5 Tips to Thrive Through the Work Week

1) Stay organized.

This is a given, obviously. But instead of just being organized in general, try to organize each DAY. What are your to-dos TODAY? What needs to get done? What would be great to cover, but can also wait? I’m sure all of you already do this, but for me, it’s nice to have it all in ONE place; hence why I am obsessed with my Simplified Planner by Emily Ley. I honestly don’t know what I did before it! My friend Nicole told me that it was worth to splurge last year, so I went for it… she was 100% right. There are monthly pages where I’ll put all of my trips/events/editorial ideas, but I really love the “day” pages. Those have everything from my meetings/phone calls/workouts in the 6am-9pm hourly section, my To Dos listed in the, well, “To Do” column (duh), and even dinner/grocery notes or blogging reminders on the bottom. BOOM.
*If you’re a blogger, I also HIGHLY recommend The Fox & She‘s Printable Editorial Calendar. I had no idea how helpful this would be for me – and no, I’m not just saying that because Blair is one of my Chicago blogging pals! She has notes in there to help you brainstorm content ideas, as well as weekly breakdowns with reminders about everything from SEO to scheduling tweets. It’s a must have, in my opinion!

2) Pump some jams.

Often times, my mind wanders when I’m surrounded my complete silence. I get distracted by the random noises that I might hear, or I’ll have trouble thinking creatively in a stagnant room. I know a lot of you who work at an office don’t have this problem, but if you do, this is when I’ll open up Spotify and change things up. Sometimes it’s best to have purely background/instrumental music. Other days, I can handle doing work with Discovery Weekly on (I find so many cool artists that way). When I need a burst of energy, I’ll indulge in a little pop music to lighten the mood while I plug away at the busywork parts of my job. But most of the time, something acoustic and easy to listen to does the trick.

3) Take breaks.

This one has been a game changer for me. It seems noble to work all the way through the day, especially if you’re “spoiled” enough to work from home. But the truth is, if you’re working from home, you don’t have an excuse!!  People commute (usually at least 25 minutes), grab lunch (usually at least 15 minutes), commute home (usually at least 25 minutes)… and that doesn’t include catching up with co-workers about their weekends, families, etc. When you add all of that up, especially if you’re working past a typical break time on a regular basis, you deserve that 45 minute/1 hour break each day! Take it! As Nike says, just do it.
And for those of you who don’t work from home, I talk about the best ways to squeeze in some exercise even on this busiest weeks in this post and this post. Something as simple as leaving your desk to go for a quick walk around the building can help you come back more relaxed, focused, and productive.

4) Create a productive work space.

It is SO easy for this one to get out of control, but when my desk is clean, pretty and inviting, I’m much more excited to sit there each morning and get to work. Makes sense, right? Last week, I had Flowers For Dreams on my desk and they made me happy every time I sat down. So so simple, but surprisingly effective. Obviously I’m not saying that you need to buy yourself flowers every week!! I’m just saying, have something at your desk that makes you happy. A picture of your friends, your favorite mug, something!

5) Eat Superfoods.

There’s a reason why you keep hearing about superfoods. What could be mistaken as plain old fruits or veggies are actually packed with tons of nutrients, antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals. In other words, they help you stay healthy and ready conquer your week! I’ve been eating an acai or smoothie bowl almost every single morning and it totally sets the tone for a productive day. That being said, if you’re not someone who seeks out acai/pomegranates/beets/wheatgrass (I know, that one is a little far fetched)/etc then you might be missing out. Luckily, Olly makes a delicious superfoods multivitamin – and the container even looks cute for your desk! Eat 2 every morning and you’re already off to a good start.