10 Productive Things to do when You’re Tired

There is are a few undeniable facts about life – Life is unpredictable and ever evolving.

This often means that we don’t always get to do the things we had hoped. In fact, there are days where we don’t even get to our To-Do List because of unexpected news or projects.

If you were to look back at 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 –

‘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 pauses or 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 the 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, which is no longer just physical but one that also affects our soul – our will, our mind, and our emotions.

To combat these, we need to find actionable tips that work on our emotions as well as our body. I believe the following 10 ideas will help.

10 Productive things to do when you’re tired and worn-out

1. Pray

Prayer is one of our most potent forces when we feel tired and worn out. It revives our spirit and strengthens our heart. We are encouraged us to pray without ceasing. This literally means that we pray through all circumstances and situations.

Perhaps you never considered praying while tired but I can assure you that it’s one of the most productive if not the most productive thing you can do. Prayer helps us to properly situate how we are feeling and to seek help from a source higher than us.

It is through prayer that we can draw strength, be refreshed, and gain clarity on different issues.

You can also try meditation if prayer is not your thing.

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 feel energized and envigorated.

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 willpower than listening to an audiobook. Check out some audiobooks the next time you feel too tired to do anything meaningful.

Current reports show that more and more people are going the audiobook route. This author 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 sign up to Audible and start your book reading today.

4. Take a Power Nap.

Anyone who has ever been very tired will tell you that one of the hardest parts is staying awake. There were 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 othe items in our to-do lists. 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 handle while not losing faith in your ability to do more later.

8. Spend time Visualizing.

Visualization 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 firming up your 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 actual look beyond your mental illustrations. This is a great way to spend your downtime.

9. Listen to your Favorite Music Playlist

Nothing lifts our mood quite like music. The tune and sound can quickly change the atmosphere.

Create and keep playlists for moments like this knowing that they will occur. Select songs that encourage, empower you and fill you with possibilities.

Please do not select songs that are likely to make you feel worse. Listen to music that enriches your heart and your soul.

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. 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.

Bonus: Spend time with the Positive People in Your Life

You want to spend time with the people that feed your soul.

These are people whom you enjoy their company and usually leave their midst energised, and ready to take on the world.

I hope you get a chance to try out all of these tips and any other productive tips that come to mind.