Teeny, tiny (yet life-changing) ways to make it through Hump Day with your brain intact
It’s Hump Day, and we totally feel your mid-week malaise.
You made it past the dreaded Monday (pat yourself on the back, friend), and you’re done the weariness of Tuesday (which, IMHO, is the worst day of the week). But the bittersweet arrival of Wednesday also means we’re smack dab in the middle of the week. Midday slumps are tough . . . midWEEK slumps are even tougher. Wednesday is often considered one of the hardest days to get motivated and creative and that totally makes sense! You’re tired! You’ve worked hard for two whole days! And the freedom of Friday still feels out of reach.
So if you’re feeling a case of the Hump Day blues, we feel ya and we’ve got your back. We will get through Wednesday together and with our brains totally intact. Here are a few mini-treats we can give ourselves today to make Wednesday that much more doable.
Wear pink.
Because obviously.
Have some tea.
Feeling yourself falling prey to the dreaded midday-midweek slump? Make yourself a cup of black tea in your fave mug. Tea can increase your mental alertness without giving you jitters or a post-caffeine crash, so it’s a great means of Wednesday fuel.
Make a to-do list.
But not just any to-do list. Write down everything you absolutely, 100% NEED to get done today, without question. Then, write down a few work-related things you’d like to get done today, in an ideal world. And then, write down a few things you’d like to do today for you, even if those things are include finishing the last episode of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Your Netflix ambitions are important, too.
Make your to-do list into a game.
If it’s really difficult for you to get yourself motivated to do what you need to do, assign points to your to-do list. The more annoying the task, the more points you get for completing it. The awesome thing about this is that the point value system is totally up to you. You can even make a “goal” number of points. And if you reach that number . . .
Make yourself a super-sweet Hump Day playlist on Spotify.
Just because you love certain kinds of music doesn’t mean said music is motivating. Look through your music and pick out the songs that get you the most pumped up and ready to get your ish done. A great way to do this is by thinking about which songs make you feel like you’re an awesome character in an indie movie when you walk down the street.
Can’t think of any? Here are a few that do the trick for me:
“Vagabond” by Wolfmother (this is the song that plays when JGL gets his life together in 500 Days of Summer. Super inspiring.
“Electric Love” by BØRNS (seriously, hottest new artist out there).
“Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears (because it’s just the best).
Sometimes, a bit of good music can really turn it around.
Use the Internet to your advantage
Do you have to write something, but you can’t find the motivation? Enter “Written Kitten,” where an adorable image of a kitten pops up every 100 words you write (you can also do this with puppies). Need to read a long, boring article? Utilize a speed reading tool online.
There are so many Internet tools you can use to help you be your most productive self. THE WORLD IS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.
Take a break.
Feeling yourself getting burned out? Take a step away and do something physical. That could mean doing a few squats or lunges, or it could mean a nice, deep stretch. You could even relax your body with meditation. Just get your brain moving and give yourself a little break.
Buy yourself something for less than $10 on Amazon.
Have you been dying for some silly little thing, like a Lisa Frank pen or a package of your fave out-of-country cookies? Just buy it. It’s a nice little boost to know that a little treat is coming for you in the mail. (I know because I have bought myself both of these things.)
Think positively.
Remember: you’re awesome and fabulous, and Friday is only two days away. You’ve totally got this.
