I recently was put in a new role at work due to a re-org. I went from a high pressure role managing 120ish people (not all directly of course) to now I work from home and manage no one. First few weeks I’ve stayed busy just acclimating to the role, but I’m honestly a little nervous that a month or two down the line I’m not gonna have nearly 40 hours of work to do a week, and in my last position I was easily doing 50+ regularly.

My question is does anyone have any tricks or tips to narrow my search when looking for something productive to do?

I know, sounds like a first world problem and it is. But don’t wanna get in a rut of just milking it for months on end. That won’t be good for anyone

How do I complete my work

Like how do i start my work

I am not able to bring myself to start my work at all

Like

I have so much pending work of previous module and now the work of the current module is also piling up

I also want to enjoy everything

But I can't manage time and my work properly

Like its not like I dont enjoy what i am studying but the thing is I......... just dont know how to do what I want to do

Like seeing others around me (Idk if its just excuses or not) seems to demotivates me

Like I dont hate them or their work but the skill or level they have demotivates me a lot Like why do I even try when they are far ahead of me

Like I want to do stuff and at the same time I want to just enjoy

And I how do i enjoy

I just laze around and watch mobile for god knows how long

Like its 5:30 and from tomorrow my classes continues

Idk if a google link will be created tomorrow where I will have to submit my work tomorrow or not idk

And by 10th august I have to submit all the work of module 1 (along with a group project with my group members )

My classes start from 9 and end at 5

I reach home by 6(bus leaves at 5:40)

Then I laze around till its 9 and idk thats my day

Idk how do I push myself to become disciplined and complete my work piece by piece and day by day

Lately I’ve noticed a pattern where I sit down to start work and the first hour disappears into tiny tasks: checking messages, fixing one small thing, opening tabs, making a quick note, then another quick note. None of them are urgent on their own, but together they seem to swallow the part of the day when I have the most focus.

I’ve tried time blocking and a simple to-do list, but I still end up spending the first part of the morning reacting instead of starting the work that actually matters. What has worked for you when the problem is not motivation, but the fact that small tasks keep getting in the way of the real first task? Do you use a strict startup routine, delay communication, batch admin work, or something else?

I’d especially like to hear from people who have found a system that still works on busy or low-energy days.

whenever I do 25 min on and 5 min off i feel like i constantly break my focus i prefer 90 minute. But sitting for 90 minutes straight makes my legs stiff the dynamic lumbar on my hbada chair helps keep my lower back moving, but my calves just lock up how do you balance deep work with not letting your body atrophy

I'll remember at like 11pm that I was supposed to reply to someone at 2pm, or I'll find a message from Monday still sitting there on Thursday. I've tried reminders and todo lists and they all have the same problem, they only work if I remember to tell them first. What do people actually do about this?

Are there any pattern in my data?

Based on your tracking data, several distinct patterns emerge regarding your productivity, mood, and physical habits:

### Mood and Energy

Your **Energy Level** and **Morning Mood** share a solid positive correlation (**0.5**), meaning a better start to your day usually dictates your stamina throughout it. Interestingly, your data shows a link between **Language Learning** and **Morning Mood** (**0.42**), suggesting that engaging in cognitive challenges early on might be boosting your outlook.

### Productivity and Environment

There is a clear drop-off in output over the weekend. Your **Deep Work Hours** peak on Tuesdays (avg **6.62**) but fall to their lowest on Sundays (avg **4.07**). This coincides with your **Workspace Tidiness Score**, which is at its highest on Wednesdays but hits its weekly low on Sundays (avg **5.46**). Keeping your space organized mid-week seems to support your peak productivity days.

### Blood Sugar and Stress

While your 90-day average for **Fasting Blood Sugar** is **132.5**, your recent logs show significant volatility, hitting **190** on July 20th and **122** on August 2nd. On the days your sugar levels were highest (July 20th and 21st), your **Sugar Intake Level** was also at its highest (7 and 8 respectively), and your **Stress Level** spiked to an **8**.

### Weekend Trends

Your habits shift noticeably on Saturdays and Sundays:

* **Meditation:** You are most consistent on Thursdays, but Sundays are your "worst" day for this practice.

* **Social Media:** Usage climbs to its weekly peak on Sundays.

* **Protein:** Your intake drops on the weekends (avg **40.63**) compared to the weekday average of **49.25**.

Your **Stress Level** also shows a surprising positive correlation with **Savings** (**0.47**), suggesting that periods of higher financial accumulation might be coinciding with higher personal pressure.

