Five ways to boost your productivity at home (or how to power through the neverending winter)

I have created this list of five easy ways to give myself a jolt of extra enthusiasm during this drab, final stretch of winter.

The holiday decorations have been taken down (hopefully) and Valentine’s Day has come and gone. Mother Nature offered a teaser of spring weather before spinning back around to smack us with snow days, freezing rain, and below freezing temps. I am a midwest girl through and through, but I have to say, come March, I start to really feel the vitamin D deficiency and wonder, will winter ever end? I lived in Denver for six years, and while Colorado is frequently just as buried under snow, their 300 days of sunshine (compared to our average of under 100) makes the winter go much faster.

With at least six more weeks of winter (thanks, Groundhog) I often feel a lethargy in March that makes it hard to power through with any kind of productivity at home or work (for example, I should have started this blog post last week, but here I am, at 10:00 pm on February 28th…). But since I live in Minnesota by choice, and cannot control the weather, I have created this list of five easy ways to give myself a jolt of extra enthusiasm during this drab, final stretch of winter. While this list is certainly not exhaustive by any means, hopefully you can grab one or two of these ideas to make it through the next month (and then some - April typically sees at least three inches of snow). If you have other ideas or tricks you use to keep  your work from home productivity up, I would love to hear them in the comments!

1-Declutter

Of course I would say to start the list with declutter. As a professional home organizer, I not only LOVE to declutter, I get other people to pay me to declutter for them! But there is science to back it up: The more items and visual distractions our brains are filtering through, the more energy is drained from whatever task we are doing. Not only do these visuals distract your brain from whatever task you’re supposed to be accomplishing, they can also be a visual reminder of unfinished projects or feelings and emotions that cause further mental interruption. 

Because we live in a world of constant interruptions and visual intrusion, it is assumed that we multitask well, or that those distractions do not apply to us. But the truth is our brains are not that different than they were long ago, and it takes an average of 23 minutes to get your attention fully returned to the task at hand after a distraction. In those 23 minutes, most of us have been interrupted again, thus never reaching our top tier of productivity.

While you may not be able to block out all our distractions, your physical environment is within your control. When deep concentration and productivity is required either at home or at work, start by preparing your workspace. You don’t have to declutter the whole house, just start with the space you’re using. Trash unused papers, straighten stacks and piles, put random objects in drawers or out of sight, close computer tabs you’re not immediately using and turn off digital notifications. You may find that once clear of clutter, you are more energized and ready to focus.

2-Buy a plant

Design guru Bobby Berk said “A plant is the most cliche thing, but a little bit of green has a great effect on happiness. Being at a cubicle all day is not pleasing, but a little life on your desk can give you a little life, too.” Cliches exist for a reason, and in this case, he’s right. Many studies show that house plants can improve your mood, increase creative productivity, reduce stress, and eliminate air pollutants. At its very root (pun intended!) plants produce oxygen, and oxygen does all those things! And since spending time in nature is difficult in freezing rain and gusty winds, bringing nature indoors is a must!

I have a particularly black thumb, but about a year ago, I did some research on the easiest house plants to keep alive, and committed to their care. While none are particularly impressive, They are still alive and I feel delight and triumph everytime I water and feed them. When we moved into our new house, their soft, bright green foliage was the first thing I unpacked to add color and texture to the new sterile, white spaces. Even if it’s just a vase of flowers, adding some vegetation and life to your space is sure to invigorate you and increase your capacity.

If you are hopeless with growing, or just super lazy (no judgment!) the AeroGarden is a wonderful indoor, hydroponic growing system that is so easy, my five year old can manage it! With guaranteed to germinate seed pods, we end up with fresh herbs, flowers, and veggies in the dead of winter. As an added bonus, the LED light is extra uplifting during these dark, gloomy days. I also love this growing light frame shelf which turns your plants into framed works of art!

3-Tackle a nagging home project

I know what you’re thinking: If I had the motivation to do a home project, I wouldn’t be reading a blog post about improving my productivity! When I say “home project” I am not talking about something major like a bathroom remodel or updating your kitchen cabinets. I am talking about the little nagging home tasks that start adding up but never get checked off the list. Things like changing the furnace air filter, adding WD40 to that squeaky door hinge, framing that photo that’s been on your dresser for months, or tightening that one screw on the cabinet. These items do not take long, and often do not require a lot of prep or set up, but somehow they start to overwhelm. Completing a goal or task makes us feel good, so accomplishing even one of these lingering tasks will give you a quick win and motivate you to move onto the next thing. 

