How to Deal With Days When You Just Can’t Get Anything Done
We All Have Them; Here’s How to Handle Them
Do you ever have one of those days?
Of course, you do; we all do. The question is how to deal with them. If you’re like me, you waste most of the day banging your head against the wall, trying to push through it. But nothing seems to work.
I write a lot about productivity, so it might be strange to be writing about days when you are not productive. But whether we want to admit it or not, those days happen, so like any other problem, it’s best to have a plan. The trick is to recognize those days when they first start shaping up and execute your plan early.
But first, I should clarify what we are talking about. There are days when you are unproductive because of bad health. If that’s the case, then you only have one thing on your to-do list; get well. There are days when everything is totally out of your control. I have found on those days, it is much better just not to fight it. If something outside your control is hijacking your day, go with the flow. If you can’t control it, you can’t control it; let it go.
No, I’m talking about those days when you first look at your list and feel overwhelmed. Or you grab the first thing on the list and just can’t get started. Or you get started but never finish anything.
Or everything just plain goes wrong.
Stop.
Breathe.
It’s time for plan B. What is plan B? Well, that’s for you to decide. I have several that I will use depending on the circumstances. Here are mine. You do you.
If you can’t get anything done, do nothing
This one doesn’t work all the time, and you can’t use it often, but it is the most effective. I have written in the past about the benefits of planning a mental health day. But if you have one of those days when you can’t get anything done, maybe it’s time for an unplanned mental health day.
Look at your to-do list for the day. How many of those things absolutely must get done today? Probably not that many. Bring up your week’s view and start sliding everything you can into the future. Don’t…