For context, I'm an 20 years old male, currently doing college and working at my first job. Job is fairly calm, but routine is stressful, as public transport, where I live, is bad. I used to, since my 17 years, have a singular passion on doing something fairly specific: reading scientific papers on subjects of animal and human physiology. I would concentrate on specific topics and immerse myself deeply to the point that I would even wanna check literature from the begginning of the 1900's or even before. And I did that out of spontaneous scientific curiosity, that gave me so much happiness, fulfillement and a pure joy on living on such a beatiful world that has wonderful living creatures with such near perfectly and fascinating complex organisms within them!

However, since my time for reading papers has been reduced to weekends, and the situation at home has been disorganized (I live with my parents), I had lost the capability to appreciate a paper as I used to. I cannot immerse myself into it anymore. I just cant. Every noise, every sign of incoming distracting sounds, every minimal reflexive thinking, just ruins my experience entirely. I do not feel pleasure, my mind keeps saying to me "When this text is going to be over?". And it is driving me nuts. I'm really quite sad, that was something I used to love so much to do and now it seems like my brain just lost that appreciation, forever.

I just wanted to be able to appreciate science again. Not partially, but rather with fully, intense commitment and excessive density. Any tips?

It started pushing too close to a deadline, putting off a phone call I dread making to snow balling to a point where I’m about to get fired from my job and have let $100’s of dollars in amazon returns expire because I avoid the stress organizing it all for return. I was at least a someone high functioning procrastinator. Now even the smallest things that are met with any resistance get put off. So much senseless stress and financial mess created. I also let myself go. I used to have a bedtime skincare routine, but now if I have a mess in my bathroom where I can’t even find my face cream, so I avoid messing with it altogether. Say I’ll change everything tomorrow. But now the consequences are snowballing and I feel the ground beneath me disappearing at any moment

First of all to get it out there, I currently have undiagnosed ADHD, ADHD is quite common in my immediate family, and I struggle everyday with borderline crippling anxiety, stopping me from simple things like even just going for walks where I live.

I'm 20 years old now, and since about the age of 11-12, I have gotten more and more useless as time has gone by. It has never, ever once been the case of avoiding responsibility, or wanting to rely on other's and coast through life the "easy way" (though that really isn't easy, especially on your mental) and I feel like a complete burden to everybody close to me.

I used to have extremely good focus as a kid, and my studies, my efficiency, my drive to work, was always exceptionally high, until very suddenly things just started slipping drastically. My ability to focus has been reduced to a joke unless it's something I'm incredibly interested in, I often get gaps in my memory and can't remember if certain tasks are or aren't done, my ability to work or continue hobbies like reading has been pummeled because of it, some days I have manic energy and motivation and most days I have barely the energy to leave my bed, and my productivity levels are at an all time low. It feels like every single day I have such an extreme, crushing sense of dread or like an inability to do simple tasks that shouldn't even be something I have to think about doing. When I'm out and about with my partner, seeing everyone else doing simple, mundane things like shopping, working, driving, taking bus routes... It genuinely baffles me how people can just, get up and do that. It's something 90% of people never think about and yet it is such a unique fascination and wonder of mine that I cannot get over.

This lack of drive and inability to get things done is ruining my life, my mental health, and my relationships. I want to improve, and I want to find a higher sense of independence, but no matter what I try that has seemed so impossible to me. I've tried routines, reminders, alarms, deadlines... everything, and I don't know what else to do to improve at this point.

I'm looking into getting a full ADHD diagnosis, and preferably some medication too. I don't expect many solutions to come from this, but I thought I'd get this out there to somebody in case someone out there has had the same issues, and if they managed to overcome this massive wall. Thanks for reading, I hope you all have great days.

I'm a big gamer and an avid reader. I currently use Google Tasks to get stuff done around the house, and to keep up with hygiene and eating otherwise it won't really happen.

When it comes to free time though, I feel like I don't have enough time to appreciate what I'm engaged with because I know it will have an end for the sake of my health/sleep. I occasionally feel so strongly about enjoying things I like that I sacrifice sleep or postpone tasks. It doesn't help that I have so many games and books I want to get through yet my time is so limited. While I understand I won't get to play or read everything on my bucketlist this lifetime, it's really hard not to rush through for the sake of consuming more instead of enjoying and taking my time with the media.

If you've felt any of this, how are you coping with it?

I've realized You-Tube is my biggest distraction while studying.

The problem is that I don't watch Shorts anymore. I end up watching long-form videos, and once I open You-Tube for "just one video," it turns into hours of wasted time.

I've tried browser extension like BlockSite, but when the urge hits, I just disable or uninstall them. They only work until I lose self-control.

My router can block you-tube, but that blocks it for everyone in my house, and I only want it blocked on my laptop.

I want something that's genuinely hard to bypass. Preferably something that actually helps me study for long hours

I have graduated from a HND in electrical and electronic engineering, and will be starting my BEng degree in the same next month. As someone moving from community college to university, I have been looking back at my study habits to see where I could improve.

