In this episode we’re talking about how to be productive even when you’re exhausted.
Productivity when you’re exhausted–it can be done
The day before I sat down to plan this episode was a challenging one. My husband and I traveled several hours to help our daughter move with her four daughters from one house to another. Moving, of course, is always a tiring project. In this case, the endeavor was made more difficult by a severe storm that had traveled through the area the night before, leaving most of the metropolitan area where she lives without power. That meant, among other things, that there was no air conditioning on a day when the temps were in the 90s F (around 33 degrees Celsius) and the humidity was very high. After a long day of working in that climate, we had to drive several hours back home because the hotel we’d planned to stay at was also without electricity and thus closed. After a quick but badly needed shower, we collapsed into bed very late that night.
I woke the next morning knowing I had several things to get done, one of them being preparing for this episode. As I sat at my computer, pondering what to talk about, all I could think about was how exhausted I was. Which got me thinking about how we can get stuff done when we’re exhausted . . .
I realized then that last week we had talked about staying productive when life is chaotic. I hadn’t planned to start a series on productivity despite challenges, but this week’s topic kind of fell into that category.
What do I mean by exhaustion?
Definition:
- 1 a state of extreme physical or mental fatigue
- 2 the action or state of using something up or of being used up completely.
My exhaustion was physical–it came from physical exertion on a hot, humid day. Exhaustion can also be mental or emotional.
Healthline describes emotional exhaustion: “Emotional exhaustion is a state of feeling emotionally worn-out and drained as a result of accumulated stress from your personal or work lives, or a combination of both.”
Healthline describes mental exhaustion: “mental exhaustion can happen when your brain receives too much stimulation or has to maintain an intense level of activity without rest.”
Here’s how Healthline distinguishes the two:
“Generally speaking, ‘mental’ tends to refer to cognitive skills, like thinking, memory, decision-making, and problem-solving. ‘Emotional,’ on the other hand, has to do with feelings, including your ability to identify, process, and express them. You might notice emotional exhaustion when navigating difficult, painful, or unwanted feelings, such as
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- grief
- sadness
- anger
- loneliness
- anxiety
Both mental and emotional exhaustion can leave you feeling detached, unmotivated, apathetic, and trapped. The challenges you’re facing might seem impossible to overcome, and you might feel too drained to keep trying.”
WebMD describes some symptoms of mental exhaustion: anger and impatience; inability to focus; “zoning out”; poor sleep; unhealthy choices (like drugs or alcohol or a junky diet); depression; worry; making more mistakes; body aches and pains.
According to Healthline, you might experience mental exhaustion when you:
- “often work or study for long hours with few or no breaks
- spend a lot of time each day dealing with overwhelming responsibilities
- live with mental health symptoms
- devote a lot of mental energy each day to thinking through problems, worries, or other sources of stress”
An interesting Forbes article discusses the changes to our brain resulting from mental exhaustion and offers practical ways to prevent it:
“1. Identify your optimal time for complex cognitive tasks – are you most resilient in the morning or afternoon? Choose your peak time to do the most mentally taxing work.
2. Set limits on your complex cognitive tasks – healthy boundaries prevent burn out. Overestimate how long a task will take so you build in time for breaks, getting outside to clear your head, walking around the block, having a light/fun conversation with a colleague to give your brain a break.
3. Take a tech break – get away from your computer, phone, tech in general (see ideas in #2 above) to protect your brain. You’ll return to it refreshed.
4. Choose what to focus on – bust the myth of multi-tasking. It exhausts your brain and actually makes you less efficient and productive.
5. Increase cell density in your prefrontal cortex and hippocampus via meditation – the benefits of getting still inside are well-documented. Even a 5-minute meditation break will leave you feeling relaxed, calm and clear.”
Physical exhaustion, too, can come from sources other than just physical labor. WebMD describes some of those sources: seasonal allergies; hay fever; anemia; depression; anxiety; viral or bacterial infection (such as the flu, mononucleosis, COVID-19, HIV, hepatitis, pneumonia); fibromyalgia; food allergies; heart disease; rheumatoid arthritis; sleep disorders; diabetes; hypothyroidism.
If you are experiencing chronic physical exhaustion, a visit to your doctor is in order to make sure any physiological causes are diagnosed and treated.
