We had an amazing trip to Europe this summer! We traveled to four different countries and we were exposed to so much history it made our heads swim!
I traveled abroad for business in my 20’s. Jet lag never seemed to be a big deal for me. This trip was totally different! Coming home, the six hour time difference really did a number on me. Wow! I was NOT expecting that! So, here are five productivity tips that were reinforced as I coped with and (as you would expect) conquered my jet lag.
1) WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN
We often put too much pressure on our brains to remember things. When we’re experiencing jet lag, it’s even worse! If you have an idea or a “to-do” be sure to write it down and keep that information close by so you can refer to it often.
2) PRIORITIZE
What I noticed with jet lag was I seemed to be fine and then all of the sudden I felt like I hit a wall. I was DONE! So, it was very important for me to know I had accomplished the most important tasks for that day BEFORE I hit that wall. For me, prioritizing my to-do list items was the best way to ensure this.
3) MINIMIZE THE TOP PRIORITIES
Along with prioritizing my to-do list items, I also limited my focus at any one time to only a few items (4 items at max). This helped me to keep focused, because I KNOW when you’re tired you can be very vulnerable to “bright shiny object syndrome”! It also felt good to be able to successfully complete these top priority tasks, which helped to build some momentum and to keep me moving forward.
4) STOP WHEN YOU’RE DONE
As I mentioned, I would be plugging along and all of the sudden, I felt like I hit a wall. Instead of trying to continue to do more, I made notes about where I stood on the items I was working on and then called it a day. I figured this was more productive than pushing forward, making mistakes and then having to re-do some of my work. Since I gave myself permission to stop and rest, I was more productive when I started up again the next day.
5) TAKE TIME TO RELIVE YOUR TRIP
I took a gazillion pictures (between my husband and I, we took over 7,000 pictures!) during this trip. As a break during my day, I have been taking time to go through some of my pictures! It’s a treat to recall how much fun the trip was and to re-experience some of the beauty of the places we visited! Be sure to set your timer, or you may get lost for hours in re-living your trip, which will definitely not help you to be more productive!
By the way, these 5 tips can be useful even if you’re NOT experiencing jet lag!
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- Keep It Simple - April 26, 2019