First, identify the project that has been bugging you. Next (and this takes some willpower!) make that thing your goal for the day. Chances are it will take less time than you think, but you will be surprised at how long the feeling of accomplishment will last. According to an article in Psychology Today “The satisfaction of ticking off a small task is linked with a flood of dopamine. Each time your brain gets a whiff of this rewarding neurotransmitter, it will want you to repeat the associated behavior.” This is why a to-do list is so important to me: with each check-mark I feel my productivity increase and my desire to keep it up grows.

4-Look forward to something

My young daughter went through a phase where every night when I was tucking her into bed, she would ask “what are we doing on the weekends?” and I would list off all the fun things we had coming up in the following weeks. Sometimes they were big, exciting events, like a vacation or visit from Grandma, but sometimes they were just regular activities that made her happy, like pizza night, a friend's birthday party, or making cookies together. The feeling of anticipation makes us happy and energized. Often it can inspire creativity and productivity, just knowing something good is coming your way. 

When you’re in a slump, look at your calendar and make a list of all the wonderful things you have to look forward to. Maybe you’ve planned a spring break getaway, or you’re starting to hash-out your summer travel plans. If you don’t have something big on the horizon, focus on the smaller events, like coffee with a friend or date night with your partner. Even anticipating activities like sleeping in on the weekend, enjoying a cocktail with dinner, or a bubble bath after the kids go to bed can offer the same jolt of excitement. Increasing your feelings of gratitude and optimism can go a long way in giving you the confidence and energy to deal with the day to day monotony.  

If a big getaway isn’t in the cards right now, research has shown that planning a trip can boost your mood, even if you don’t actually take the trip! Prior to our first child being born, my husband and I traveled frequently. Fast forward to a five and two year old, and long trips are fewer and further between. I often say, wistfully, “remember when we used to do things?” but then we remind ourselves this season is not forever, and start talking about what we will do when the timing is right, and the excitement of wanderlust gets the dopamine flowing.

5-Complete a 30-day challenge

This one really speaks to the “obliger tendency” in me - I love checking things off the list or seeing the calendar full of gold stars, tracking my progress. While each of us is wired differently, according to author Gretchen Rubin’s book The Four Tendencies, over 40% of the population is motivated by external expectations and accountability. Committing to a 30-day challenge set’s you on a path to accomplish something or develop a new habit. Once started, the daily repetition will gain momentum. Each day is a small success that will add up to a major success by the end of the month. The calendar is your accountability partner, and checking off each day you succeed can offer a major boost of energy, motivation, and increased productivity. I will even create a physical list or calendar, and check the days I have completed my challenge with a star or a sticker. The consistency in seeing every day marked off is incentive to keep me going and the visual reminder that I have accomplished something every day keeps me productive and motivated to keep going.

Need ideas? Check out This blog post from Sage & Bloom for 65 ideas for 30-day challenges.

Sources:

Roomer, Jari. "Science Says Decluttering Your Environment Improves Your Focus & Productivity." Medium, 19 Jun. 2019, medium.com/personal-growth-lab/science-says-decluttering-your-work-environment-improves-your-focus-productivity-f2ca317f689c. Accessed 28 Feb. 2023.

Ryback, Ralph. "The Science of Accomplishing Your Goals." Psychology Today, 3 Oct. 2016, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-truisms-wellness/201610/the-science-accomplishing-your-goals. Accessed 28 Feb. 2023.

Burns, Holly. "To Enjoy Life More, Embrace Anticipation." The New York Times, 31 May 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/05/31/well/mind/anticipation-happiness.html. Accessed 28 Feb. 2023.

Palmer, Alex. "Vacation Anticipation Can Boost Happiness—And It Doesn’T Even Require You To Travel." Well + Good, 20 Jan. 2021, www.wellandgood.com/vacation-anticipation/. Accessed 28 Feb. 2023.

*Rubin, Gretchen. The Four Tendencies. Penguin Random House, 2017.

Shirsha. "65 Amazing 30 Day Challenge Ideas to Improve Your Life." Sage & Bloom, 6 Oct. 2020, www.sageandbloom.co/30-day-challenge-ideas-improve-your-life/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2023.