When it’s possible, we should address exhaustion by the obvious: get some rest! But we can’t always take the day off from work when we’ve had an exhausting day, and when we’re caring for people–kids, sick family members, etc.–who rely on us, we can’t simply go to bed and leave them to fend for themselves. Sometimes we have to push through and get things done despite the fatigue.
How can we stay productive despite exhaustion?
Working when you’re feeling exhausted can be challenging. However, there are a few strategies that can help increase your productivity during these times. Remember, though, that regular rest and sleep are critical for maintaining good physical and mental health, so it’s not advisable to consistently work while exhausted.
1. Prioritize and Plan: Focus on tasks that need to be done urgently. Categorize your tasks based on their priority and allocate time accordingly. This helps to ensure that the most critical tasks get done first. In an article on Medium, podcaster and former monk Jay Shetty suggests considering what tasks energize you and which ones drain you, and starting with one of the former if possible.
2. Break Down Tasks: Large tasks can feel overwhelming when you’re tired. Break down these tasks into smaller, manageable parts and tackle each part one at a time.
3. Take Short Breaks: Instead of working continuously for hours, take short breaks of about 5 to 10 minutes after every 30 minutes or so of work. This can help keep your mind fresh and reduce mental fatigue. Using a Pomodoro timer can help!
4. Hydrate and Eat Well: Ensure you’re drinking enough water and eating balanced meals. Foods high in protein and complex carbohydrates can help maintain your energy levels.
5. Move Around: Physical activity can help wake up your body and mind. A short walk or some simple stretching can give you a much-needed energy boost.
6. Limit Distractions: A tired mind is easily distracted. Keep your work environment as distraction-free as possible. PsychCentral suggests the following:
-
- “if you work in an open office where concentration is tricky on the best of days, try working from home or at a library (whichever has fewer distractions);
- if your work is tied to a certain place, try using noise-cancelling earphones and playing music that keeps you in the zone;
- pause your inbox and put your phone out of sight if constant notifications keep grabbing your attention;
- place a “do not disturb” sign on your door or desk to stop co-workers from striking up conversations;
- clean your desk or workspace and only leave out the items you need to complete your work.”
7. Mindfulness and Meditation: Quick mindfulness exercises or short meditation breaks can help rejuvenate your mind, helping you to stay focused.
8. Delegate: If you have the option, delegate tasks to others to lessen your workload.
9. Use Tools: Utilize productivity tools like time trackers, task managers, or even AI assistants to help streamline your work and make it easier to manage.
10. Listen to Music: Listening to soft instrumental music can increase concentration and make the work more enjoyable. Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify can create playlists; check out Focus@Will; Calm (a TPW sponsor, but not of this episode) has music playlists especially designed to help with focus
11. Power Nap: If possible, take a power nap. Even a short 20-minute nap can refresh your mind and improve alertness and cognitive function. Set an alarm, darken and cool the room, get comfortable, and turn off your worries. (I find Calm’s sleep stories help me with this. Visit CALM.COM/tpw to learn more and get a 40% discount if you’re not already a subscriber)
12. Breathe Deeply: Deep breathing exercises can help to reduce stress and increase oxygen flow to your brain, which can help to improve focus and productivity.
Final thoughts
Remember, these strategies are not long-term solutions. Chronic exhaustion can lead to serious health issues, including depression, anxiety, and weakened immune function. If you’re consistently feeling tired and exhausted, it’s important to talk to a healthcare professional.
What do you think?
How do you handle productivity needs when you’re exhausted? Post your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section below or in The Productive Woman Community Facebook group, or email me.
Resources and Links
- Mental Exhaustion Symptoms, Causes, and Ways to Cope
- Emotional Exhaustion: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and More
- Mental Exhaustion: Definition, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
- Mental Exhaustion: What It Is, Symptoms & How To Manage | mindbodygreen
- Signs You’re Mentally Exhausted
- The Neuroscience Behind Mental Exhaustion—And How To Prevent It
- Extreme Fatigue and Exhaustion: 10 Possible Causes
- 7 Ways to be Productive Even When You’re Tired | by Jay Shetty | Medium
- How to Be Productive When You’re Tired
- 7 Ways to Stay Productive When You Are Exhausted
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