How to be More Productive: ten tips

These are just a few tips that I've been implementing and have been helping me feel less anxious about the things I need to work on. For me, being productive means getting work done but in a way that won't make me feel stressed. Feeling productive should be a positive thing. I know I'm most pro

1. Make lists
Write that shiz down (and then having the satisfaction of crossing it off your list when it's done). If there's more than two things that you want to get done for the day, write it down; it helps to clear up your mind so that you're not trying to mentally remember everything you feel you need to do. Feel free to use your phone or an app; I use a designated mini notebook that I usually keep in my purse.

2. Limit screen time
Ok, if replying to emails is on your to do list, of course you're gonna be looking at a screen. But don't take breaks on Facebook or Instagram. They are time suckers and you won't even notice how much time has gone by (because trust me, we all have first hand experience of getting caught up looking at our Facebook feed or falling down the black hole that is Pinterest). I could say limit social media, but TV and Netflix really doesn't fit under that category and I know I'm guilty of binge watching BBC's Walking With Dinosaurs when I'm in the mood for television. (I mean, am I the only one who watches educational and nature documentaries for fun? Anybody?)

3. Put away your phone
I suppose this could count as screen time, but our phones are such a big part of our daily lives that it needs its own mention. Phones are such a big distraction when we're trying to get things done. Every time we get a text or notification on social media, we experience a small rush of dopamine (which is a neurochemical in our brain that makes us feel happy). The 'ping' of a notification taps into our brain, and we just can't help but check our phones as soon as we hear it. So put your phone on airplane mode for the time you're trying to be productive. You can always check how many people liked your #brunch post later.

4. Create goals
In lieu of new years resolutions, I have been trying to set more small and manageable goals for myself. Set goals for your needs and give that goal a reasonable time frame. Some of my goals have been: clean and declutter room for 15 minutes every day; check on the veggie garden every morning (to weed, water, and watch my plants); post more photos on Instagram; aim to write on blog 2x a week. These are just some of my really small and simple goals, but finishing even small goals can make you feel accomplished and more productive. Don't feel like you have to complete huge enormous tasks in order to be a productive person. Start small and work your way up.

5. Set designated breaks
If you're anything like me you can't really commit to a whole hour of doing one thing. So give yourself a break! After a designated time, give yourself a 10 minute break to check Facebook, your Instagram feed, or any texts you may have gotten. Knowing that you have a break will help you to finish the task at hand.

6. Keep your space tidy
It's 10:00 PM. You have an assignment due tomorrow morning that you had all week to work on, but put it off until the night before. You pull out your assignment, open a Word document, start typing and...you get distracted by that chair. You know that chair. It's the one that never gets sat on because it's always covered with stacks of books, clean laundry you were too lazy to fold, and an empty bowl precariously balanced on top from that time you were eating chips and watching Walking With Dinosaurs. Then you decide you simply can't finish your homework assignment until that mess has been dealt with. This can all be avoided by keeping your space clean. When the physical space around you is cluttered, it can clutter your mind.

7. Find your space
If you feel more productive getting work done in a cafe, go to a cafe. If you're better suited to finish homework in a library, go! Go where you know there will be few distractions, and in an environment where you know you'll get work done. If you want to keep that space in your own home, try to make it as clean and distraction free as you can.

8. Take breaks outside
You've been working hard and you're feeling super productive! But now you're a bit burned out. Remedy this with some time outdoors. Sunshine, fresh air, and hanging out with some plants is great for the mind. I know when I've been staring at a screen or text book for too long, I welcome the sight of some moss or my little veggie garden. There's a lot of evidence that being outside is good for your overall health. If nothing else, it's a great chance to get some Vitamin D!

9. Set a schedule
Do you get the most work done in the morning? Are you a night owl and like to get things done after dinner? Know yourself and what works for you.

10. Get enough sleep and eat right
What's the point of being productive if you're not treating your body right? Eat the right kinds of foods that make you feel your best and limit overly processed foods. At night, try to create a routine for yourself to help you fall asleep. Try and turn off all screens AT LEAST 15 minutes before you fall asleep (that glowing screen is wreaking havoc on your sleep cycle). I'm guilty of using my phone right until I'm about to fall asleep, but I've gotten better at doing this much less often than I used to.

In the Garden: catching rain, planting veggies, and sowing natives

Just a few pics of what I've been working on around the garden. 

It rained for a grand total of two days; if that was the El Niño then it was very disappointing. Although I did manage to fill up a bunch of my water barrels (note, plastic garbage cans from Home Depot) with lots of rain water, so there's that at least.

I thought I would take advantage of the newly soaked earth by spreading out this packet of California native wild flowers, as well as another packet of purple lupines, all over the back yard. I've had them and used some of the seeds over the past two years or so, but I decided finally to just sow them all and finally get rid of the package (I can always buy more if I really want to). My goal is to make a sort of wildflower meadow with natives. I'm hoping it may encourage more pollinating insects, insect predators, and birds into the garden. I think it's really important to encourage biodiversity and to stay away from monocultures (ahem, like the tragic Potato Famine and the current banana crisis).

I don't at all claim to be a good vegetable grower, or to even have a green thumb. But I've always had a fascination with nature and plants and all things green. Perhaps obsession is a better word? Haha. My mom told me that as a kid I would come home from preschool with rocks and twigs and leaves in my pocket. 

I think what I'm trying to get at is, I know my garden looks like a mess. I'm very bad at planning ahead. But I really feel I'm getting a better handle on gardening. With anything in life, you get better with more practice.

 I think I've had this little set up since 2013. It just started with the two raised beds that my boyfriend's dad made for me, and I've expanded it (ever so slightly) since then. I have a roughly 20x20 spot with a little grid walkway down the center like a + sign. Currently growing I have two kinds of kale, a very large and top heavy purple sprouting broccoli, a Japanese eggplant, a couple of rainbow chards, a rosemary plant, some Egyptian walking onions, a couple of Japanese sweet potatoes, and a variety of very sad looking bell peppers. It's not much now, but the promise of warmer weather in spring brings with it more growing possibilities. 

I think it's really nice when "volunteers" decide to spring up on their own. The rain has encouraged these little lettuces to sprout, and soon I'll hopefully be eating a homegrown lettuce that required no work on my end.

Last summer this raised bed had a bunch of cherry tomatoes growing in it. I'm still not very good at growing tomatoes, I don't think I give them enough nutrients or vertical support. But that's not the point. A gardener's rule of thumb is, you shouldn't plant the same family of veggies in the same spot year after year after year. Doing so can cause an accumulation of any bugs or diseases that can affect that plant. This is easily remedied by planting veggies from a different family. There's a whole suggested crop rotation cycle to follow, but I'm kind of a laid back (note, lazy) gardener and I just don't put the same type of family in the same spot year after year.

Right now I've decided to plant: a variety of beets, radishes, carrots, turnips, chard, greens (including red russian kale, tatsoi and mache), and finally some red clover as a nitrogen fixer. I haven't had much luck with the clover, but I'm hoping this cool weather and ample moisture from the rain will help them get established.

I'm hoping more rains are on their way soon; freshly rained on soil is the best environment for seeds to sprout, and it makes my job a lot easier.

I've forgotten how much fun and how nice it is to look back at the things I have done (blogging is great for forgetful people like myself). 2016 is the year I get my blogging act together. And who knows what opportunities may arise because of it. Here's to the start of a fresh new year.

[Note, all pictures were taken by myself]