10 Productive things to do when you’re tired

There is one undeniable fact about life – it is unpredictable, ever evolving and ever changing.

This often means that we don’t always get to do the things we want to do. Including days when we fail to work on our To-Do List because of unexpected news or projects.

If you were to look back over the last 5 years or so, you may find that your life has been a rigmarole of the good, the not so good and the downright ugly.

And one question that often comes to mind is this – ‘how do I make the most of my life despite these interruptions?’

Here’s a quick tip:

Own the interruptions. They are part of the fabric of your life, they are not interludes you have to go through before your life continues. They are part and parcel of life. You may also find that the unexpected happens way more often than the expected. Which means putting our life on hold, ‘until we resolve the issue’ will be unwise and a waste of time.

I once read somewhere that we should always expect the unexpected, which means we have to find a way to work with these interruptions. Understanding this has changed the way I approach my day.

The same also holds true for those days when we are so tired and worn out that all we want to do is eat, binge on TV/Netflix and sleep. This may work one or two times but how do we handle it when it’s consistent? When we are going through weeks or months of overwhelm and lethargy?

This requires that we understand the magnitude of the problem, it is no longer a physical issue but one is also affecting our will, our mind and our emotions – our spiritual well-being. To combat these, we need to find actionable tips that work on our emotions as well as our bodies.

 10 productive things to do when you’re tired

The next time you feel the pull of lethargy coming on, fear not! Remember that there are still a few things you can do to salvage the day.

1. Pray

Prayer is one of our most potent forces when we feel tired and worn out. It revives our mind and strengthens our spirit. The Bible encourages us to pray without ceasing 1 Thess. 5:17. This literally means that we pray in the good and in the bad, we pray through all circumstances and situations.

Perhaps you never considered praying while tired but I can assure you that it is one of the most productive if not the most productive thing you can do. Prayer opens our channel of communication with God. It is through it that we draw strength, are refreshed and gain clarity on different issues.

You could say prayer is to us what meditation is to many others including Buddhists.

 

2. Listen to a Podcast or a TedTalk

One thing we often need when we are tired are activities that require little to no effort from us. One great idea is to listen to your favorite podcast or a TedTalk. This is a great opportunity to listen to some great speakers share their knowledge and experience. Who knows, it might be the very thing you need to change up your routine.

I love listening to TedTalks on psychology and social change (a bevy of great ideas and tips distilled in those 10-15minute talks).

 

3. Listen to an Audio Book

Reading will often require more effort and will power than listening to an audiobook. The next time you feel too tired to do anything meaningful, how about you check out some audiobooks. Current reports show that more and more people are going the audiobook route. I know an author who has had over 10,000 reviews on his audio book as opposed to under 1000 reviews for the physical copy and ebook versions.

I also think the type of book you read matters. It seems personal development books are great as audio books. Do try it out. You can check Audible, iBooks and a few other apps.

Ever tried listening to the Bible? That could be another great option to try. The YouVersion Bible App has an audio section

 

4. Take a power nap

Anyone who has ever been very tired will tell you that one of the hardest parts is staying awake. On the days where I had a ton of work and needed to stay late at the office, you would find me walking around, blinking furiously just to keep my eyes open. This didn’t always work until I started incorporating power naps. This did two things for me: I got to satisfy my craving for sleep and I usually felt revived after my nap. Definitely a win-win though I know this may not always be an option for where you work.

 

5. Watch an inspirational clip or video

I’ve heard that all those cat videos on Youtube are providing a much needed service: giving us a reason to laugh and forget our pressing issues. While we can indulge once in a while, it is definitely not a great option when we want to stay productive. Instead, consider watching short videos in your areas of interest. These could be clips or speeches about something you’ve always wanted to learn.

You may be pleasantly surprised by the ideas you birth from this exercise.

 

6. Read your emails

When did email become work? I guess the answer would be when the business world believed it to be the best mode of communication. If you are anything like me then you probably have a backlog of unread emails. Reading your emails might be a great way to stem what would have been an unproductive down time. Even better, flag any emails that require a response from you and put a reminder to do them later.

 

7. Do a quick review of your schedule or planner

As mentioned earlier, there are times when we are unable to work on our to-do lists and plans for the day. One thing you can do it review your plan for the day or week in a realistic and honest manner. Don’t burden yourself with more than you know you can comfortably do while not losing faith in your ability to do more with God’s help.

 

8. Spend time visualizing

Visualisation seems to be a buzz word in the personal development and life coaching niche but it’s certainly more than that. Many of us have a mental image of what we want to do and achieve and this acts as a blueprint for our goals and plans.

Spend time concretizing those visions. Don’t leave them hanging like a pie in the sky, give them the legs they need to come into reality. Use your down time to figure out how these visions will actually look beyond your mental illustrations. This will be a great way to spend your time.

 

9. Listen to your favorite music playlist

It has been said that nothing uplifts our mood like music. So, how about you play your favorite playlist the next time you feel tired and unable to do any physical or strenuous activity. Listen to music that enriches your heart and your soul.

Go for mellow and soulful sounds not loud and brash (unless that works for you).

There are quite a few music apps that have pre-designed playlists, you can check these out if you don’t already have one.

 

10. Meditate on scripture and words that mean a lot to you

Remind yourself of those scriptures and words that mean a lot to you. Most Christians I know have a few verses that they deeply connect with. What are yours?

Spend some time thinking about these scriptures or quotes and how they have impacted your life.

 

Bonus tip: Journal

This could be in your gratitude journal or a personal journal, just spend some time writing out how you are feeling and how you want to feel. More importantly, list all the things you hope to achieve despite how you feel.

For me, I often list the things I’m grateful for. There is something so therapeutic about counting our blessings.

 

I hope you get a chance to try out all of these tips and any other productive tips that come to mind. Do you have other productive things to do when you’re tired and worn-out? Please share