy at work? Do you sleep less during the summer? Just think of why you are not able to accomplish as much work as you need to. Once potential issues are highlighted, draw a plan to fix them. Be sure to follow a schedule to keep yourself disciplined.
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Take strategic time off
If you can’t choose to take time off over the summer, find a day or two to go out and enjoy the heat. Just because everyone else is working doesn’t mean that you should not take a day or two off. Employers should encourage workers to take their personal days off. Taking short breaks from work can be a refreshing experience. Don’t feel like you’re stuck in the office during summer.
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Focus on career-boosting activities
Offices seem dead in the summer. However, having nothing to do can make you dull and unmotivated. At the same time, having too much on your plate can also be demotivating. So, it’s important to maintain a healthy balance.
Summertime is probably the best time for you to focus on your career and develop new skills. If you don’t have much work to do, engage in career-boosting activities such as expanding your network or learning an in-demand skill. Do something that can add value to your professional life.
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Schedule summer activities
Adding a little fun to your professional life is always a good idea. It is critical for you to meet the deadlines and submit projects. However, you should consider planning events where you can go out with your colleagues and talk about life outside of work. This can help you overcome the summer slump. Your manager or supervisor will be in a better position to plan something that can foster employee involvement.
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Take frequent breaks during work
Sitting in a quiet room or empty office makes people lazy. Procrastination isn’t an option if you really want to complete your project on time. Solution?
There’s a very useful technique called Pomodoro Technique that helps you stay productive. This technique helps you realize the importance of short and frequent breaks during work.
Wondering how it works? All you need to do is break your working hours into 25-minutes intervals. Every interval is followed by a short break. You don’t need any special equipment or tools to implement the Pomodoro technique. Just set the timer and work for 25 minutes and then take a quick break.
More summer productivity tips
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Get up early
It is always a good idea to get up early in the morning and complete your work before lunch. Regardless of the season or month of the year, getting up early and doing some workout improves the rest of your day. This routine becomes more advantageous during the summertime because you need some extra energy to stay productive.
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Break down your tasks
Accomplishing difficult projects becomes easy when you break things down and stick to a schedule. While it is a good idea to enjoy some flexibility in the summer, be sure to break your project into manageable, small tasks: daily, weekly, or monthly. Remember, small habits often lead to big wins. So, don’t miss them.
People often refer to this practice as microproductivity. People use it when they need to see large projects into doable, approachable tasks. Some projects seem tough when you first confront them. Don’t they? Besides, the cozy weather of summer can boost your urge to procrastinate. When you face such a situation, make your work more manageable and easy.
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Limit distractions
A study found that 45% of workers are more distracted during the summer than the rest of the year. Which means you’re alone if you feel distracted during work. The question is how to reduce distractions and improve your focus.
If you want to eliminate distractions, you have to identify distraction triggers. In other words, find out what causes you to stray from work or become less productive. It could be anything: digital devices, kids being out of school, friends talking about summer fun on social media, etc.
Identify those triggers and try to reduce their impact on your productivity. For example, if background noise is making it difficult for you to focus, find a quiet place. If you’re being distracted by your mobile phone, turn it off during work.
Final thoughts
Employees that take more vacation often have a strong desire to move faster and get a lot done. Therefore, it is advisable to have some vacation before taking on a project. If you are already working on a project, get it done so you can have some time doing nothing but enjoying the summer. If you can’t take a summer break, make good use of your time. Stay productive and learn new things as your coworkers are on vacation.