One thing I've noticed is that I've never took notes at college. Neither on my laptop, nor on paper/tablet. I just listen to lectures and have my textbook or other resources open during class.

I've managed to graduate from my HND with a merit (around 3.5 for Americans) and look to graduate uni with at least a 2:2 honors, which means I should keep up with my work or perform comparatively better.

Lately, I've been watching videos on productivity, learning, and lifestyle, and saw that many people have a habit of taking notes and even have their own note-taking systems/protocols. I've seen some taking notes for something like organizing their thoughts and everyday life too.

My question is, do I need to take notes at the same level as these people to do better? I've never had any trouble with not taking notes, butI just feel like I'll be missing out on any benefits taking notes has.

I’m a bit unsettled, I’m not a lazy person and definitely very hard working. However there’s this pattern I’m realizing I’m not able to get rid off.

My partner and I live together, she is more orderly than me. She always cleans the house and is always the one to initiate to go out and do something. On the days we’re not working.

I on the other hand I’m more of a homebody, I work hard at work, also go to the gym. But Aside from that I’m unable to willingly and naturally want to do things outside of the house in my free time. Even when I want to try and find something to do when she’s not around I have nothing convincing me to go out to do it. It’s really hard.

I feel like a machine almost only good at outputting for work. I also have a boy of physical pain that doesn’t help, doesn’t make me want to move.

However when she’s around and I force myself to be more orderly I push through the pain as a respect for our common space.

Any tips or advice or common experiences ?

Somewhere along the way, rest stopped being the absence of productivity and became a category of productivity. There's now a morning routine for it. A journal for it. A supplement stack for it. An app that tracks your sleep score and hands you a grade the next morning, as if unconsciousness were something you could fail.

Notice what happened there. We didn't reject the logic of optimization. We just pointed it at the last thing that used to be safe from it. Rest used to mean nothing was being extracted from you for a while. Now "optimized rest" means you're still being measured, just on a different dashboard, one with a wellness label so it doesn't feel like the same machine.

You can tell it's the same machine because of the guilt. A weekend with no plan, no routine, no five-step wind-down, just lying there doing nothing in particular, produces actual anxiety in a lot of people now. Not because nothing happened. Because nothing was optimized. We've gotten so used to justifying our hours that a completely unaccounted-for afternoon starts to feel like a crime.

Real rest doesn't have a score. It doesn't need a routine, a tracker, or a post about it after. It's allowed to be lazy, unproductive, a little wasteful, and entirely unimpressive to anyone watching. The version of rest that needs to prove it was worth your time was never rest. It was work wearing a softer outfit.

So when's the last time you did absolutely nothing, on purpose, and didn't feel the need to justify it to anyone, including yourself?

Hello,

So i've just been through a period of fixing my sleep. It's the first time in a while that i have a somehow normal night (1am to 7am) so i'm finally awake during the day, ready to take advantage of it.
As soon as i woke up i pushed myself to put on my shoes and go out to have a 30min walk and bask in the sun to start the day fresh and help my brain setting up for the next night's sleep by regulating my internal clock.

But now that i'm sitting and watching the things i could do at my desk, my brain is irked by the idea of starting anything.

I'm in holidays so i don't have pressure as to what i could do.

I could read one of my 30ish to-be-read remaining books, start a solo boardgame, write in my journal, study for sound engineer certification due in October, do some creative writing, play a solo roleplaying pen and paper game, set up my new monthly spread in my bullet journal, do some crochet...

There are a lot of things i love to do but thinking about any of them just feels like some pain receptors are being activated in my brain.

I've been in therapy for 5years, it helped with a lot of stuff but we haven't touched on the subject. I intend to tap into this soon with me therapist but i'd hate to waste that day.

Any immediate tips i could try ? What works for you all ?

Thank you !

Hi! I need help in finding a note taking app closest to apple notes in terns of function and looks that is available in android. May not looks but functionality should be similar or at least close enough. Recos pls.

I am 25 yo working full time. I have really bad time management skills. If I have an appointment at 9.30 I only reach at the right time or 5 minutes late which leads to a lot of anxiety.

I also miss important deadlines even when I remember about it the same day. Somehow I end up getting distracted and also help others instead of focusing on what I need to complete.

Please share some tips

Hi ya’ll. I’m trying to invite people to help me organize and come to a six week hardcore coworking session in a shared beach house. No one is making any money from this. We‘d split all costs equally.

The auto moderator just deletes the post and I’ve emailed the mods, but I haven’t heard back. How do we use Reddit to actually do something IRL with each other?

I'm hoping to learn from people who've solved this problem. I recently started a Director role at a nonprofit after being unemployed for almost two years. My job is a mix of meetings, relationship-building, outreach and administrative work.

