How to Work When You’re Exhausted
Procurement professionals know all-too-well what it’s like to work while feeling tired… but here’s what it takes to stay productive.
Stressed? Have a bout of insomnia that just won’t go away? If you work in procurement or supply chain and you’re tired right now, we can hardly blame you. We’ve all had our fair share of challenges in the past year, and if you feel as if your exhaustion has become your new shadow, you’re not alone.
But with new challenges popping up left, right and centre sometimes the show simply needs to go on. Sometimes you need to push through that exhaustion and keep getting results. Of course, that isn’t going to be easy. Here’s some tips, though, for all the times that it is going to be necessary:
1. Start your day with a clear plan
From a productivity perspective, you always need to take control to get the most out of your time. And when you’re exhausted, this is even more true.
If you’ve had your morning coffee (or a few!) and can’t focus, start by writing a clear plan for what you want to achieve on that particular day. Divide the hours you have available into chunks, and try to be kind to yourself in terms of what is possible. As you work through your plan, check things off the list. The sense of accomplishment that comes from checking even a few small things off your to-do list will help motivate you to keep going, regardless of how you are feeling.
2. Focus on easy, routine tasks
When you’re exhausted, you’re not yourself – literally. There are a whole host of ill-effects for your brain when you’re really tired, from taking up to ten times longer to process information, to being unable to regulate your feelings. Your brain also loses its ability to think through situations and create solutions, and it can even create false memories. Yikes.
For this reason, it’s highly recommended that when you’re exhausted – if at all possible – try to focus on low-effort, low-impact tasks. For example, does your inbox need clearing out? Got a folder to re-organise? Some basic documents to create? These types of tasks are the ones you should tackle when you’re tired.
There is one interesting plus side of being exhausted, though. The tired brain loses its ability to filter wandering thoughts, and some people say this makes them more creative.
3. Forcefully block distractions
Did you know that the average person spends 32% of their time at work on social media? Offices – and nowadays, virtual offices – are festering hubs of distraction, and when you’re exhausted, you’re even more likely to fall prey to aimlessly scrolling whatever website happens to open itself on your browser.
Of course the problem is, social media is incredibly addictive, and when you’re exhausted, you may not have the willpower to stop yourself scrolling. If that’s the case, try an app like Freedom. Using Freedom, you can block specific websites, or block all websites except for work-related ones, or block the entire internet. You can also unblock sites in your lunch hour, and log how long you use a particular website for (this can be very eye-opening!).
4. Drink water, and not just coffee
When you’re exhausted, it’s tempting to reach for coffee after coffee after coffee. But as anyone who has tried this knows, coffee is only good up until a point – too much caffeine makes you jittery and anxious, and can cause even more insomnia.
Instead of yet another coffee, make sure you drink plenty of water. Exhaustion makes you more dehydrated, and sufficient water is necessary to ensure the proper functioning of your brain and body. Make sure your water is easily accessible (on your desk or within easy reach) so you don’t have any excuse to not drink it.
5. Get moving
Did you know that a staggering 80% of people in the US don’t get enough exercise?!? According to the CDC, adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, or between 150 and 300 minutes per week. And if you’re exhausted, even if you might not feel like it, exercise is even more important as it helps rejuvenate your body and brain.
Exercising while tired may feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be. Ensure you regularly get up from your desk, stretch and walk around. If you’re short on time (and understandably, energy), you can even try this 7 minute exercise routine.
Do you have any other tips for working while exhausted? Let us know in the comments section below.
