11 Ways to Stay Productive When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep

Did you know there was a term known as creative insomnia? Some people are so motivated and ambitious that sleep is a waste of time for them. Unfortunately, most of us are just normal people. Our bodies and minds need some rest in order to start working with full speed again. Sometimes you are burdened with tons of work and responsibilities, so you need to function with less sleep. How do you achieve that? Here are 11 tips that will help you stay productive in busy times.

1. Establish a morning routine

Waking up early may deprive you from 30 minutes of sleep, but a proper routine will give you enough energy to grab the day. If you don’t know how to meditate, this would be the right moment to learn. At the end of the meditation, tell yourself: “This will be a good day. I will be focused, productive, and effective.”

2. Coffee! Lots of it!

Caffeine has a peculiar power. It wakes you up and helps your brain stay alert. If you don’t like it or not sure how coffee can effect on your health, have a Red Bull or a Coke. Black tea, which also contains caffeine, is another drink that will boost your attentiveness.

3. Hydrate your body

If you lack hydration, you’ll feel tired and sleepy no matter how hard you try to work. Starting the day with two glasses of water will give your body enough energy to face the busy day. Remember: coffee makes you dehydrated, so serve yourself some water with each cup you have.

4. Energizing food

A green smoothie won’t take too much of your time to prepare, but it will help you stay awake and active much longer. If you are having a headache from too much work, choose a healthy meal over an Aspirin.

5. Chocolate

Healthy food is important, but so is chocolate! In addition to a powerful psychological effect, chocolate (and the sugar in it) will give you the much needed push to endure another session of work.

6. Pick the right music

Choose the music you like, but make sure it’s uplifting. This is not the time to listen to a relaxing flute by the ocean. You can go for an acoustic guitar or instrumental music that makes you want to dance (try Astor Piazzolla for example).

7. Make a call

Do you have a friend you’ve forgotten to call for a while? Make the call now; engaging in a conversation will help your mind focus without being burdened with work. Of course, you need to put some limits upon yourself; you don’t want to waste an hour of your time on this conversation.

8. Get rid of computer distractions

Social media are a nice way to waste valuable time. If you absolutely need Internet for your work, make sure to disable all distracting websites, so they won’t take your energy away.

9. Set smaller goals towards the great one

Your brain will respond with much more enthusiasm if you break down the work to smaller tasks. For example, let’s say you are writing a novel and you made a commitment to write three chapters today. Say to yourself: “I’ll start writing one chapter and see how it goes.”

10. Focus on the fun part of your work

Even when creative tasks are not your priority, try to cover them first. If you’re not getting enough sleep, the last thing you would like is to get stuck with the most boring aspects. The creative urge will help you stay productive.

11. Take a power nap

You may think this tip would defy the whole purpose of staying away, but some snooze time will work to your advantage. Even 30 minutes of sleep work better than coffee and chocolate. You will be a bit low when you wake up, but your mind will be ready to get back to work really soon.

If you find the right strategy, you can beat the need for sleep and stay as productive as you want to be. Try some of the 11 tips described above and you’ll feel like a whole new person who is ready to get back to work!