Here are 7 things to do for a productive week! Happy Monday, everyone. I hope you are all doing well in these unprecedented times. Things are starting to open up where I live and things are slowly going back to “normal”.
Before we get started, I just wanted to say it’s okay if you’re not productive. It’s okay if you don’t feel like working hard today. It’s okay if you want to sit on the couch and watch a movie instead of doing something “productive”. We are still in the middle of a pandemic and things still don’t feel quite normal yet.
I wanted to write this post because I know a lot of states in the U.S. are opening up and everyone has to get back to their “normal lives”. It’s going to be hard for some of us and that’s normal.
These are just some tips I wanted to share so you can get back into a routine and have a good productive week. You don’t need to do all of these, you can start slow. Maybe do two or three and before you know it, you’ll be back at it!
How to Have a Productive Week
1. Set Intentions
I start every Monday by setting an intention for the week. I usually think about what I want to do, what needs to get done, or what’s been on my mind. It’s all a process, but I start by brain dumping my thoughts and prioritizing them. This week my priority is to eat healthier, therefore my intention is “I will nourish my body with food and nutrients that make me feel good”. My intentions are always positive and something I want to work on. I don’t see these as goals, it’s just something I want to be mindful of for that week.
2. Create a Schedule for the Week
Plan your week in one bulk. I always plan my week on Sunday night and make sure to spread out my tasks evenly between the days. It’s better than planning day by day because it saves me a bunch of time. I like to just set aside 30 thirty minutes, plan my week on Google Calendar and in my physical calendar. It keeps me on track to accomplishing my weekly goals.
Learn how I schedule and organize my productive week with Google Calendar here!
3. Set Goals
Speaking of goals, I always set goals for the week to keep me motivated and determined to work harder. They’re not big goals, they’re realistic goals. Examples would be, try a new recipe, workout three times, or update an old post. It’s something I can accomplish by the end of the week and if not (because life is crazy sometimes) I just move it to the next week.
4. A Mini Meal Prep
I say a mini meal prep because there is no way I’m making enough meals for seven days. I physically and mentally cannot do that! I like to prep quinoa, rice, veggies, chickpeas, and defrost chicken and salmon on Sunday nights. I use this chopper to chop all my veggies for the week! I meal prep things I know I will for sure eat for the whole week. I feel productive when I do this because it saves me A LOT of time from cooking every single day.
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5. Self-care
Sunday night is for self-care. This means I put on a face mask, exfoliate my face and body, paint my nails, and shape my eyebrows. I do this all on the same day so I don’t have to do it during the week. I feel pampered, fresh, and ready to take on the week after I do this!
Having trouble sleeping? Here are 8 self-tips for better sleep.
6. Do Laundry then Prepare Outfits
Doing laundry before the week starts is always a good idea. You have clean clothes, one less chore to do and your favorite pair of jeans ready to go! While folding laundry, I also like to prepare my outfits for the week. It makes sense to do this because all your dirty clothes are the ones you wear the most! Maybe it’s just me who loves to double-task, but I feel much more productive doing these two at the same time.
7. Plan One Day Off / Fun Day
Saturday’s are considered my day off/fun day. It’s when my boyfriend and I spend the whole day together outside. I’ll do a little bit of work in the morning but that’s it. I feel like when I take a day or two off, it makes me more productive for the rest of the week. It’s like a reset day where I chill, read, watch movies or go out. The next day, I always feel inspired and motivated to work. A fun day also gives me something to look forward to all week. Try planning one day out of the week to go to the beach, hiking or watch movies all day!
I hope getting back to the swing of things comes at an ease. Have a productive week and continue to stay safe and well, everyone.
Until next time,
FTC: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through my links at no extra cost to you.
I love these! It can sometimes be difficult to be productive when you’re working from home, especially when you’re trying to be healthy and avoid caffeine!
So many good pointers! I make sure to set mini goals through the week and make time an hour or so every 2 days for a litte self care pamper! Thank you for sharing! X
This is fab! I definitely need to get on it with the food prep – that is a great idea. Sometimes it can be really meditative to be chopping veggies but some days the time just flies by and to have some things chopped and in the fridge would be super handy. Thanks for these x
I find cooking so calming and relaxing, especially something repetitive like chopping veggies!
-erika
These are great tips – I love the idea of planning outfits as you do laundry. Sundays really are the best day for getting organized, doing some self-care, and making a plan. It makes your week go so smoothly. Thanks for the great advice! x
Jess | @byjessicalillian
Sunday’s are busy yet very relaxing to me. A crucial day to my routine!
-erika
Love this! Thank you!
Love these tips! I mostly do the same thing but picked up a few things from this post to add on. Thanks for sharing!
Lots of great pointers here! I set weekly goals, but not intentions. Although I really like the idea of this and might give it a try. Thank you!
Would love to know what you do to stay productive!
-erika
These were great tips! I’ve been struggling with productivity lately, so hopefully, these tips will be able to help.
Thanks for the tips. I am great at organizing others, just not myself.
Great tips!! Can’t wait to try these out!
Love this! Scheduling my week is the thing I always do to ensure I’ll have a productive week and day. Great tips!
I like these tips, they are all great for the weekly plan. I also plan my mini goals for house chores as well, just to make sure everything is all plan when I wake in the morning.
