#PetBloggerMonth: Productivity Tips For The Pet Blogger

Post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess 

I spoke recently at a Women In The Pet Industry Network meeting in Oregon, hosted by the magnificent Shawna Schuh. I spoke to attendees about Time Management and Conquering The Overwhelm. As pet bloggers and business owners, wives, mothers, husbands, fathers, pet parents… the list goes on, it is difficult to be always-on and ever-productive, right?

Here are some of my favorite productivity tips. Choose one or two and try it on for size for a week to see a) how it feels and b) if it’s making you feel more productive (feel free to share your results!) My favorite productivity tips for the pet blogger are:

• Take on a task you’re dreading. As Brian Tracy said in his book, Eat That Frog, if you eat a frog (do a task you’re dreading) first thing in the morning nothing you do all day can be any worse. What task is haunting you? Set a timer and work on it for at least 15 minutes. Having it hanging over your head drains your energy and your creativity. Sometimes I set my timer, make a cup of tea and whittle away at a task I’m not looking forward to.
• Step back and recharge. Meditate if that works for you. Spend a few minutes daydreaming. Meditation is about relaxing as much as it is about getting in touch with the creative side of your brain. When you daydream you can have fantastic images pop into your head where you envision your ultimate pet blogging success. You can “what if” your way to success if you want. Dream big!
• Walk your pet. Stepping away from your desk will not only help make you healthier because you’ll be up and moving, but simply taking your dog for a walk in the woods or a secluded area (if possible) will help recharge your energy, get your heart pumping and your mental faculties flowing!
• Listening to music might be a way to engage a different part of your brain while you’re working. If, for example you work with talk radio or television on in the background it could be pulling your focus away from your work and onto the show. Listening to music, it’s been shown, allows the listener to come up with better ideas because music can improve your mood. Try it and see.
• Clean your desk! You may think that working in clutter shows the mind of a creative person at work, but in reality it drains your energy and skews your focus. Spend time clearing out the clutter — if this is one of those “eat that frog” projects for you, then set a timer and work on decluttering for 15 minutes until the task is complete — even if it takes you a few days.
• Turn off social media. Chances are we all have that “friend” on Facebook who is always posting some negative comment or complaint. Even if you don’t respond you have read it and it can impact your mood without you even being completely aware of it. Also, attempting to work on a project and knowing you have your social media or email tabs open and alerts turned on doesn’t allow you to fully focus on the task at hand. Work without the interruption of social media or email.
• Take a fiction break. As a business owner, I spend most of my free reading time on business books or in the pursuit of learning. I find, though, that when I pick up a novel I can be transported to the fictional world, jump into the lives of the characters contained within the pages and simply get away from it all. It’s a great escape!
• I’ve saved the best for last! When it all gets to be too much and you simply can’t write another word or make another phone call, spend some snuggle time with your pet. Curling up on the couch and petting your dog or cat or guinea pig or ferret can lower your stress and positively impact your mood. Truly, who can pet an animal and not feel the cares of the world drop away?

What can you do to heighten your productivity by, perhaps, taking a break?

(Photo Shutterstock: Little girl and guinea pig)