Live Loud: How to have a Productive Day

Dear Pennies & Pens,

Since it’s officially a pandemic outside, it can be hard to stay focused and be productive. The stress of surviving this pandemic as well as still being able to pay your bills and support your family is a lot for anyone to take in. In essence, to still be productive, it is crucial that you develop a healthy morning & evening routine. 

In this post, I am going to share a few tips to help you have a productive day. This is my own personal routine so feel free to change or adjust according to your own needs. 

Start your day with a morning prayer:

Thanking God first thing in the morning gives you a sense of gratitude and thankfulness. In essence, before anything can irritate or upset you, you can start your day on a positive note. 

A conversation with God also helps align your spirit and emotions. God is all seeing and all knowing, more importantly, God is the key to inking the life you’ve always wanted. So if you want to Live Loud, always put God first. 

Meditate

Meditation is an ancient wellness practice that focuses on training awareness, attention, and compassion. Meditating helps you clear your mind so that you can focus and relax. 

I am no expert on meditation but I have been meditating for the past few months and it’s amazing! I participated in a virtual meditation session on Sunday and it was wonderful. I learned that you only need a few minutes to meditate which is great because I don’t have much free time these days. 

Starting your day with meditation allows you to clear your mind so you can focus on what needs to be done. With a clear mind, you are more productive and less irritated. 

Shower 

Now this is an easy one to skip especially if you live alone like me. But showering first thing in the morning helps cleanse your energy so you feel refreshed.

It also wakes you up so you’re ready to get to work. Take a nice long, hot shower and I promise you’ll have a productive day. 

Put on Comfy Work Clothes 

Since most of us are working from home, I believe that we should wear “comfy work clothes”. To me, that’s a comfortable T-Shirt or sweatshirt and loose fitting pants like sweats or lounge pants. If you’re an independent entrepreneur like me take advantage of this season and relax your daily dress code. You’ll feel more comfortable which will make you more productive.

Quarantine has made me fall even deeper in love with my own brand, Pennies & Pens. Pennies & Pens T-Shirts are made of Organic Cotton which is softer than regular cotton since there are no chemicals used. Even better, Organic Cotton gets softer with each wash so it’s the love that keeps on giving. The Pennies & Pens sample collection has become my daily wardrobe. Shop the ink here: Pennies & Pens

But nonetheless, there are certain instances where we should dress in business casual attire. Examples include Zoom calls with the boss, professional virtual events and client meetings. Basically, just like pre-covid, you should still maintain professionalism in these cases. So dress the part. I’ll do a future post with day to day outfit ideas and outfit ideas for virtual events.

Listen to R&B, Jazz or Gospel 

I recommend listening to R&B, Jazz or Gospel music in the morning because this type of music is usually relaxing, mellow and positive. It’ll give you a chill vibe which is the perfect way to start your day. Also, Gospel music is about praising God and what better way to start the day than by thanking the Lord? 

Right now, I’m playing a lot of R&B in the morning from a playlist that I created. My R&B playlist has Toni Braxton, Rick James & Teena Marie, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells, Usher, Ginuwine, Jon B, Jodeci, Xscape, Jagged Edge and more. It’s an extensive playlist that you can groove to for hours on end. 

Clean Up 

I believe in having a clean space to work, create or cook in so I recommend cleaning up before you start working, cooking, etc. When your space is clean, your mind is clean. So getting rid of any clutter or cleaning up any messes will make you feel better. 

Being organized is crucial to actually accomplishing tasks and achieving your goals. If you can’t find anything, you won’t be able to get anything done. I created a “Shipping and Fulfillment” station within my apartment. 

The Shipping and Fulfillment station has copies of my books: #MakeUrPenLoud: How To Be A Lifestyle Blogger and The Loudest Pen Ever, as well as Pennies & Pens T-Shirts, tissue paper, flyers, hang tags, business cards, stickers, ribbon, tape and shipping boxes. This way, whenever I need to ship a new order, I just go to this station, grab what I need, package the order and send it off. Then once done, I put everything back in its place. 

I also recommend cleaning up at the end of your work day. At the end of each day, I put my laptop, The Pen Planner and calendar away so I can’t work after hours. I also turn my business phone off on nights and weekends. Disconnecting from work after hours is crucial to having a productive day – tomorrow. Get it? 

Eat a light breakfast

For my last and final tip on how to have a productive day, I recommend that you eat a light breakfast. I would say eating some yogurt, fruit, toast or cereal is good. I love big hearty brunches just as much as the next Pen but I can’t focus with all that heavy food in my stomach. 

In essence, I start my day with a lighter meal then transition into something heavier for lunch or dinner. I hope you enjoyed these tips! 

And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything. With us, keeping real never goes wrong.