June is coming to an end but Summer is not! There is still at least one more sunny month for you to enjoy (perhaps more, depending on the part of the world that you live in 😉 This is the time when we usually plan our holidays and make use of the leave that we worked hard for the past few months to get.  It’s so good to say goodbye to the office and for the next few weeks enjoy the sun, beach, mountains, lake, or whatever it is that we want to enjoy during our free time.
But as it always happens, the free time passes by way too fast… Blink of an eye and you are back at the office, wondering where all your holidays went. Still, you may suffer the consequences of taking these 2-3 weeks off. Â Why? Because during the summer your productivity may drastically decrease. The atmosphere all around encourages laziness. It’s hot, bright, people are more cheerful, and when you check your Facebook, you can see dozens of photos from places around the world posted by your friends. Not the best condition to lock yourself in the office and start the tedious, hard work, right?
TimeCamp is here to help! Let’s discuss some of the simple methods that can help you stay in the mood for work and keep your productivity at the highest level. Even during the summer!
 Surround yourself with the right colors
Experts agree that color is able to affect our productivity. For example, if you work with the dim light, you are getting tired faster. And what is believed to be the perfect color for the working people? Red! It helps you build energy and it boosts your interest in the activities that you are dealing with. Bright colors are great for coming up with new ideas, they enhance your creativity. So let the sunshine in, put some colorful pictures on the walls, and get to work! 😉
You’ll find a lot of interesting information concerning colors and productivity in this article.
Start a day with the right drink
Caffeine doesn’t make the right substitute for sleep but it can definitely come to your aid if you are too sleepy. It boosts creativity, makes you feel less grumpy and gives you the much-needed motivation to sit down and get to work. Especially during the summer, when the nights are short and hot, so the sleep does not usually come fast, coffee can become the game changer. Just make sure you don’t drink too much of it, and put it away from time to time, if you feel like it has no effect on you anymore.
More about the magical properties of coffee can be found in this article.
Fight Procrastination
One of the worst monsters that get in the way of your flawless productivity is procrastination. It’s the action of postponing our duties for later because our brains ‘cheat’ is into thinking that we have time for that and we can finish it anytime, so why not spend the next 2 hours watching a movie or browsing the web? Suddenly it’s midnight and we are only halfway through our work, sweating and panicking. If you find yourself procrastinating, take immediate steps and try to get rid of this negative habit. How? We have a series of articles concerning this topic, you will find some in the related posts section at the end of this article. You can also watch this lecture by Tim Pychyl about academic procrastination and strategies for change, this guy knows the enemy well!
Plan in Advance
Always spend some time planning before you get to work. It’s better to have a clear view of your duties, the result is that your head is uncluttered. You know exactly what you should be doing at the given moment, and when your thoughts are free of worries about other responsibilities, you can fully focus at the task in front of you, finish it faster, and get to another point on the list. Plan your day in the evening before it or in the morning.
Summing Up
We realize that it is hard to increase productivity during the summer (well, it’s hard to keep it at the regular level!) After all, we are at work as well! 😛 However, there are hundreds of ways that can help you with it. Try some, and you will definitely find those that suit you best. If a person is productive and works with his or her full engagement, the time passes like an F1 car. You won’t notice the time for your holiday break approaching 😀