Free Resources
Productivity Wins
Why don't we all share things that help us do the things? Here's one to get started.
I have found that I have to learn some of my own energy patterns. I've noticed that if I try to do "computer work" first thing in the morning, I feel too restless. I'm better off if I do some housework/physical things first, let the coffee hit, then I can sit down and do client work/computer stuff. But I can't wait too long or I want to nap. So no getting sucked into a big project like cleaning the garage.
Also - this has changed. I used to be able to just wake up, chug coffee and a granola bar, and work for a solid hour before I needed to start "real" morning. I think since my kids' routines have changed since they entered school, it's changed my energy patterns too, so I have to adapt.
Obv this is depending on how much flexibility you have in your schedule, and everyone's energy patterns will be different. I am not a "work from 9pm-2am" kind of person, but respect to those who are!
Before peri-menopause I was a "roll out of bed and into Zoom" kind of person, grabbing a coffee on the way if I had 5 minutes.
Now I'm like you - move my body and breathe deep and rest before doing anything, else it's a 🗑️🔥
One thing that helped was to try not to schedule my work in relation to the clock, but to my sleep/wake cycles. That helped me learn that I hit my stride about 2 hours after I wake up, and it can continue for about 6 hours if I take breaks. Only *then* did I start setting a wake up time that worked for me (8am these days), and a work schedule (10-4) to go along with it. Now it actually works.
I also love using YouTube work timers with lofi music. You can find 30 minute ones, hour long, two hour, three hour, etc. They just start a timer and play music while you work, beeping every so often to take breaks. I usually skip the breaks, but they help me get started!
Of course I also have the three parts of a task that help me PLAN things.
1. How do I start the task?
2. What do I need to continue the task?
3. What does the task look like when complete?
If I write those things out FIRST, it is so much easier to do the thing!
Ooh I like the three step process!
Your wake up and work times are pretty similar to mine although I somehow keep trying to force myself to be at my desk for 8am at the moment (and am failing miserably). Maybe I need to rethink because it does feel more natural to me to get up at 8 than 7 and I'm usually at my desk by 9/9.30 when I let it happen naturally.
It *is* easier to trick myself into wanting to go to bed if I tell myself that I can stay up til 1am though. In bed by 11-12, draw, read, watch some YouTube, as long as I'm out by 1am-ish I get my 7 hours.
That's another piece - I tested a LOT and found that my ideal amount of sleep is 7 hours. Less and I'm jittery and brain foggy, more and I'm extra tired and draggy.
So there are a few experiments for you to try!
Two things that really have helped me lately (as I've been dealing with worsening ADHD symptoms along with perimenopause) are:
1. To prioritise my creativity before doing any work whatsoever. This, for me, looks like writing my novel, journalling, working on a short story I'm submitting for a competition, reading, freewriting or something similar. I notice that on the days I don't do it, I'm far less likely to properly get going or really achieve much through the day!
2. To have a much more flexible structure to my week. I recently bought a new "system" which is an Airtable hub where you dump all your tasks and I quickly found I couldn't properly connect it to my calendar and therefore block out time slots on the calendar to work. I nearly dumped the system for that reason but then I realised I could just have all the tasks for the week sorted by how much brain work or energy they need and now I ask myself this question when I'm ready to start my next task: "What have I got the energy to tackle next?" Weirdly have found that I'm somehow getting nearly everything done in the week using this process and the system has stuck for the last 8 weeks now!
Unless something has a firm due date, my job is to open up the BIG view, choose the area that seems the most interesting, and then choose the task that seems easiest to start out of the ones in that area. It definitely makes things easier for things that don't have a due date...
One thing I've seen work well for folx like us is a WEEKLY todo list rather than a DAILY one, and it sounds like you've incorporated this, too! I might give it a try.
That's awesome! Glad you found a system that works for you
I've heard this works! Your phone is busy, you feel like you're being watched so you stay on task, and the reward is watching it get finished afterwards! Very cool.