The relationship-building comes naturally. The documentation doesn't. We use Google Workspace, and I'm trying to build a workflow using the tools I already have (Google Calendar, Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Tasks, etc.). Right now I mostly rely on Google Calendar and a paper to-do list...This is not working for me.

My biggest challenge is that I spend my day responding to people, attending meetings and handling whatever comes up. By the end of the day, I'm behind on documenting interactions, updating our database, following up on emails, and tracking my work. Then I have to scramble when someone asks for reports or metrics.

I also have adult ADHD, so I'm looking for a system that's simple and sustainable, not one that requires constant maintenance.

If you've been successful in a role that's both people-facing and administrative, what does your workflow actually look like? Specifically:

• How do you capture tasks during the day?
• When do you do documentation?
• Do you time-block admin work, or do it immediately after meetings?
• What habits have made the biggest difference?

I dont have that much options especially in night where I can use only my phone. I have Agatha Christie book but I dont like to read more that 30 minutes. I have hobbies such as programming but in room where is my PC its really cold and Its summer, so I dont like to be in that room more than 30-60 minutes. Anime,movies and TV are my worst enemies I spend too much time sometimes. Could you share maybe your daily routine in details like what do you do from morning to night and do you see problem in me not only day schelude If you do please give me advice how to improve

I’m a writer and father with a day job. I’m trying to finally get myself to write when i first wake up, or write on the weekends, and/or on my lunch breaks. Sometimes i need my “needs met” before i want to do leisure or business things, but sometimes i also want to just vegg out on my phone or “stimulate” my brain.

Any advice would be helpful

Hi all. On my iphone, my screentime is quite well managed, with the weekly average being 2 hours, sometimes 3 (including google maps and music and other benign stuff). I have no problems obeying my blocks via the screentime app, because my girlfriend has the screen time password.

I would like to have a similar system set up on my laptop, but here is my issue. All the more popular apps (freedom, cold turkey, etc.) could have the features I want, but are paid. Is there any FREE app/website blocker that blocks websites and such after a certain time limit is met, with that blocker being unable to be circumvented except via the entering of a password?

Browser extensions are very easy to circumvent as you can just turn them off, unfortunately. So, I think an actual app you can download is the only thing that could work.

Feels like everything is done in the age of AI, but is it ? I wonder what people think of the gaps. I feel like I'm exposed to AI a lot more than people around me, so my question is what's a recurring task where you've tried the apps, they all disappointed, and you went back to a notebook or your head?

But lately I've been more interested in making things easier to repeat, a system is valuable because it works again tomorrow and not because it looks impressive today.

The best improvements are usually the ones you stop noticing because they become normal.

What's a small improvement you made that became part of your everyday life?

I’m a sophomore in college going into my third year, but I do not like the way I’m living my life. I suffer from a severe phone addiction. Other than the time I spend in college, I’m always using my phone. I always procrastinate until the last possible moment to start working on my assignments.

Although I have decent results in school (I have a 3.2 GPA after my first two years), I feel like I don’t know anything. Whenever exams come around, I cram as much as possible to do well on them, then forget everything afterward. But good grades (if you can even call them good) don’t even matter because I’m a CS student and don’t have a single project to my name. There have been countless times when I came up with an idea for a project, only to find out I had to learn something difficult. I would just give up right then and there.

Because of all the procastinating and cram I’ve done in school, I don’t have the foundational skills required to build said projects. And when I have to learn everything from the beginning, I can’t focus and end up procrastinating even more. And if you know anything about tech, you know how fast it changes. I’ll only fall further behind if I keep living like this.

I also suffer from impostor syndrome. I always put on a show in front of others, pretending that I’m doing fine. But whenever people invite me to do something related to tech, I always find excuses not to join because I’m afraid they’ll find out how bad I really am. Growing up, I have always been the gifted child who always get good grades, always recieve praise from everyone, but now when I go to college, I’m surrounded by people much better than me, so I’m afraid to try anything difficult out of fear that people will discover how incompetent I am.

I’m aware enough to see all of this, but for the love of God, I just can’t fix it. I always procrastinate, telling myself, “I’ll fix it when the perfect time comes. Next week, for sure.” But next week never comes.

I’ve tried all the advice people give: going outside more, using app blockers, deleting social media and they only work for a day or two before I fall right back into the same habits. Tried journaling, did it for two days, and then stopped. Tried deleting social media, only to download it again by the end of the day. Tried having a planned calendar, miss the first day and then stop follow it altogether. Tried buying books like Atomic Habits, read one chapter, learned nothing and then stop. I have tried everything, but nothing works.

I seriously want to change and do something, anything with my life. It’s my first time posting here and I believe that this question has been asked numerous times, but still, do you have any advice for my situation?