These tips are so helpful! I love the idea of choosing outfits right after doing laundry. Thanks for sharing!
Great Tips! X
Thank you!!! I found this really helpful since the epidemic and moving house i have struggled to get myself back in a routine.
Love these tips! I needed this right now too! I am going to start using Sundays for my prep days too.
Great tips! I really need to start planning my week in advance. I am so bad at just going day by day.
Great tips for productivity
Love this! Schedule is key!
Cheers! I am doing all that you are listing. I added fun elements every day since I am doing quite well in being productive. But I did get some new ideas from all that you are doing now. Will definitely add them in my routine?
Great tips. Meal prep is huge for me. Saves so much time during the week.
I love these! Planning out my week is huge for me 🙂
These are all such great ideas. I already tend to make a schedule for myself and that helps me a ton! So I can’t wait to implement the others – another good one is to wake up early! ( at least for me)
Great ideas. I could really stand to do some meal prepping. I know it would make my life waaay easier.
These are some amazing tips! Awesome post!
Great ideas! I’ve found so many of these tips to be helpful since I’ve started writing.
Erika, thanks for this well-thought-out blog about planning out your week ahead. I needed to read this today!
This is so helpful!
Awesome post! As a blogger with years of blogging experience, I can honestly say that scheduling and setting goals can increase your productivity immensely! One of the main problems most bloggers face is quality content generation and creating a schedule + staying consistent, I have found a lot of success!
Setting goals and sticking to them is also a great way to succeed with anything in life! Thanks so much for sharing and stay awesome!
ABSOLUTELY obsessed with this list. I truly agree with each suggestion. I make a to do list every day to get done – but I love your idea of taking one day (sunday) and setting up the to do lists for each day for a week! I can see how it really saves you a lot of time once that day comes AND you are all set up so there’s just doing the tasks to get done. Brilliant ideas! I also love taking one day off. I am a perfectionist and I often overwork myself so taking a specific day off would be such a great idea. Thank you for the awesome post!
Our lockdown has gone from level 4 to level 3. Meaning some businesses can start again and we can go out and exercise again. phew. These tips come in so handy. You sound like my mom… “Sunday night is for self-care.” hehehehe. as she always used to do her feet and hair and you name it. Lovely post and great blog!
All of these sound like things to track on a Bullet journal! I think I will try to plan outfits while I do laundry that way I already know what I want to wear when and won’t just throw on whatever to get out the door.
This is so great! I love planning! Great tips.
these all sound great! i definitely need to try some out. thanks for the tips
Loving the idea of the fun/off day – it’s honestly so important! I love taking Sundays off to recharge and rest x
Planning one day off was my favourite part. Can we make it 2? Because I’m all about that!
I am grateful for your post. I needed some inspiration as I keep seeing the days passed by without doing anything productive. I will set goals and do meal prep.
Great tips to keep in mind!
Google Calendar is one of my favourite apps for my blog and personal life! It’s nice seeing my tasks and appointments neatly laid out.
One of the things I’ve been struggling with lately is setting intentions. With all the things happening in the world, I get so overwhelmed.
Interesting!
These are great. I will pin these. I need help with productivity. I like you include self-care & healthy eating. Those are not on everyone’s productive list.
Wonderful post! Definitely find I am more productive if I follow my morning routine. If I don’t start in the morning, it feels like the whole day is off. I think meal prepping is something I need to start.
Great post. Love #1. Setting intentions is so important. Also, thanks for the reminder at the beginning that it’s okay if you’re not productive. Sometimes we need this reminder too!
So great! I really needed these tips as I get ready for another busy week!
Thank you for your tips and suggestions. I’m going to start planning that fun day.
Love these suggestions!
Great post, lovely x
Thanks for the tips. Looking to stay productive especially now with so many distractions in the world
Some good tips. I can try to incorporate some but my big struggle with work sometimes is dealing with regular interruptions and add on tasks, like dealing with phone calls and emails with people asking for immediate attention or trying to fit in time to respond to them in a timely manner while you had originally planned on spending the day in accordance to your list of tasks/project u were planning to spend the day on… Just the nature of the office and getting expectations to answer everyone during then too.
Needful content. Keep creating content like this! Tons of love for you
Great tips! Preparing yourself on Sunday for the week ahead is key for me to start the week off with the right mindset and not feeling stressed or unprepared 🙂
Great tips! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the tips, Erika. I struggle with being productive sometimes. Setting goals is so important. I am also going to try meal prepping.
I love the planning ahead tip. I may be a little extreme, but I even like to plan out my month in advance, and then before each week I revise and add in little things I need to do. I ALWAYS have a day off once a week. Its so important for your mental health!
These are some great tips! I’ve been feeling really sluggish and unproductive the last couple of weeks. But this week I’ve vowed to up my productivity so I wrote a list and set some goals. Hopefully good will come of it!
Amazing tips! The forth one about the mini meal prep is so good! I don’t know how I haven’t thought about it yet! ✨
Hi Erika,
I enjoyed your post. Great advice to tie into your week. I do most of these and the prep work for the week really decreases the inertia that I have to overcome in the middle of the week. When I am tired from “real life” so to speak I can fall back on my plan rather than react.
Take care
Sundays are my self-care day too! About to put on a face mask and relax in a hot bath right now 🙂 Love it!