One reason productivity drops is that we can get caught in our own emotions. The obstacle may not be as high as it seems; when our mood is low, it can become difficult to find a way over it.
Low moods are often clouded by uncertainty, making it hard to see a way forward. I have experienced this many times: something that felt hopeless when I was anxious later looked solvable when my mood changed. I wondered why I could not see the answer earlier. The emotional burden had made it hard to see.
When productivity drops, it helps to address the emotion rather than avoid it. Delaying it can allow stress to build until it feels like a pressure cooker.
Everyone experiences low points. When I suddenly feel stuck, I try some of the approaches below. No single method works every time, but each has helped me move through a difficult period.
1. Do something else that gives you a sense of accomplishment
I use both active and more passive approaches to loosen the grip of difficult emotions. “Passive” is not a criticism; sometimes it can be an effective way to step back from anxiety. Here are five active approaches.
I keep a “happy notebook” and a “learning notebook” filled with things I want to do: visit a restaurant I have been looking forward to, learn a recipe, or write a blog post. When I feel low, I choose one and do it.
At that moment, what I need most is a little sense of accomplishment. Completing a small personal goal can help restore confidence. For example, when I feel anxious about work, writing a blog post I am proud of can help ease the anxiety. The work that worried me can then feel more manageable.
As I often say: turn ordinary life into small tasks, and you may find an unexpected sense of accomplishment.
2. Move your body to replenish mental energy
When a problem makes me anxious and thinking about it only pulls me into a darker mood, I know I need to step away for a while.
I might exercise, hike, or go for a run. Even if I am short on time, I cannot get much done while stuck in an emotional spiral. On a weekend when I am preparing a project, course, or book and hit a low point, I may ask my wife to go hiking with me.
Meeting a physical need can help fill a gap in your mental state. Choose something positive and healthy: exercise is usually better than eating a lot of sweets, which may bring guilt and increase anxiety.
3. Change to a more relaxed place to work
Our surroundings affect how we feel. When I am in a low mood, seeing the familiar office or study room can increase my anxiety. It reminds me that I should be working, which adds pressure.
Sometimes I take a short detour and work from a café after a meeting. A more relaxed environment removes some of the pressure and can help me return to work with better focus.
Making difficult work feel more relaxed does not mean abandoning it for recreation. It can mean leaving the setting that makes you anxious and continuing somewhere that is not your usual desk or study room.
4. Review your plan before you lose the chance to adjust it
If I try ways to restore confidence and reduce anxiety but still feel stuck when I return to work, I open my plan instead of forcing myself to work on the most stressful task.
There is often a way to adjust a difficult situation. The bigger risk is avoiding it for so long that I miss the chance to make a change.
I have said before: “The more detailed the plan, the more freely you can live.” I review the project plan, adjust the timeline, look for a task I can do now, or consider an alternative.
It is okay to leave the task that makes you anxious for later. Keep an eye on the plan so that you do not miss a chance to adjust it.
5. You do not have to love the task; start by disliking it less
Positive thinking is not always the answer. If you already feel anxious, forcing yourself to be positive can sometimes make you feel worse.
When work feels frustrating, I remind myself that I do not have to love it. I can start by finding a way to dislike it less. Think about the benefit of finishing, break the work into small tasks, and begin with the one that feels least unpleasant.
6. Write an emotion journal
I have shared five active approaches. Here are five more passive suggestions. When you feel low, stepping back can be useful.
Emotions are among our most honest signals. Whether they are pleasant or painful, they may contain something valuable:
When emotions feel hard to handle, we may not yet see what they are trying to tell us.
If you feel down, perhaps you expected something better. If you feel anxious, perhaps something about the current situation is not working for you. Either can point to a way forward.
Instead of rushing to finish work, try sorting through your emotions first. I use a “flow journal” to write them down. Seeing the feelings on paper helps me have a clearer conversation with them.
7. Look at a low point from another angle
Sometimes a little self-deprecating humor helps. I remind myself that reaching a low point is not always a bad sign.
Accumulated emotions may mean that work or life has brought a new challenge. It may be difficult because it matters to you and you want to move forward. The emotional burden comes from caring about the challenge while not yet seeing how to handle it.
Seen this way, a low point can come before new motivation. You do not have to fear every difficult feeling or try to eliminate it immediately. Sometimes forcing it away can make it stronger.
8. Let go of some things
Giving something up can take more courage than continuing.
If the approaches above do not help and your mood and productivity remain low, consider asking a manager or client to extend a deadline, or letting go of a requirement. As I wrote in Doing less imperfectly can make you more productive, reducing the load can create room to breathe.
Letting go does not mean abandoning everything. It means creating enough space to recover before the emotional burden becomes overwhelming.
Who says a low mood must immediately turn into positivity? Sometimes slowing down alongside it can help you find a new direction. This is the idea behind “Piano”: five work principles inspired by an Italian saying about taking things slowly.
9. Spend time with people who accept you
It may sound familiar, but in my experience the company of family is important during a low point. “Family” does not have to mean relatives. It can mean people who treat you like family: people who accept your feelings and stay with you, even if they do not know what to say.
Sometimes what we need is simply someone to listen and be present. With that support, we may find more courage to discover our own way out.
10. Build strong routines in advance
A low mood or drop in productivity is not always a bad thing, but it can become difficult if it is too intense or lasts too long.
Strong everyday habits can help prevent emotions from taking over. Without regular routines, it is easier to be led by each passing feeling. A low point can disrupt your whole rhythm, and an irregular schedule may increase anxiety.
If you already have routines, such as a morning plan or a consistent start to the workday, they can help bring you back on track during a difficult period. Taking one small step back into your routine can be a way to loosen the emotional burden.
These are ten approaches I often use when I feel stuck in a low-productivity period. I hope some of them help you, too.